For all you newspaper readers out there, be prepared for a mild (and hopefully pleasant) surprise when you open your Californian on Monday, August 17th. That's the date we are launching our new weekday Californian tabloid, which will offer more local content than ever before in an attractive new package. The tabloid will run Monday through Friday while Saturday and Sunday will remain the traditional broadsheet. So why did we do it?
* ... Our research shows local sells, so we wanted to produce a product with deeper and richer local content. There will be national and international news, but less of it. Studies show readers increasingly view this as "commodity" content while local is both exclusive and more relevant to their lives.
* ... We think readers are going to love the more convenient size. Tabs are particularly popular with older readers who find it more convenient to read the paper without folding it multiple times. Our focus groups loved it.
* ... Many of the new elements will resemble a magazine as we move away from simply reporting breaking news to more trend and analytical reporting.
* ... One of the goals was to get better results for our advertisers, and we have designed the product so the ads stand out better.
* ... And finally, we believe in experimenting and trying new things. Our business is more competitive than ever before and we simply have to evolve.
* ... Next up? A complete redesign of bakersfield.com and our family of websites. Stay tuned.
A couple of examples of the pages:
Now, to be sure, we are bound to get some push back from folks who recoil from the term "tabloid" and don't want their local paper to resort to "tabloid journalism." Our obligation is to prove that won't happen and to produce a daily newspaper that will offer readers the best view of our community day in, and day out. We've been around for more than 100 years, and we plan to be around for another hundred.
26 comments:
Oh dear. I hear the funeral drums beating for the Bakersfield Californian.
That's quite a leap considering you haven't even seen the tab yet. Give it a chance, kinda like reading the book before you review it!
I don't like it at all.
Lets get this on the air pronto! Very exciting.
your prototypes look really nice. also, i'm especially interested in finding out why that guy on p2 keeps getting stuck to his seat.
You know - if you throw enough "crap" against the wall, eventually something might stick.
Unfortunately I don't think this is one of those times...
Good Luck
How does this differ from Bakersfield Voice (which is yours too) or the current paper besides the size?
It's still a mis-mash of blogs, and rehashed AP stories, right?
Sorry, I have to agree with Maybelline.
How does a change in page size result in more local journalism? Are you going to hire back some of the reporters you laid off? Or is there some local content they could be providing that they're not now, but somehow will be able to with the different page size?
Your assumption is that "all" local content has to be produced by a staff reporter, and I think that is a mistake. We still have terrific writers and reporters who will continue to do excellent journalism, and while that is hugely important, it is no longer the end game. There is a world of relevant local content out there that exists outside of every newsroom. Yes, some of it comes in the form of local blogs, or local writers, or sister publications or many new forms of user generated content that exist outside the traditional newsroom. Suppose you can dismiss it as not up to your standards but I find it just as compelling as traditional content, and smart pubs (magazines, newspapers, websites) are embracing it. The days of our world being defined solely by a handful of staff reporters is long past. Thanks for the question.
I wonder if all the pessimists would rather that The Californian just close its doors? Rather than try to find creative ways to bring local news AND stay in business, perhaps if they can't please all the traditionalists (myself among them), I guess they should just turn off the presses and call it a day for good.
The paper is doing what it can to survive during one of the worst economic slumps in generations. While other papers around the nation are going bankrupt, The Californian is trying to survive by cutting employees (again, myself among them), cutting salaries, and cutting page size.
To all the people who wish it unwell and even those who simply want to berate it for changing formats... you may learn one day how much you miss having your hometown newspaper if the staff's money-saving ideas ever run out and you get no hometown newspaper at all.
If you think the arrogant L.A. Times cares about Bakersfield's local headlines, think again.
I'm not a huge fan yet of the tab, but I will still appreciate seeing it on my driveway each morning. It sure beats the alternative.
Good answer, Richard. You make some very good points about "relevant local content" existing outside the scope of the Californian's ability to be everywhere, all the time. I don't think the average reader sees that, though, when they look at the paper and see fewer and fewer "locally produced" stories and more "wire and staff reports." In truth, all newsrooms must rely on outsidre sources, such as public relations firms, community relations departments and so on - they have for years. Sad facts are, the newspaper business as we know it is dying, and bloggers, contributors and "sister publications" are, at least for the immediate future, the way forward. The Californian is to be applauded for embracing the future and facing the challenge of remaining relevant in today's world. In an age where newspapers are going out of business nearly as quickly as banks, The Californian - while maybe not everyone's cup of morning tea - is surviving. And that beats the alternative by a long shot.
I like the tab look, by the way ... just no Page Three beauties, OK? Ha ha ...
Content aside, I have supported newspapers going the tabloid route for years. It's simply easier to hold and read. Kudos to The Californian!
I wish you luck with the new format, but it will require some change of vernacular. For example, we won't be able to judge the importance of a topic being a "front page story" because, as I look at the mock up you posted, there is no news on the front page, only grabbers, the masthead, and an ad. And I guess having a story located "above the fold" will be another bygone phrase, much like the "dial" on the television. Good luck, anyway.
As part of the extended family, i'm delighted about the new direction. What readers, and television viewers and radio listeners for that matter, don't realize is that these changes don't come about on a 'whim'. They are made only after careful research into what the market WANTS. Looking forward to the 17th!
Don't be surprised if Alfred Harrell comes back from the grave to kick your ass.
"They are made only after careful research into what the market WANTS"
What market did they research? Certainly not Bakersfield or Kern County, oh I know, it's the 37 members of this blog - Pass the Kool-Aide...
I appreciate all the comments and this is a subject worthy of another forum, so we will revisit all these issues. That said, I'm mildly amused by all these anonymous postings whose sole common theme is: keep things the way they were, an attitude that flies in the face of market trends and reader behavior. My challenge to those who resist change and long for the good old days (and invoke the name of Alfred Harrell) would be: and what is your answer? If simple business economics demand a trimmer staff, what strategy would you employ to attract readers who have so many choices to access content? I wish I were 29 again but that ain't gong to happen, and wishing it were 1986 again when newspapers were thriving and could afford robust staffs also isn't going to happen. Simply sitting back and deriding the use of local freelancers or other non staff content seems not only incredibly egotistical but also self defeating. It's not an answer to anything; it's simply lashing out because the business has changed. And if user generated content is so bad, how do we explain the popularity of products like BakersfiedLife magazine, written almost exclusively by talented local freelancers? I enjoy navel-gazing and patting myself on the back as much as the next guy, but it doesn't address the real issues out there.
It's human nature to resist change. No matter the format the content must be worth the readers time, meet some substantial NEED or the paper will not prosper.
I'm up for change. I will need to add an additional subscription though so that I don't fight with my spouse over the new tab each morning. Is a second subscription M-F a possibility? Do you have a combo package to help newspaper junkies keep the peace over morning coffee?
Anon:
Interestingly, in the research we did the lack of sections of the paper came out as perhaps the No. 1 challenge for us. Folks simply like to divide the paper in the morning. That was less a problem during the week (when everyone is busy getting off to work) than the weekend, and of course we'll have the old format on Saturday and Sunday. But to answer you question, yes we will have a special deal for a second paper at a greatly reduced price. Thanks for asking.
I agree that most people don't like change and this is change, good or bad. People are going to squawk and complain, but they don't really know what you are up against or how hard you're working to stay afloat. People feel a loyalty for and ownership of the paper, even if they are just subscribers, as I am. I don't think you can discount unhappy writers on your blog merely because they are anonymous; your friends are more likely to say just the PC things you'd like to hear. You may find food for thought among the anonymous comments. When you give honest answers about your problems in the newspaper business, as you did in your response on this blog this morning, people are more likely to react with understanding than with your original announcement that essentially said this is going to be wonderful and that's why we're making this change. That said, I am confused by your description of "user-generated content" in Bakersfield Life. Lots of magazines use freelancers, so I'm confused as to how this is "user-generated." What's a user? Aren't these really freelancers who are trying to make a little cash pitching ideas to the editor and he/she can take or not take the story? Using real language instead of "Orwellian newspeak" would make your comments more "user" friendly and more honest and transparent!
Thoughtful post and I appreciate it and take it to heart. I'll try to avoid terms like "user generated" content in the future. You're right about that. But here's an example of UGC: Facebook is full of examples of "communities" built around topics, where folks can post comments, leave their thoughts or otherwise participate in the forum. There's one devoted to BHS Drillers, another to folks who have left town but post what they remember and like about Bakersfield, yet another a thread on "You know you're from Bakersfield when ... " etc. People (users) add their thoughts and the results can be funny and bittersweet. The web is full of "user generated" stuff like that, much of it local, that we have used in BakersfieldLife and even in the paper. It's not "journalism" per se but it's interesting and it is created out of a traditional newsroom. I think the future is not either/or but "and," as in we need traditional journalists and journalism "and" content and copy from freelancers or scraped from blogs like the aforementioned Facebook. The other sad truth is that economics dictate the old American newsroom that I grew up in will simply never be as broad or as deep as it once was, so the question becomes how can we give the readers "more' when in fact the staffs are smaller. I disagree with those who think it's impossible. I believe that can be done but only if we're willing to embrace content that is created and lives outside our newsrooms. (Take a look at the Sunday NYTimes Business section, one of my faves, and count the number non-staff written pieces. It might surprise you) Anyway, hope this helps. It's a valid question and I'll try to avoid "Orwellian newspeak."
As a reseller of the Californian I have been looking forward to this change since it hit the gossip train several weeks ago. I am always looking for new ways of presenting the papers for sale. You can only do so much with polishing the display racks and getting them closer to the coffee station in the convenience stores.
The new front page looks like it will catch the eye of passers by much more readily. I am a big believer in the superiority of ink on paper as a medium for reading. Given this, I find a certain amount of the doom and gloom over the fate of print media nothing more than a meme. After the initial fascination with screen fed text dies down many people will find their way back to the more pleasant reading experience. This new easy to hold format will help this process along. Why do you think the "Tabloids" you find in the checkout line have had so much success over the years? It's not just the headlines.
A number of my friends read the paper every day, cover to cover. Have for years and years and look forward to trying out the new format. One guy is an exception and may be due to what you call "trend and analytical reporting". This fellow stopped reading everyday because he is a fan of traditional journalism that is observational and just reports the news. He can develop his own opinions thank you, popular culture point of view opinions are a waste of his time. I don't know. I get a kick out of reading other peoples takes on things. Like these comments.
I have to mention. In a previous life I was a designer. Not claiming to having been an award winner, I did teach a Desk Top Publishing class for years before it became the domain of traditional higher education.
It seems to me that the masthead, while keeping the great script lettering could be more compact and updated some how. It just looks like it takes up too much space. Also I know that Pantone publishes a list of color trends for each year. This does not mean that what looks good on a monitor also looks good on paper. In other words, the color combinations on the sample don't do anything for me. Especially that red. I'm just say'in.
Looking forward to it. bp
I am not against change but I was very saddened to read that the Californian will be reducing its content for state, national and world news - these are areas in which the Californian is already VERY weak and to reduce them more is hard to believe. How can we have an educated citizenry if you do not cover these areas! This town is already very isolated and narrow in its view of the world! If the content of this paper becomes any weaker, it is time for me to switch to the LA Times.
The the Anon who sent me a private message: many thanks. Good advice.
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