![]() JUNE 2008 ![]() ![]()
Sure, the Sentinel's editors and designers will serve up the shorter stories, snappy graphics and sizzling color Mr. Zell called for, but cosmetic changes alone have never delivered bottom-line results. And yes, the new Sentinel looks better – AME/Visuals Bonita Burton and her team deserve credit for the big improvement. But looks aren't everything, or even the most important thing. Many designers seem to disagree with this position. Read about that here. In these troubled times for newspapers, it's important to note that “readership” and “revenue” are conspicuous by their absence from virtually all the words that have been published about Orlando's redesign. Instead, much has been made of the cosmetic changes to come. This is not a criticism of Mr. Zell – at least he's pushing his people to do something – but it will take more than eye candy. One need only examine the before-and-afters, below, to see that no substantive changes have been made to story selection. In many cases, even headlines and photos remain the same. Time has proven that merely dressing up the same old content will not attract readers' eyes or advertisers' dollars for more than a few days. Granted, these pages are merely prototypes, and it's possible that a sea change of news judgment will appear in a couple days. But it seems odd that editors didn't test their new editorial philosophy in advance on their prototype pages. Most papers struggle to just live up their prototypes; few exceed them. The experts I consulted agree on that point. So a wait-to-see attitude isn't likely to pay off. In contrast, before-and-afters from the June 10 redesign of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle show thoughtful changes to story selection, headline writing and use of images that are intended to drive reader interest and single-copy sales. As part of their redesign, the editors of the Tribune Eagle revisited every editing decision they had made on previously published pages. A quick read of all the headlines on the prototypes shows that they produced new pages that are more compelling, interesting, relevant – and fundamentally different – than what they published originally. Prototypes are created in a controlled setting, where editors can learn how to pick the kinds of stories that drive readership. Orlando's editors missed that opportunity to experiment. And based on last Friday's paper, they still have a long way to go. Let's have a look:
According to orlandosentinel.com, the following things make the redesigned Sentinel better than the old one. But I was able to find all these things in the old Sentinel:
Based on this list, it's not clear what content makes the new Sentinel better. Cosmetic redesigns are a waste of time of money. In contrast, content-driven redesigns can be powerful catalysts for positive, substantive changes to newsroom culture, but only when they transcend superficial changes to fonts, color palettes and grids. Recent redesigns in n Cheyenne, Wyoming and Waterbury, Connecticut, and Pocatello, Idaho have boosted readership and revenue, in part because these goals were clearly stated at the beginning of the process and embraced by all hands. These papers aren't big, but unlike their big brothers and sisters, they are innovative – and their redesigns moved the needle. For instance, here's how Jack Kerwin, a newspaper editor/designer in Daytona Beach, described Cheyenne's redesign: The words – bigger, cleaner typography – scream out in a very positive way. I wouldn't suggest that I'd stick with a paper just for "look," because I do like to "read" quality material. But, honestly, I rarely come across well-written stories (what I'd consider well-written ... entertaining, descriptive, draw me in). That's the biggest failing on the editorial side of the biz from what I see ... and has been since I've been in it for 2 decades now, basically because, from what I see, the higher-ups keep hiring the same type of writers over and over. It will take radically different newspapers to shore up sagging circulation and revenue. We can only hope that the people producing today's newspapers have the skill and will to produce tomorrow's fundamentaly different newspapers. If Orlando's redesign fails, it won't be because it went too far, as Alan Mutter contends. It will fail because it didn't go far enough. |
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Is the Orlando Sentinel liberal or conservative? ›
Editorially, the Sentinel tilted conservative.
What happened to the Orlando Sentinel building? ›The Orlando Sentinel announced Wednesday it will leave its downtown building, the newspaper's home since 1951. “After careful deliberation, we have decided to permanently vacate our Orange Avenue office,” Publisher and General Manager Nancy Meyer said in an email to Sentinel employees.
Does the Orlando Sentinel still exist? ›The Orlando Sentinel, founded in 1876, is the primary daily newspaper in Orlando, Florida. Our mission is to deliver the truth every day. We bring you the stories that matter most, written without bias, so you can make informed decisions.
Who is the owner of the Orlando Sentinel? › Is Florida more Republican or Democrat? ›The state is dominated by Republicans on the state level, as Democrats have not held the governorship or either house of the legislature since 1999.
Are people leaving Florida due to politics? ›They got soaring costs and a culture war. Florida has seen a population boom in recent years, but many longtime residents and recent transplants say rising costs and divisive politics have them fleeing the Sunshine State.
Who owns the Sentinel building? ›These days the triangular-shaped building at 916 Kearny St. is the center for enterprises engaged in by its owner, film director and vintner Francis Ford Coppola.
What is replacing Holy Land Orlando? ›Central Florida health care system AdventHealth purchased the former theme park for a reported $32 million, with plans to redevelop it into an all-new emergency room. “We are thrilled to start the process of construction on the property.
Where is Orlando Sentinel headquarters? ›Orlando Sentinel, 633 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL - MapQuest.
How many people read the Orlando Sentinel? ›For over a century the Orlando Sentinel has been the leading credible news, information and advertising source for our communities. We remain the area's #1 news source and media website, connecting our advertisers with nearly 878,000 Central Floridians weekly.
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