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Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Local Issues Obituaries Weather Archive Revels Etcetera Backpage Hot Topics Most Viewed Forum Photo Galleries Video Readers Polls O-Zone Online Games Movie Preview Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad EDITOR'S DESK August 4, 2005 Readers board argues for front-page revision Andrew Scot Bolsinger Two words summarize the recommendation of the Ashland Daily Tidings’ Readers Board concerning the newspaper’s use of a one-story front page design: Dump it. Several factors led the newspaper to modify its front-page look in February. First, competing in a market that sells six daily newspapers, poster fronts offer a more dynamic and visually appealing look. Second, with a readership demanding in-depth coverage, the format more prominently displayed the additional work by reporters and editors. Third, fewer front-page stories allowed for two pages of Valley and state news, allowing for more local content. Yeah, OK, makes sense, but ... dump it, they said. Missing the mark The readers board’s review of recent front pages suggested that the good intentions weren’t consistently delivered enough to merit continued practice. While newspapers are leaving their historical moorings in many areas, the belief of this board is the Tidings front is just too far adrift for a daily newspaper, especially in a town like Ashland where readers’ sensibilities are jarred by the striking difference. The board pointed to a couple of specific failings of the design. Readers raised on traditional newspapers still associate large headlines and excessive space to significance. Whether intended or not, a photo and headline that eats up precious front-page real estate signifies a story of greater importance. The design has overpowered the content, leading to charges of sensationalism. The board argued that the front page should be determined by the value of the news, not by the desire for a certain design. Stories that would likely be welcome in other parts of the paper, or even in other places on the front page, were viewed more sensationally because of the design. Also, readers who aren’t interested in the main story or package have little left to entice them into the paper. If the first story is a miss, the whole paper for that day — or even longer — can become uninteresting, the board said. The Tidings is not the first newspaper to employ the use of poster fronts. But the practice, more popular back East, particularly with tabloid-sized newspapers competing in a glut of media options, is uncommon on the West Coast and likely more jarring to readers. Confused readers are not happy ones. "No use letting design drive content," said board member Brad Knickerbocker, "especially if it's mainly for that 10 percent who get their paper from the coin rack.” A subtle shift I took this recommendation to the Tidings editorial staff for comment. We beat it around for 15 minutes or so and then tried to nail down what it meant on the ground, so to speak, practically applied. We haven’t used poster fronts, or six-column photos much the past few weeks anyway, so pushing them out the door except when totally warranted is an easy fix. We had some very good poster fronts, but the bad ones stick out more. Second, we agreed that despite our advanced planning, a quick — it would have to be very quick — front page meeting at 8:15 a.m. will be enforced. It’s on the schedule, but it often happens in spurts and stops as we all dive into the feeding the daily beast by our 10:45 a.m. last-page deadline. But the mandatory meeting to double-check decisions from the day before will improve design, story placement and choice of photos. We agreed that the emphasis in the newsroom on reporters and editors working as a team to develop deeper stories will not shift. The level of reporting in recent months has greatly improved and the coverage on a variety of significant stories, including Ashland government, downtown planning, the police department, the Phoenix City Council and education, has offered readers continued, detailed and most importantly, reliable information. But, at times the design has undermined the work. Though our goal of sales — not sensationalism — remains important, credibility will always be No. 1. When design robs credibility, it does the readers a disservice. The change won’t be very noticeable, but practically speaking, in the newsroom it should lead to a better marriage between design and content that more effectively informs and interests our readers. The goal of the Ashland Daily Tidings Readers Board is to offer dialogue between the paper’s readers and the newsroom staff. The board meets twice a month. Reports of their activities are found on the editorial page. The board wants to encourage readers to participate in the direction of the newspaper. Suggestions, praise and criticism are all welcome. Contact the readers board at [email protected]. --> Copyright © 2006 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved.