Redesigns don’t help stop newspaper circulation slides
Steve Safran November 6th, 2006
Newspaper redesigns are a huge waste of time and money. It’s now about getting your information out there via the web. (And website overdesign is a waste, too. Simplicity and ease of distribution rule.) Newsdesigner.com graphs the fortunes of 10 newspapers that have redesigned within the past two years. The result? Circulation down across the board. I feel the same way about the expensive TV news set redesigns. Does anyone decide to change to another newscast when they see some new shiny fake balcony? (Via Jarvis)
5 Comments Add your own
1. invitedmedia | November 6th, 2006 at 7:52 am
it must be something in the colored ink, but the newspaper no longer functions its intended purpose in my house.
i’ve gone back to using linen for doing the windows.
another lost customer.
2. Eric Deggans | November 6th, 2006 at 9:47 am
You’re overlooking an important point: Many of the current newspaper redesigns, including the one for the newspaper where I work, The St. Petersburg Times, are about shrinking the size of the newspaper to save on newsprint costs.
So even if circulation goes down — which is more about people having less time for any newspaper, no matter how well it’s designed — companies may save money because they’re using less newsprint and filling a smaller newshole, which also allows for staffing reductions.
Not a pretty picture. But the Wall Street Journal predicted it would save $7-million in its redesign — not becausem ore peopel would buy the paper, but because the smaller edition would save in newsprint costs.
Just something to think about….
3. flotsam | November 6th, 2006 at 1:25 pm
Are there any parallel universe stats for how these newspapers’ websites have done since their print version redesigns?
Are they gaining any back online?
Have redesigns served to drive people to the online editions?
4. campioni | March 15th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
um… buoni, realmente buoni luogo e molto utile;)
5. violet zausner | October 7th, 2007 at 3:52 am
PLEASE STOP DELIVERY OF pALMN bEACH pOST
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