Notice the visual editing in this

Note the symmetry and grouping of the readouts, the repetition of the red lead-ins. The "magnet" of this portion of the page is near Bush's hand. The directional lines in the image work perfectly to lead the reader into the information. What else can you find?

Footnotes in newspaper series

NEW YORK In an unusual book-type approach to news, The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J. is running a 15-part series on a local convicted killer, but with a twist. In an effort to use a long-form narrative, which Editor Jim Willse says lends itself better to the unusual story, the paper is including footnotes with each installment, both online and in print.

"This is our answer to a classic challenge in long form - how do you attribute without breaking up the narrative?" Willse said Monday, a day after the series began. "In this kind of series, when we are going back in time, we are recounting conversations. It is terribly important for the reader to know how we could give such verbatim conversations."

For the rest of the Editor & Publisher story, click here.

Redesigned Pilot

The Virginian-Pilot, famed for its design and presentation chutzpah, has launched an overhaul that deeply affects both content and look. The video at left is interactive. Denis Finley, editor, explains the thinking behind the work. Pop-up pages offer a closer look at the section fronts. There are links to a FAQ and an article by lead designer Deborah Withey. NewsDesigner.com shows before and after fronts *and* inside pages and offers commentary. (One of the most interesting aspects of this redesign is that the inside pages were revamped to reflect newer technology.) If you're interested in seeing what the previous major redesign looked like when launched in 1993, check out Alan Jacobson's Brass Tacks explanation.

I posted one of the new fronts. Do you love that crab hed or what? (Click on the image to see it larger.)