Chicagoist: Trib Prepping For Next Week's Redesign Launch

artdude75

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 09:56:23 -0600

I'd like to see a side-by-side comparison of what regular features/columnists were in the paper before and after. What is the content change? A specific list would be very insightful.

Ward Up

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:41:24 -0600

To whatever's comment: I get your point about the Hyde Park Herald. That is one paper that you have to sift through to determine which regular stories are biased. Some are good. Some are biased. But don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. The Letters section of the Hyde Park Herald and the Op-Ed articles can give both sides of an issue. Even the Op-Eds that you disagree with 100 per cent serve a function by telling you how the other side thinks. I think the Herald serves a vital function.

El Thirdrail

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:36:23 -0600

@ophmarketing: Having lived in Dallas, the Morning News actually looks more like a real paper than this does. Ah well, it's about content, right? We shall see.

whatever

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:18:36 -0600

Ward Up, that's an interesting point but have you ever read the Hyde Park Herald? Calling it a rag insults cleaning materials everywhere.

Albanyparkour

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:01:36 -0600

@Matilda: Simple answer, don't change it. I like the color on the new masthead, that's classic. But don't change it over all. Put more local focus stories on the front page, and not in the shrieking "OH GOD THE CHILDREN!" manner of the sun-times. A big local story over the fold every day, investigative reports, content. That's gonna move papers. And make the website not completely tits-up, pants on head retarded.

dopplerd

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:30:04 -0600

Is it still printed on paper? How about making the website (medium of the future) not suck.

Ward Up

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:25:38 -0600

Here's one take on the decreasing neighborhood coverage by the Tribune. Other papers in the city, including the web versions of those papers, will likely play a greater role in covering city issues. The Reader (especially in its slimmed-down version) can only do so much, leaving the neighborhood papers as the go-to papers for many people. With these further Tribune changes, the neighborhood papers, eg., Booster, Chicago Journal, Skyline, News-Star, Hyde Park Herald, Lakefront Outlook may become even more important to average Chicagoans, considering the decrease in city news reporters at the Sun-Times and Tribune. In vetting local issues with the public--and sometimes getting crooked incumbent aldermen voted out of office--neighborhood papers are the best vehicle. And they are a click away online.

ljpljpljp

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:46:43 -0600

Are they going to have a paint by numbers section?

via chicago

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:46:36 -0600

+1 in the "it could be worse" column. what ruins it is the giganto main picture..its obvious they're just doing that to compensate for less copy. the Trib's lifeblood is the long investigative story. If that goes, so does the Tribune. I also hope they bring back more local focus to the CITY. stop pandering to the fricking suburbanites....I'm not counting on it though.

JAWilson

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:59:07 -0600

Pass. Where's the refresh button on that web page of a front page?

Benjy Lipsman

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:48:00 -0600

Since I doubt they're increasing the page count and have already shrunk the size of pages, it looks like giant pictures are replacing, ya know, actual news. The dumbing down of America continues...

Kfunk

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:47:02 -0600

How about a web redesign of chicagotribune.com- What a crappy website, my cousins best friend blog looks better.

Ward Up

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:36:52 -0600

Putting a giant picture on the front makes it look dumbed-down. However, I will hold judgement until I see what the inside pages are like. If ALL the pages have large pictures, and thus LESS text, i.e., less information, then I will be very disappointed.

matilda

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:12:12 -0600

I am interested in what you guys/gals think might be a better design. This design apparently does not offend me as much as it does others, but I know little about design. Any ideas? What would you do to remake the design of the Trib?

matty

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:06:34 -0600

And yeah it looks almost exactly like crain's though.

matty

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:06:16 -0600

I think it looks good.

Albanyparkour

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:03:46 -0600

Could be way worse. Still looks cowtown, minor market and garish. Trying to be the internet will not sell more papers.

Stealth

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:00:34 -0600

It could have been a lot worse, I guess... wilder layout with the Sun-Times' headline writing.. ahem... savvy.

ophmarketing

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:54:03 -0600

Actually, it looks like a minor-market newspaper. Like something you'd see in Dallas or St. Louis.

Mike G

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:47:46 -0600

Looks more like Crain's than Us to me; or maybe Ad Age.