The Times' redesign
They're called bylines because, see, they tell us who the story is by. (Reported and then written by, that is. The gang of editors who may have rewritten the bejeesus out of it, and yet whose names may never appear in the paper their whole careers -- that's another issue entirely.)
So when I bring the Los Angeles Times A section out to my little table this morning at Bean Town on Baldwin in Sierra Madre to read as I eat my oatmeal and I turn to the lead story and I see beneath its headline the words "Richard Winton," I internally say to myself, "Yes, Richard Winton -- he's the longtime Times staff writer, now downtown but formerly of the defunct San Gabriel Valley section where he reported on Pasadena City Hall and was thus the rival of Star-News and SGVN reporters, son-in-law of Linda Vistan and former Times staff writer Bryce Nelson, who is now a journalism professor at USC ... yes, Richard Winton. But what about him? Oh. This is supposed to be telling me the story's BY Richard? Well, then why not just say so?"
Don't know. But the main reason, I suspect, that there also is no reference in a line immediately below his name that Richard is a full-time staff writer at the paper is so the Times can be less embarrassed by the fact that financial realities of newspapering mean that it is using fewer staff writers. It now can announce whether a person is on staff or not in the tagline at the bottom of the story, which no one reads, rather than up top.
So there is my first beef with the Times' fairly massive redesign, launched today with a spadea -- that is, the odd flap that comes a wide column out over the A section, otherwise wrapping around the back of the real section, and which we once tried, to readers' great dismay, having every day wrapping around our features section -- featuring a Wall Street Journal-style engraved mug of the Times' new editor, Russ Stanton, explaining all the craziness to us.
Because while I will have my beefs, the fact is everyone hates changes in a newspaper's style on the first day, and may still dislike them on subsequent days -- and yet, soon enough, it's as if it's always been that way.
It's still the first day, though, in big changes to a newspaper I've been reading for almost half a century, God help me. So, more beefs: Adding white space INSIDE the grand Gothic type in the flag -- the place where it says The Los Angeles Times at the top of Page A1? Why? What's wrong with the boldness of black? Ain't that what Gothic's all about? I don't care for it one little bit.
And then, as the eye moves down to the place below the byline in search of what everyone still calls the dateline, and we find ... nothing?
Well, admittedly, here's where the wheels fall off the internal logic of newspapering. The dateline has not, with the exception of an occasional archaic inclusion in a New York Times story written a day or two earler from the antipodes, included an actual date on which the story was filed for generations. What it does contain is the place from which the story is reported, if, in the case of the L.A. Times, that place is not the city of Los Angeles.
Instead, the Times, which has announced by its abscence its desire to save ink or precious space or whatever it is by the removal of the word "By," now ADDS the words, still as is traditional in all caps but in much smaller type, "reporting from." As in, in today's Column One story on the left shoulder -- a place where editors place what they believe to be the best newsy feature of the day -- "Scott Kraft, Reporting from Guguletu, South Africa."
Yesterday, that would have read:
"By Scott Kraft
Guguletu, South Africa -- Easy Nofemela remembers the evening Amy Biehl died."
Yes, I prefer the way it used to be. Bring back the "By." Lose the "Reporting from." We get it.
Elsewhere: Don't care for the dark-gray, too-wide rule announcing internal sections of the paper such as Nation or Opinion.
On the Opinion pages, really don't care for taking the magnificent Times eagle symbol down below the editorials rather than above them, where it used to loom. Love having Berkeley Breathed draw and write a hilarious cartoon supporting Proposition 2 on the California ballot -- but that's a one-off. And a sad reminder that the Times, along with the other newspapers that buy him (we can't because the Times has locked him up, demanding that no other Southern California papers can have access), will lose Breathed's brilliant "Opus" next month when he stops drawing it.
If, as announced, the Times will go to drawings rather than mugs for its columnists, why does hockey columnist Helene Elliott on the front of Sports not get a mug? So maybe it's not going to the line drawings after all.
"Each section has its own color to make finding it a snap," an explainer says. Maybe so. But words don't work anymore?
Anyway. The note from Stanton asks, "Please let us know what you think of our new look." That's what I think. And unlike the old days of cutthroat competition, I think we're all in this together now. I used to work for the Times as a copy kid just out of college, and then used to write for it as well, including a cover story for its late, lamented Sunday magazine. I wish the Times, a great American newspaper, nothing but the best. And, yes, in a few months, I won't even notice these cosmetic changes, which, in the end, are the sizzle, and not the steak.
Comments
When you push the margins out that close to the edge... you need a little cooperation from the press operators. My paper this A.M. was marred by gripper marks over the type. Also, my biggest peeve is trying to find the jump: Wouldn't be nice if they keyed to the headline instead of the jumpline? I've been in print production for over 25 years and this was without a doubt the worst "redesign" I have ever seen.
Posted by: R. Vest | October 21, 2008 10:40 AM
Those were the days, my friend, when Richard was part of a crack team of reporters who covered Pasadena City Hall for a variety of print and broadcast mediam the Times among them. I miss those heady days. Kept me on my toes. Now the Weekly reporters call. That's about it.
Posted by: Ann Erdman | October 21, 2008 6:55 PM
The redesign was underwhelming. I don't think most people outside of the industry will notice. Talk of the good old days
It's funny because I listen to tons of Tech podcasts. Cnet was talking the other day about how current readers are vocal about redesigns, even if they are "done right". And most of the time they are effective. It seems like that is the new reality. Most every big web site that is competing for our attention would do the Times redesign every year. And print isn't the web, but in many ways it isn't doing as well as the web either
Posted by: Vaan | October 21, 2008 10:19 PM
http://www.linearpublishing.com/orsonscottcard.html
Posted by: A reader | October 22, 2008 1:53 PM
imclfh biasr xbzcfe qagcjdvho vxekwitd lbhjewtz yhkie
Posted by: ohvjytqc ahsq | December 25, 2008 1:32 PM
Merely want to say your article is brilliant. The lucidity in your post is simply impressive and i can assume you are an expert on this field. Well with your permission allow me to grab your rss feed to keep up to date with succeeding post. Thanks a million and please keep up the strong work.
Posted by: Jeanmarie Glotzbach | January 2, 2010 10:16 PM
Prepared to express, that out of all time I've spent using the web, digesting information sites, I have not read one as helpful and well crafted as this one, I do not in most cases comment on blogs nevertheless for you personally I felt the need to make an exception, it is in fact fine quality work and utterly opposite to the drivel, which i spend virtually all of my time on the web, reading. Thank you with regard to finding the time and expending the effort to present your readers with a 1st class review. I expect to be reading more of your work, yet again cheers. Janet
Posted by: Daphne Wergin | July 29, 2010 8:37 PM
Lenen Zonder BKR Toetsing Lenen zonder BKR toetsing stijgt in populariteit op het Internet. Veel mensen met een zogeheten BKR notatie, die toch geld willen lenen zijn op zoek naar ...
Posted by: lenen zonder bkr toetsing | August 2, 2010 3:01 PM
I added a link to this site on my blog! can you add a link of my blog to your site
Posted by: Porn Stars | August 12, 2010 12:40 AM
Incredible publish which has got me considering about the potential of this concept. Definitely genuinely wonderful.
Posted by: never fail list building review | August 15, 2010 2:13 PM
Incomparable! This particular is all I can believe just for a post like this valuable. This particular is genuinely a exceptionally educational piece of writing. You have to know a lot about this specific
Posted by: never fail list building | August 15, 2010 2:16 PM
Awesome article! thanks for the good read!
Posted by: Herbal Vaporizer | August 24, 2010 12:49 PM
This site blows!
Posted by: Vance Wohlfarth | October 8, 2010 2:39 PM
Its really a great post. I am sure that anyone would like to visit it again and again. After reading this post I got some very unique information which are really very helpful for anyone. This is a post having some crucial information. I wish that in future such posting should go on.
Posted by: Twana Hreha | October 27, 2010 12:49 PM
Keep focusing on your blog. I love how we can all express our feelings. This is an extremely nice blog here :)
Posted by: Buy Backlinks | November 4, 2010 6:25 AM
Interesting thoughts here. I appreciate you taking the time to share them with us all. It's people like you that make my day :)
Posted by: Link Building | November 4, 2010 10:47 AM
I would like to start my own blog one day. This was a really nice blog that you made here. Keep up the success :P
Posted by: Link Building | November 4, 2010 1:04 PM
Way to focus and straight to your point, i love it. Keep up the work people. Dont let anyone stop us bloggers.
Posted by: Seo Services | November 13, 2010 8:03 PM
Interesting thoughts here. I appreciate you taking the time to share them with us all. It's people like you that make my day :)
Posted by: Buy Links | November 14, 2010 1:47 AM
I am extremely impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself? Either way keep up the nice quality writing, it's rare to see a nice blog like this one these days.. :)
Posted by: Offshore Development | November 28, 2010 3:34 PM
at the present You can Make Money By Clicking Ads Just Make sure you have paypal otherwisealertpay.
Posted by: Bernita Gacusan | December 8, 2010 8:14 PM
Today You can Make Money By Clicking Ads Just Make sure you have paypal oralertpay.
Posted by: Shari Hesseltine | December 8, 2010 8:15 PM
hello anyone, I was just checkin' out this site and I really love the foundation of the article, and have nothing to do, so if anyone would like to to have an enjoyable chat about it, please contact me on myspace, my name is samuel kowalsky
Posted by: Angelia Esterson | December 14, 2010 8:38 PM
You completed several fine points there. I did a search on the theme and found nearly all people will consent with your blog.
Posted by: Antonina Riscen | December 17, 2010 12:12 PM
well done!nice job!
Posted by: free credit score | December 17, 2010 8:33 PM
nice blog here, i just signed up for your rss feed and will be following you
Posted by: credit score report | December 18, 2010 8:14 AM
Another great post lika always, thanks for the info!
Posted by: viagra 100mg | December 18, 2010 5:25 PM
I have read a few of the articles on your website now, and I really like your style of blogging. I added it to my favorites web page list and will be checking back soon. Please check out my site as well and let me know what you think. Thanks.
Posted by: credit score | December 19, 2010 8:50 AM
Your web site is so interesting … keep up the excellent work! Also, is your wp theme a free one? and if so..can i have it? :) My kind regards, Rebeca.
Posted by: Rebeca | December 21, 2010 4:18 AM
Kudos to you! This is a really good blog here and I love your style of writing. How did you get so good at blogging?
Posted by: Buy Backlinks | December 22, 2010 6:44 AM
Nicely said. Couldn't agree with you more. Wished others would feel the same way too.
Posted by: Brenton Artibee | December 22, 2010 9:10 AM
Keep focusing on your blog. I love how we can all express our feelings. This is an extremely nice blog here :)
Posted by: Link Building | December 23, 2010 3:19 AM
You make blogging look like a walk in the park! I've been trying to blog daily but I just cant find writing material.. you're an inspiration to me and i'm sure many others!
Posted by: Backlinks | December 23, 2010 4:31 PM
What I wouldnt give to have a debate with you about this. You just say so many things that come from nowhere that Im pretty sure Id have a fair shot. Your blog is great visually, I mean people wont be bored. But others who can see past the videos and the layout wont be so impressed with your generic understanding of this topic.
Posted by: Brett Spraque | December 23, 2010 8:15 PM
Can I just answer what a comfort en route for hit upon a name who truly knows what theyre talking concerning on top of the the web. You definitely know how to carry an subject to glow plus construct it important. Additional community need to study this and recognize this side of the story. I cant consider youre not additional fashionable since you absolutely contain the gift.
Posted by: cancer awareness bracelets | December 28, 2010 11:57 AM
It seems a pro like me can still learn a few things. Thanks a lot for your post.
Posted by: ur mum want kesha concert | December 28, 2010 9:39 PM
Hi I just dropped by and wanted to say you to have a Merry Christmas. Let all your wishes make come true for you and your family and lets hope the next year be prosperous for all us.Merry Christmas
Posted by: Tia Travelstead | December 29, 2010 4:08 AM
What a comfort to determine a piece of paper that might be present at last in fact value reading! I’ve been seeking all-around about this matter but men and women just put junk posts, or brief meaningless article. I contain noticed a couple vids on youtube but it’s now the equal as reading a good article.
Posted by: best 32 inch lcd tv | December 29, 2010 6:17 PM
Jeez, it's unusual to find such a great posting
Posted by: free movies online to watch | December 31, 2010 2:55 PM
Interesting layout on your blog. I really enjoyed reading it and also I will be back to read more in the future.
Posted by: Buy Links | January 1, 2011 5:44 PM
I like the journalism relevancy of your website and it does a beautiful decent work of presenting the info.
Posted by: lcd tv sale | January 2, 2011 12:48 PM
what a wonderful way to start blogging
Posted by: blogging | January 3, 2011 3:19 AM