SND Region 3

Atlanta Journal-Constitution unveils AJC Sunday

2009-05-02T22:56:00.018-04:00

From Shawn McIntosh, AJC public editor:

The new Sunday AJC debuts this weekend, packed with in-depth local content. The new Sunday mission includes explaining the “why” behind the week’s headlines, holding officials accountable with more watchdog reporting, providing an in-depth cover story in every section and providing readers with a relaxing weekend experience.

This Sunday’s newspaper delivers on that promise.

Check out the AJC's new interactive site for ajcSunday at http://media.ajc.com/unplugsunday.

You can watch the TV ads and other parts of the Atlanta marketing campaign at http://media.ajc.com/unplugcampaign/tv.html.

Now, for the pages (click on the image for a closer look):

A3

A1

A2

B1

B8 (Part of the new "Community News" pages)

C1

D1
D2

E1
E12
E16
E22

Editors have been talking with readers online all week at http://www.ajc.com/conversation.

New daily Atlanta Journal-Constitution debuts

2009-04-28T00:18:00.000-04:00

After two years of research and development — focus groups and online communities with thousands of readers — the Atlanta Journal-Constitution launched the first part of its transformative redesign today. Not just a new look, the paper has reorganized the newsroom, reallocated resources and rethought how the print product should work for readers who love newspapers. Here’s a glance at today's new daily AJC, compared with pages from Monday and April 27, 2008. We’ll show pages from the new AJC Sunday on May 3. (Click on the images for a closer look.)

From AJC Editor Julia Wallace:

Print is a powerful medium. We know that more and more people are getting their information in a digital format. But we also know that many still love and enjoy reading a newspaper.

Nearly two years ago, we set out to chart a course for the future. As information habits changed and more of our print audience shifted to the Internet, we knew the status quo was not an option. A struggling economy only added to the challenge before us.

We thought the best answers would come from our readers. We talked to thousands of them. They guided us to the new product you’re holding in your hands today.

This daily newspaper is one designed for newspaper readers. For years our industry has chased those elusive nonreaders. Our market research led us down a different path. What we’d have to do to win over those nonreaders risked driving away our core readers. We believe we can thrive by increasing the satisfaction of those who already engage with us regularly. So … you see a newspaper that looks and reads very much like a newspaper.

We’ve invested millions in press upgrades, more color and a more newsy, sophisticated look. We hired an award-winning design firm, Lacava Design, from Montreal to help us create a newspaper that is easy to use and filled with information.

Also along the way, we found ways to do things more efficiently. Our reader feedback proved valuable when economic necessities forced us to scale back plans and coverage. It was our readers who helped us set priorities for what to keep and what could be sacrificed.
We’ve already rolled out most of the content changes the last few months. Today’s print redesign is the culmination of a lot of hard, sometimes painful work that at its heart reflects the optimism and dedication to a long and prosperous future in this community.

What’s the overall design philosophy?
The new look could be called “Modern Classic.” It plays off the best of traditional newspapers, but with a modern, more colorful feel. What you’ll see is a newspaper that has been built with our readers and advertisers in mind. The AJC will be a newspaper for newspaper readers, those with a true affinity for print. The new design balances their needs with the efficiencies we need.

Will the daily and Sunday newspapers look different?
Yes, slightly. We know that readers use the paper differently on weekdays and Sundays. Our new design offers a sweep of news and topics quickly on weekdays when readers are busy. On Sunday, it has a more relaxed look that invites readers to settle in and spend some time with the newspaper.

Did you change the fonts?
Yes. We’ve simplified our typography, taking our cues from classic American and European newspapers. The primary font, Publico, customized for the AJC by Christian Schwartz, is exceptionally readable and easy on the eyes at all sizes. It is named for the Lisbon, Portugal, newspaper that first used it. Our secondary font, Boomer, is used for information boxes, photo captions and calendars. It was originally developed for AARP.

Is the newspaper smaller?
Yes. The redesigned AJC is narrower, printed with soy ink on 100 percent recycled paper. Many American newspapers have narrowed their formats in recent years. The new pages are more compact, but because of denser layout and improved typography, content is not sacrificed. It saves trees and reduces one of our largest business costs.

Who did the redesign?
An in-house team that is led by product design chief Will Alford collaborated with Montreal-based Lucie Lacava, a celebrated designer of more than 60 publications across North and South America, Europe and the Middle East.

When was the AJC last redesigned?
Changes are nothing new for newspapers. Most go through a facelift about every five years. The most recent comprehensive redesign of the AJC occurred in 1999.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution redesign launches tomorrow

2009-04-27T15:49:00.010-04:00

Find a sneak peek of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's redesign that launches tomorrow (Tuesday, April 28) at http://www.ajcsundaysneakpeek.com and also at http://www.youraudiencedelivered.com.

The AJC 2.0 redesign crew, led by design chief Will Alford, worked with Lucie Lacava of Lacava Inc. See what AJC newsroom leaders have to say and what questions readers are already asking at http://www.ajc.com/conversation.

Editor Julia Wallace will be blogging about the redesign and taking questions there Tuesday, April 28. Alford will be online Wednesday, April 29, and Lacava will be blogging Monday, May 4.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Check back here and at http://www.lacavadesign.ca tomorrow morning to see the new look as the redesign goes live and to get a closer view of the changes.

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Some of the previews the AJC has been running recently in the newspaper:

Sunday, April 26: "Delivering for our readers"

It’s Sunday. If you are like many of the readers we have listened to over the past 18 months, you have a little more time to spend with the newspaper today than you do on other days. And you expect a little something more and different from your Sunday paper.

As we have worked to make sure the newspaper meets the key needs of our readers, many told us of their rituals with the Sunday newspaper: how many cups of coffee they drink while reading; where they like to sit (den, kitchen table, porch); how the sections get divided among family members. They look to us to recap and explain the week’s events, let them know what’s coming up and help them save time and money.

For many readers, the newspaper reading experience is different during the week. They are time-pressed and want a broad sweep of the news fast, before they dash out the door and into the busy world. Others like to keep up with the news online and rely on ajc.com on weekdays; but enjoy the Sunday newspaper.

In every way possible, we’ve kept these differences in mind as we have set about to build smarter, more efficient news sources for you.

Throughout the process of reviewing and then improving, we have had to balance what readers want with current economic realities. While we can’t deliver everything readers say they want, we have preserved those things readers say they value most.

You’ve already seen many of the changes, from our new format and logo on ajc.com to several new features in the newspaper.

On Tuesday, we will debut an all new look for the daily newspaper and on Sunday, we will debut the new Sunday design. Let us know what you think. We want to keep the conversation with readers going.

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Monday, April 27: "What to look for in Tuesday's newspaper"

News you want: We will continue to bring you the latest in international, national and local news. Our sections — Metro, Sports and Living —have been designed so you can find your favorite features and stories faster.

Watchdog: Readers have told us that they want us to hold public leaders accountable for their actions, so we will continue to monitor how government is working — or not working — and present the information in a way that’s timely and easy to understand. One of your favorite features, Take to Task, is still in the Metro section and still helping you cut through local government red tape.

Easy to find: Navigate to the information you want with color-coded sections, at-a-glance headlines and consistent, clear organization.

More color: We’ve invested in our future with significant upgrades to our presses in Gwinnett County. This gives us the capacity for more color on news and advertising pages. Each section of the redesigned AJC is color-coded, which helps readers navigate the pages to find what they want to read.

Easy to read: We’ve simplified our typography, taking cues from classic American and European newspapers. The primary font, Publico, customized for the AJC by typographer Christian Schwartz, is exceptionally readable and easy on the eyes at all sizes. More straightforward headlines help readers scan stories and absorb more information. And no, we have not shrunk the type!

Follow Region3

2009-01-28T16:27:00.002-05:00

Keep up with SND Region 3 events and industry news on Facebook with the SND Region 3 group or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/sndregion3.

Region 3 moving / shaking.

2008-05-21T22:35:00.003-04:00

There have been several member moves in Region 3 lately!

This just in from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's design director, Paul Wallen:

I'm very excited to announce yet another terrific addition to our visuals team!

Nuri Ducassi will be joining us in mid-June as Features Design Director.

Nuri is currently the Design Director at the Montreal Gazette, where she's responsible for the overall presentation of the paper. She led a total redesign of the Gazette in 2006 and her staff to 33 SND awards over three years.

Widely recognized as one of the best designers, illustrators and teachers in the country, Nuri has an incredible track record of success at the San Jose Mercury News, Hartford Courant and Miami Herald. She has been a visiting faculty member at Northwestern University, Poynter Institute and American Press Institute. In 2006, she was an SND World's Best judge for the 28th edition.

In taking this position, Nuri returns to her "roots" in several ways. Professionally, she will get to focus on her first love - features design. Personally, she is coming home to South Florida, where she has family and many friends.

Nuri will be relocating from Quebec, along with her partner Nauret, three dogs (Barolo aka Pablit, Frederika aka Fritzi, Paco aka Puki aka Bebe) and two cats.

I expect Nuri's talent, energy and infectious personality to make a big impact and help us elevate even further what we do on a daily basis.

Please join me in giving Nuri a warm Sun-Sentinel welcome!

You can find some examples of Nuri's Miami work at NPD.

The Sun-Sentinel also recently hired Tim Ball as Sports Design Director. Catch the details here and his portfolio on NPD.

AND Kevin Wendt, an Assistant Managing Editor at the San Jose Mercury News, will become the editor of the Huntsville Times in Huntsville, Ala. You can read all about it at SND Update.

Congratulations to Nuri, Tim, the Sun-Sentinel, Kevin and the Huntsville Times on some exciting moves! Welcome to Region 3!

Story Forms Boot Camp in Region 3

2008-03-12T20:46:00.002-04:00

A two-day Quick Course on alternative story forms is coming to Region 3 at the end of this month.

The schedule looks incredible: The case for doing alternative story forms, EyeTrack results, developing stories for a true "charticle" form, and how to dissect information so it's easier for readers to digest. All this, and get help brainstorming story ideas or even making an ASF with a story already in the works at your own paper.

Trainers include Josh Awtry of The Salt Lake Tribune, Stephen Komives of the Orlando Sentinel and Denise Reagan of the Florida Times-Union.

March 29-30
Freedom Forum
John Seigenthaler Center, Vanderbilt University
1207 18th Ave. S.
Nashville, Tenn.

Find information on how to register at SND.org.

Tiffany Hurt to the AJC

2008-03-08T15:29:00.002-05:00

More member moves in Region 3 ... this time from one Region 3 paper to another! Tiffany Hurt will be joining The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a designer from the St. Petersburg Times.

Dee Dee D'Asaro, Print Senior Editor/Visuals at the AJC, said in a memo to the staff:

Tiffany Hurt joins The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's design team as a news designer starting in late April.
Tiffany comes to us from St. Petersburg Times, where she designed mostly A1 and local news fronts in addition to planning duties. Before that, she was a news designer at the The News-Press in Fort Myers, Fla.
Tiffany brings her considerable skills to Atlanta at a critical time as we rethink our weekend paper and hone our digital objectives, among other initiatives. We are thrilled to have her with us!

You can check out Tiffany's NPD portfolio here.

Congratulations Tiffany and the AJC!

'Intern' finalist Bill Couch moves to USA Today

2008-03-05T23:21:00.007-05:00

Bill Couch, a finalist in SNDOrlando's "The Intern" competition, is leaving the Orlando Sentinel for the nation's newspaper, USA Today. Bonita Burton, AME/Visuals at the Sentinel and SND Treasurer/Secretary, sums it up far better than I could in a memo to the staff:

“I’m sorry to announce that William Couch is leaving the Sentinel for a position at USA Today. At the nation’s newspaper, Bill will create online graphics, data-driven Flash applications and other new technologies exclusively for USAToday.com. His last day in Orlando is yet to be determined, but he will be starting work in McLean, VA on April 1st.

Bill’s time with us has been short but very sweet. He first came on our radar 18 months ago as one of 10 national finalists competing for design internships at SND’s annual workshop in Orlando. During this high-profile event, Bill distinguished himself as a media junkie well ahead of his time (see his video). His slick multimedia campaign won over the crowd and secured a coveted internship at the Arizona Republic. The Poynter Institute also took notice and offered Bill a prestigious 2007 summer fellowship. It was fresh out of that program that we snagged him for our new hybrid design & graphics team eight months ago.

While Bill never did get the benefit of that hard-won internship out west, he hit the ground running here defining a job that never existed before. Assignment No 1: our first newsroom-generated Flash graphic, an interactive map to accompany the UCF stadium opener. Determined to bring something new and useful to the report, Bill spent an entire afternoon timing the hot walk between each parking lot and the new stadium. He next teamed with Tory Hargro to tell the back story of Col. Mike McCoy through photos, videos and interactive animations. Then he really got cranking with quick-turn Flash graphics that explained how Odyssey Middle School was built on a controversial bombing range and how a deadly 70-car pileup unfolded on I-4. Up next: a rich interactive presentation on global warming’s impact on Florida’s sea levels. Bill has also regularly produced 2-D graphics for the paper and found technical shortcuts that cut production time of our TV grids in half.

We’ll miss Bill’s infectious energy, imagination and good humor. Most of all, we’ll miss the wacky noises he unconsciously makes when on the verge of a creative breakthrough. At least we still have his Twitter feed (297 followers), his Facebook page (780 friends) and Flickr albums (more than 8,000 pictures, including a set titled “Food Porn”). And there’s always something happening at WilliamCouch.com.

Please join me in wishing Bill well in his new adventure.”

Congratulations, Bill! We'll miss you in Region 3.

SND29 ... back from the Cuse

2008-02-13T00:32:00.004-05:00

The SND gang is finished with judging for the 29th Annual Best of Newspaper Design competition in Syracuse, N.Y. In case you haven't seen the coverage, there is an incredible amount of videos, photos and blog updates at various places on the interwebs (including the newly-designed update.snd.org).

update.snd.org
flickr
designhawg and design monkey

The database will be updated soon, so we'll all know how papers in Region 3 did. For now, the St. Petersburg Times is in the top 10 for awards out of nearly 15,000 entries and about 1,100 winners.

Congratulations!

The World's Best Designed newspapers will be judged next weekend in Syracuse, and those results should be available by Tuesday, Feb. 19. The SND Update Blog will have live coverage of that judging, too.

Quick Courses coming our way

2007-12-12T02:00:00.000-05:00

SND has announced trainers for the 2008 Quick Courses, and there are several opportunities in Region 3.

>>> STORY FORMS BOOT CAMP

January 18-19: The Poynter Institute, St. Petersburg, FL
March 29-30: Freedom Forum Diversity Institute, Nashville, TN

More publications are using alternative story forms, but everyone is still struggling to get it right. Learn what kinds of stories lend themselves to what forms and how to visualize them. Learn how to write, edit and design these forms. Learn how Interactivity and social networking functionality can be applied to news gathering. Bring your own story ideas and execute them as ASFs in the classroom.

Trainers: Josh Awtry, The Salt Lake Tribune; Stephen Komives, Orlando Sentinel; Denise M. Reagan, The Florida Times-Union

>>> FLASH: BEGINNER

March 14-15: University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL

In this two-day seminar, you'll learn the basics of multimedia storytelling, including how to pick a project, set up your team and develop an effective workflow. In addition, you'll get an introduction to Macromedia Flash, the standard for multimedia storytelling. And because this is a hands-on seminar, you won't just see the program in action, you'll actually get to try it yourself in our computer lab.

Trainers: R. Scott Horner, Swarm Interactive; Don Wittekind, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

You can find out more about each course and read speaker bios at the SND blog, or register at SND.org.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T21:42:00.000-05:00

Looking through Newseum, I find it interesting to see how everyone handles holidays in the mast. Ignore it? Play it small? Or blow it out?

Here's how randomly selected Region 3 papers played it:

And some papers from other regions:

How does your paper handle holidays on A1? What do you think?

Think you're qualified to be an SND judge?

2007-11-12T12:59:00.000-05:00

Or know someone who is?

Here's your chance to be involved with the annual Best of Newspaper Design competition. The Society is looking for nominations for future judges, and they DO NOT necessarily have to be an SND member or work in newspapers to be qualified.
If you'd like to nominate yourself or someone you know, please send an e-mail to Susan Santoro at the SND office with this information:

NAME
AFFILIATION
WORK TITLE
MAILING ADDRESS
TELEPHONE NUMBER
E-MAIL ADDRESS
NATIONALITY

And, for each nomination, please include a few sentences about the person to help determine which areas the person might judge.

OTHER COMPETITIONS NEWS:
The deadline for book cover entries is Nov. 27, so hurry if you'd like for your concept to be considered. (Not only will your work be on the SND 29 cover, but there's also a prize.)

OTHER DEADLINES:
The call for entries will be sent out around Thanksgiving, and the entries are due in Syracuse on or before Wednesday, Jan. 16.

AJC redesign: Lucie Lacava

2007-10-30T15:37:00.001-04:00

Breaking news from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
This memo went out from Dee Dee D'Asaro, Print Senior Editor/Visuals to the visuals staff:

Wonderful news!

We are near the end of negotiations, and it looks like Lucie Lacava of Lacava Design Inc. will most likely be helping us redesign the Sunday newspaper.

Lucie is known for her elegant use of typography and architecture. Her portfolio includes over 60 projects, and the largest paper she's worked on is the Chicago Tribune. She was instrumental in designing/launching the National Post in Canada six years ago amid a highly competitive national market. More recently, she redesigned the Baltimore Sun and the Telegraph-Journal, and is finishing up a redesign of La Libre Belgique in Brussels. She is the originator of the much copied "hot L" concept for teases. I remember being inspired years ago by her use of spot color in her first major redesign: Le Devoir in Montreal. Three of her projects have been voted among the "World's Best Designed" by the Society of News Design for a grand total of 10 times.

The staff met with Lucie today and looks forward to all the changes in the future.
In the meantime, check out Atlanta's work at AJC.com and Lucie's portfolio at lacavadesign.ca.

Design a cover, win a prize

2007-10-29T00:34:00.000-04:00

The SND committee that brings you the annual Best of Newspaper Design competition each year is having a little competition of its own -- to find a design/concept for the 29th edition's cover. The committee is looking for a concept that promotes award-winning news design. They encourage a cutting-edge design as long as the content relates to newspaper design.

HOW TO ENTER:
Please submit full-size, high-resolution concepts (9.25" x 12.25" -- measurements allow for a bleed trim of .25" on the top, bottom and right side). All images must be 300 dpi at the size they will be used. Designers must provide written permission to use all images and fonts included in the cover design. A full-size PDF file may be sent as an entry but an editable QuarkXPress or InDesign file will be needed within seven days if your cover concept is selected as a winner. Full color is available and, if needed, the 29th Edition cover can include embossed area(s).

WHAT YOU GET:
The first-place winner's cover will be used on the 29th edition (available in October 2008) and he or she will be recognized at the annual awards dinner at the Las Vegas conference. He or she will also win a prize in recognition of having the winning cover design, assuming the designer fulfills the competition requirements. All designers submitting a cover design will receive a certificate recognizing his or her work.

DEADLINE:
Nov. 27, 2007. For additional specs or questions, please contact: Marshall Matlock, SND competition committee director, mmatlock@dreamscape.com, 315-263-8899, 3464 16th Ave. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33713. All entries will be acknowledged via e-mail as soon as they are received by e-mail attachments (for PDFs) or mail (if CD or DVD) with all required files including two match prints, if possible. Please include your name, job title, preferred mailing address, phone number with area code and e-mail address with all entries.

LEGAL STUFF:
The SND Competition Committee and its book editor reserve the right to ask the cover designer to make changes if deemed necessary, and the designers have the right to withdraw his or her cover from the competition if he or she does not wish to make the changes. No entries can be returned, and non-winning entries remain the property of the designer. Winning entries become the property of the Society for News Design, which may decide to use the cover on future publications with proper designer credit. The judges reserve the right not to select a winning entry or to reject any entry that arrives after the Nov. 27 deadline.

Sun-Sentinel creates new multimedia dept.

2007-10-25T11:47:00.000-04:00

Now that Comcast has brought that series of tubes to my new place in Atlanta, I'm up and running again with the SND Region 3 blog!

The first bit of (slightly delayed) news comes from Tim Frank, DME/Visuals at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. They've just created a new multimedia department that will combine online's video staff with the newsroom's visual staff. Scott Horner is the new multimedia director.
From his memo to the staff:

We're pleased to announce that Scott Horner has been named director of our newly created Multimedia Department, effective immediately.

Scott helped put the Sun-Sentinel on the multimedia map, with TheEdge, and as one of visual journalism's leading teachers of Flash and multimedia storytelling. He recently returned from a Knight Fellowship at Stanford University, where he studied documentary filmmaking and immersed himself in digital culture.

Scott has the talent, experience and vision to lead our ambitious effort to tear down the walls between print and online in video, photography, graphics and design to create what we expect to be one of the most innovative multimedia departments in the country. Our goals are to:
Give multimedia the emphasis we give photography, graphics or print design.
Increase the volume, immediacy and quality of online video, photography and interactive graphics.
Promote a cohesive vision for all online visuals.
Integrate video into the newsroom.
As the multimedia director, Scott will oversee the video team led by our new Online Visuals Editor, Wanda Wright, and establish an overall vision for online presentation. Scott will work closely with all departments producing work for online, directly manage video and focus on keeping the Sun-Sentinel way ahead of the curve for innovative visual storytelling.

Scott, who is a graduate of the University of Central Florida, joined the Sun-Sentinel in 1996 and has been assistant graphics editor for almost eight years. He will report to Tim Frank and Sherry Skalko.

Congratulations Scott and everyone at the Sun-Sentinel.
Keep your eyes on Sun-Sentinel.com!

Off to Boston ...

2007-10-10T02:51:00.000-04:00

Region 3 is heading to Boston!

One quick reminder: If you're going to the annual workshop, there are so many avenues to get involved with the Society. An easy way that many people may not know about is to bring your ideas to committee meetings (all SND members are welcome). Here are the times and places ...

Competition: 1 p.m. Thursday, Stuart Room
International: 2 p.m. Thursday, Hancock Room
Diversity: 3 p.m. Thursday, Hancock Room
Publications: 3 p.m. Thursday, St. James Room
Education: 4 p.m. Thursday, Hancock Room
SND.org: 4 p.m. Thursday, St. James Room

Quick Course: 9 a.m. Friday, Hancock Room
Educators Brown-Bag Roundtable: 12:30 p.m. Friday, TBA

SND.ies: 12:15 p.m. Saturday, Hancock Room

Check back for updates from the workshop!

Fire destroys SmartNews building

2007-09-24T18:18:00.000-04:00

SmartNews, the startup free daily paper in Fayetteville, N.C., is in temporary quarters after the building that houses its offices burned down early Monday.

Investigators haven't pinpointed a cause, but this from Managing Editor Jim McBee:

No word yet on the cause of the fire -- as I type, State Bureau of Investigation and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents are poking through the wreckage. The building's owner called SmartNews owner and publisher Randy Foster at home in the wee hours to tell him the building was on fire. And then he called me. Not much sleep, but we're getting out Tuesday's paper per usual. Thankfully, critical laptops were not in the office when it went up, and we contract out our printing.

Hopefully, no one was hurt. Jim, you and your staff are in our thoughts! Please keep us posted.

Sunday's Special Reports

2007-09-23T15:57:00.000-04:00

Remember series?
Several region 3 papers launched series or special reports today, and I noticed they all had some pretty hefty multimedia elements, too. I'm still trying to figure out how to post like a blogger pro, but you can take a closer look at these pages either at Newseum or their Web sites. Here's a glance:

ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
LIFE OR DEATH, four-day series

The murders illustrate what a two-year investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has revealed: Getting the death penalty in Georgia is as predictable as a lightning strike. Thirty-five years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out the death penalty nationwide after finding it was arbitrary and capricious in Georgia.
It still is. Reforms that persuaded the high court to reinstate the death penalty have fallen far short of the state's promises, the Journal-Constitution has found.

At AJC.com, they have video of a victim's father, analysis of the crimes and racial factors, and databases and multimedia presentations. (FYI, you have to register ... but it's free!)

THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
THE WAR, seven-part series

One of PBS's most ambitious programs ever launches Sept. 23, a documentary on World War II that for seven nights promises to transfix the nation with epic sweep.

It chronicles the defining struggle of the 20th century while serving as an extraordinary salute to the ordinary people whose fading legions hold the last living memory of history's deadliest epoch.

The Observer is running seven profiles of local World War II veterans whose experiences are similar to those portrayed in the program. At Charlotte.com, you can find video to go with the local veteran profile and a look at the PBS filmmaker.

THE STATE
SAVAGE METH, three-day series

James Matthew Quattlebaum was sure he was finished. The Indiana transplant sat in his car at the side of a Lexington County road, stopped for a traffic violation. On the seat, wrapped in tinfoil, was methamphetamine. On the floorboard were boxes of Sudafed. In the trunk, cans of ether.
The deputy charged Quattlebaum with driving with a suspended license and impounded his car. But when Quattlebaum got the car back, the meth, the Sudafed, the ether — all of it — was untouched.
“The car was full of ingredients to cook dope — and they didn’t know,” Quattlebaum said. “They had no clue.”

TheState.com has an interactive map that shows how widespread the meth problem is in Lexington County, S.C. It highlights where meth labs have been found -- including in a house or vehicle, around children, or at a hotel or motel. You also can read a profile of a family torn apart by the drug and several other stories.

If you're in region 3 and your paper has a special report or series coming up, let me know. And if anyone from the AJC, Observer or The State has some inside PDFs they'd like to share ... please do!

Komives named SND Quick Course Director

2007-09-22T23:28:00.000-04:00

More great news from region 3: The new Quick Course Director is Stephen Komives of the Orlando Sentinel.

Stephen has a long history with SND. His work has won multiple SND awards, including a silver medal in 2006 for a four-page papal timeline "From St. Peter to the New Day." In 2002, he helped judge the 14,000+ entries in SND's international competition in Syracuse, N.Y. Later that year, he rescued SND's annual workshop by reorganizing it from Buenos Aires to Savannah, Ga., in a matter of months when the Argentine economy collapsed. In 2006, he served as President of the Jury for the prestigious Malofiej Infographics Competition in Pamplona, Spain. And he was very instrumental in bringing SND's annual workshop to Orlando last year, securing $15,000 in grants for student journalists. He's also been a speaker at several SND and industry events.

You can read all about it at The Blog.

Congrats, Stephen!

Nick Masuda to the Orlando Sentinel

2007-09-22T22:21:00.000-04:00

This is a little old to be considered "news" ... but better late than never!

The memo from Bonita Burton, AME/visuals at the Orlando Sentinel:

I'm pleased to announce that Nick Masuda will join the Sentinel as a senior designer on Sept. 28.
Nick is a highly decorated visual editor who has spent the last year and a half overseeing the design, graphics, photo and Web operations in Lewiston, Maine, in addition to their sports coverage. Before that, he was a sports and news designer at the San Jose Mercury News and deputy sports editor at the Santa Barbara News-Press.

Some of Nick's work:

In related news, Alan Jacobson posts over at BestFrontDesign.com:

Recently, I have been unable to complete my daily posts because of other overwhelming business demands. As a result, it has become impossible to critique pages with the frequency I began and that you had grown accustomed to. But there is a silver lining. During the course of BFD there has been one voice that seemed to show the reason and logic necessary to not only produce fine design, but to explain through his comments, the "why" that will let others learn how to make their pages better. His name is Nick Masuda. Nick will be taking the lead on BFD sometime in October after he completes his move from Maine to Florida.

Congrats, Nick, on the move to Florida and the new BFD gig!

Welcome to region 3!

Promotions at The State

2007-09-22T21:41:00.000-04:00

Now it's time for some delayed region 3 news:

Tom Peyton, Visual Director at The State in Columbia, S.C., recently announced a couple of design promotions.

Bill Campling is now the News Presentation Editor. Some examples of his work:

AND, Merry Eccles has been promoted to Sports Presentation Editor. Merry, I couldn't find a portfolio at NPD ... send me some clips!

Congratulations to Bill, Merry and The State!

Welcome back!

2007-09-22T19:38:00.000-04:00

I’m Melissa Angle, the new SND director for region 3 covering the Southeastern United States.

For those of you who don’t know me, I’d like to introduce myself. I’m a senior designer at the Orlando Sentinel in Orlando, Fl. However, I recently accepted a job as a senior designer at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in Atlanta, Ga., and will begin work there Oct. 22.

I want to get this blog up and running again, and many thanks to the former region 3 director Nicole Bogdas for helping me with the transition. It’s been a long, long time since I've had a blog … so please bear with me while I learn the ropes.

So let’s get started! Please e-mail me any ideas, suggestions or news from your paper at sndregion3@gmail.com. That can include anything you think is noteworthy … redesigns, reorganizations, upgrades, changes, member moves, job openings, recent hires, promotions, special projects.

I'm looking forward to this new adventure. And if you're going to be in Boston next month, be sure to track me down to say hello!

So, there's this thing called the Stanley Cup

2006-06-20T12:09:00.000-04:00

I don't know if it's Florida or the fact that the games were on OLN, but I didn't even realize this was happening until yesterday. Did you? Regardless, a couple of nice pages from North Carolina. Raleigh did a clean job with impact, and Charlotte asks the burning question: Can Hurricanes' win create thirst for hockey.

Tampa snags page of the day; Josh Gillin to St. Pete

2006-06-19T12:13:00.000-04:00

I'm behind the times, I know it, but I feel like I've read somewhere that this is the "new" (quotes indicated my behind-the-times-ness) Monday Tampa Trib. The woman acting as Vanna White to the python kind of bothers me, but it's still the most interesting page from the region today.

Gillin on the move
In other Florida news, Josh Gillin of the Philly Inquirer has taken a job at the Trib's rival, St. Pete's tbt*, a free youth-oriented pub.

He tells Sarasota's Doug Jessmer:

"It's a good little gig and shows how the Times is willing to devote resources and experiment with ways to win readership. It's gotten a very positive response and is aimed at younger readers, kind of like Red Eye for the Tampa Bay area."

Read more on the move at VizEds.

Congrats, Josh. Welcome to Region 3.

Today's favorite page

2006-06-15T18:55:00.000-04:00

The release of the state's grades for schools was the big news in Florida yesterday and I like this page by the Bradenton Herald. It's clean and navagable and I'm a fan of the "ups and downs" mimicking the pencils.

Today's favorite out-of-the-region page

2006-06-15T18:49:00.000-04:00

I think if there's an opportunity to put the word sex on page one we should do it. The Philly Daily News figured out how to do it three times (four if you count the word sexy on the cover of the GGW vid). I'm not sure how important FEMA aid for hurricanes Katrina and Rita is to that particular readership, but if I were in Philly, I'd care a lot today. I'd laugh, too. What a great page.

wow.

2006-06-09T15:08:00.000-04:00

Ok, so it makes me crazy that I can't figure out this blogging thing. The design problems with this site make me want to pull out my hair. Please forgive.

Now, we got lots of good stuff from the region today! Zarqawi and others. Enjoy and comment. I like how the News-Press really made the death of Zarqawi local, and the Commercial Appeal is striking.

My one quibble of the day is that I keep seeing the black on the front of the State as opposite, like the tan boxes are not on top of the black box, but rather there's black lines between the boxes. Does anyone understand what I'm saying? Does anyone else see it too?

UPDATE: Master of all things copy desk related, Fred Vultee at the University of Missouri, posts this about the State's page over at his super blog Headsup:

Every now and then one of your originating desks gets .... well, original, and tries to "add" "value" to something it isn't set up to add value to. That's the problem with this enterprising centerpiece. Steering away from the who-what-where approach on a story that's been in play since 3 the previous morning is the right idea. But not all such efforts are equal, and this one should have been thrown back. It subtracts more from the sum of human knowledge than it adds.

I won't lie, I didn't read the page before I posted it here, and still think it's well designed, but Freddo makes some good points as well as sending folks to the conversation on the same topic at Testy Copy Editors. Obviously, we don't know from where the content originated, so I hope I'm not offending a well-meaning designer, though I believe that's Mr. Vultee's point; the idea wasn't bad, necessarily, just not, um, good. Discuss.

Going once, going twice...

2006-06-03T15:42:00.000-04:00

The SND silent auction is just months away, and coordinators want you to give them stuff, tax free, of course.

SND needs you--or at least, we need the items and services only you can provide for our annual Silent Auction to benefit the SND Foundation.

The auction is always a highlight of the Annual Workshop, and many attendees look forward to the opportunity to take home a piece of visual memorabilia ranging from original artwork to software to consulting services.

Artwork that is signed, mounted and framed always fetches a higher price. We are also looking for gifts of electronic gadgets, sports memorabilia, jewelry, books, tickets, etc.

These items benefit the SND Foundation, SND's nonprofit research and education effort that provides such services as:

--Travel grants and workshop grants to deserving students
-- Partnerships with news organizations to provide faculty, support, and instructional materials for training programs that prepare minorities for jobs in newspaper design and new media.
--Sponsorship of seminars on key issues of design and journalism.

Because the Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, contributions are generally tax deductible (in the United States) as charitable donations. Questions? Contact SND, (401) 294-5233, or snd@snd.org.

We'd be delighted to receive any item you'd like contribute by Aug. 15. On behalf of the next generation of visual journalists, thank you for your support.

Send items, with the attached form, to:
Joan Andrews
Senior News Designer
Orlando Sentinel
633 N. Orange Ave.
Orlando, FL 32801 USA

Some things may go better with Jessmer...

2006-06-03T15:31:00.000-04:00

Doug Jessmer is old. And even more so since his birthday a week ago. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune and SND Swamp founder turned 34 on May 26. Happy Birthday, Doug.

Melissa Angle promoted at Orlando Sentinel

2006-06-03T15:17:00.000-04:00

Bonita Burton posted over at VizEds:

(Memo to the staff)
I'm delighted to announced that designer Melissa Angle has been promoted to Senior Designer, effective immediately. In her new role, she'll more formally mentor other news designers and will run the desk as needed in the absence of its management team.

Melissa has designed every news section at the paper, and she absolutely thrives in the pressure-cooker that is A1. From her first day on the front page ("DYER CLEARED"), she has designed some of our most memorable pages: Anarchy in New Orleans, NASA's mission to Mars and the classic "Good Luck, God Speed" shuttle cover for which she won two SND awards this year.

When tough visual challenges arise, she is often the first person editors turn to for solutions. Beyond being a strong creative thinker and technical wizard, Melissa has brought impressive project managment skills to bear on revitalizing Local & State and launching Local InDepth. These sections will continue to be a major area of her focus going forward.

Melissa brings a palpable energy, imagination and good humor to the group each day. I couldn't be more pleased to have her join the Visuals leadership team.

Please join me in congratulating Melissa on her new role!

Now, if they could just find that graphics director...

Memorial Day is everyday, right?

2006-06-01T11:14:00.000-04:00

I've been meaning to post this for a week now, but, well, I've got this week off before I start at the Post, and I'm lazy. Still, head over to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's NPD porfolio and website (for audio).

This section [wrapped] our single copy sales on Memorial Day. We remember the soldiers lost in Iraq from the Georgia National Guard's 48th brigade.The type on each page [is] direct words of the people in the photographs about the person they lost, whether it's a father, son, husband, grandson, etc.

Rich Addicks, photographer and reporter; Christoph Furhmans, designer; Chris Stanfield, Director of Photography

Opening at the fabulous Charlotte Observer

2006-05-25T10:20:00.000-04:00

The Charlotte Observer is looking for a news designer who can produce great 1As and metro fronts. If you are creative, energetic, and have lots of ideas on ffective ways to present the news, we need to talk. We're looking for someone with a minimum of five years experience in daily news design. CCI experience is a plus.

The Observer, the largest newspaper in the Carolinas with a Sunday circulation of 274,000, has been a leading institution in the region for more than a century. We have a proud tradition as a crusading newspaper and a national reputation for being well-edited, visually compelling and interesting to read. Our newsroom is a collaborative environment dedicated to helping people grow and achieve their goals. We are a Knight Ridder newspaper now, but scheduled to move to McClatchy Newspapers this summer.

Charlotte is a booming market. It sits in North Carolina's Piedmont, midway between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Atlantic coast. It is known for its quality of life, three major-league sports - the NBA, NFL and NASCAR - and many other amenities.

Interested? Send a hard copy of your resume and work samples by snail mail to Sarah Franquet, Design Director, The Charlotte Observer,
sfranquet@charlotteobserver.com. (If you are a recent graduate, this is not the job to apply for)

P.O. Box 30308, Charlotte, N.C. 28230. Questions? My email is: sfranquet@charlotteobserver.com.

What is the matter with you people?

2006-05-25T09:32:00.000-04:00

Someone, please, for the love of journalism, APPLY FOR THIS JOB!!

http://visualeditors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4341&highlight =

The Orlando Sentinel is seeking an experienced visual leader to direct the efforts of its graphics department. In this position you’ll coach, manage and evaluate the Sentinel’s team of five graphic artists; set direction and standards for illustration and graphics style; research and create graphics for print and online and work with editors throughout the newsroom to plan the visual storytelling for daily coverage and enterprise projects.

Bo even wants you to know this:

The Sentinel considers experience as well as education. So if you're interested in positions here, don't let the lack of a degree prevent you from applying.

I hear the desperate cries of a great newspaper in need of a graphics director. Let's get on it people!

Alabama Idol!

2006-05-25T08:55:00.000-04:00

Scott Walker of the Birmingham News passes on these pages from today:

Scott writes:

Passing these along (before they show up on eBay!) We thought Birmingham's fourth "American Idol" finalist in five seasons would be today's big news. That was before our scoop about the merger of two major banks headquartered here. Not often we have dueling 100 pt.-plus headlines. At least, Taylor Hicks' "Soul Patrol" got a poster page.

Really nice work, guys.

On a related note, this is exactly the kind of stuff I need more of!! I don't always know when there's big news in your area so if you do something local that's worth noting, send it on to nicole.bogdas@gmail.com and I'll post it here.

Friendly reminder

2006-05-24T00:54:00.000-04:00

Ignore the troll. (You know, like I am. *shrug*)

Scaring the bejeezus out of readers

2006-05-24T00:53:00.000-04:00

Landlocked hurricane town

2006-05-24T00:48:00.000-04:00

Not quite my favorite of the papers playing named-storm roulette, but wanted to highlight the unique news judgement. Under no threat of hurricane, Atlanta shows its NOLA evacuees that they matter.

New Asst. Graphics Editor in Fort Lauderdale

2006-05-18T08:52:00.000-04:00

This just in:

Karsten Ivey has been promoted to Assistant Graphics Director and will manage the production of daily and enterprise graphics. During his five years as a Senior Graphics Reporter, Kartsen has led graphics coverage for several award winning projects, including AIDS in South Florida, Judaism and hurricane coverage. HIs multimedia work has also garnered several international awards. Before coming to the Sun-Sentinel, Karsten worked at the Florida Times-Union as the Informational Graphics Editor.Please join us in wishing Karsten continued
success in his new position.

Congratulations, Karsten!

Take this job and...

2006-05-16T11:06:00.000-04:00

Lots of moves lately, both in and out of the region. Newsdesigner has a pretty good roundup at his site, but to highlight a couple down here:

Steve Zimmerman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and formerly of the Miami Herald is headed off to the coveted position of sports designer at the Oregonian. His wife got a teaching job out there. Region 3 will miss you, but....

Kristin Synowka will be filling the void by joining the St. Petersburg Times. Kristin is currently at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. She'll be doing sports in St. Pete. Welcome to Florida!

Lastly, I, too, am making a move, albeit a short one. I'll be leaving the Sun-Sentinel for the Palm Beach Post at the end of the month. At the post I'll be doing news planning, features and projects. Don't fret, I'm still your regional director (I know you were on the edge of your seat).

All of these moves mean only one thing: Job openings for the rest of you! In addition to the voids Steve and I will leave at the Sun-Sentinel, there's also plenty of other region 3 opportunities. Head over to snd.org to find your fit in Sarasota, Tampa, Lakeland, Ft. Myers or, of course, Fort Lauderdale (news sports)

You're hired!*

2006-05-12T00:21:00.000-04:00

Students!

Don't forget to send in your applications to be a part of SND Orlando's favorite game:

The Intern

This is the last week to enter to win a summer internship at the Arizona Republic, the San Jose Mercury News or the Orlando Sentinel. You can't win if you don't play!

*For a limited time. Full-time job not guaranteed at completion of internship. SND Orlando not responsible for Arizona's "dry heat," San Jose's cost of living or Orlando's hurricane season.

Bluffton Today's Ernie Smith joins blogosphere (or whatever we call it now)

2006-05-10T10:38:00.000-04:00

In honor of the launch of Ernie's site I will do three things:

1.) Send you to it: http://stoicboy.wordpress.com/

2.) Send you to the VizEds thread where he's asking for feedback on it: http://visualeditors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5128

3.) Ask you to e-mail me at nicole.bogdas@gmail.com if you reside in the region and want me to add a link to your own blog in the sidebar at right (as I have done with Ernie's).

Pages of today!

2006-05-10T10:15:00.000-04:00

Today we have a couple of smaller papers that have been doing their something-out-of-nothing homework. A nice job by the Sentinel Record in Hot Springs, Ark. The use of color guides the eye and the overlapping dek gives the package some depth. At first I thought I wanted to see a pic of a cell phone, but I think that was handled well in the hed, and its abscence makes for a cleaner package. I definately wish there were a dek on the Montgomery page, but the hed's still clever and the illustration engaging. Since it's not totally clear, what's happening here is this: Alabama schools are no longer allowing teachers to reward students with food like candy or muffins. Yes, the story said muffins. I don't know about you guys but I never got anything nearly as cool as a muffin. On a related note, I wonder how this will affect the study of fractions? I always looked forward to that day where we all got a bag of m&ms in math class, and since it's not technically a reward....

Atlanta's Katrina project begins

2006-05-10T10:06:00.000-04:00

Here are some samples provided by News Team Leader Kenny Monteith, who I'm pretty sure was the lead designer on this. Nice work! Check out the serial daily at www.ajc.com!

It's not soda it's pop.

2006-05-04T12:28:00.000-04:00

The Tampa Tribune did nice job today with the school vending machine/sugary drinks story. Great headline, too. A pun that works.

AJC in NOLA

2006-05-04T09:35:00.000-04:00

Kenny Monteith passes on a preview of a 22-part serial the Atlanta-Journal Constitution is working on. Yes, I said 22-parts. Head over to www.ajc.com and register to view the video trailer of Through Hell and High Water, you'll be glad you did. (Link is in the top center of the page, below the navigation bar.) Basically, the project is about hospital workers in New Orleans after Katrina, but it's certainly more than that. I don't want to give too much away because the trailer is so moving. So, seriously, go watch it. NOW.

Job of the Day from SND.org

2006-05-04T09:26:00.000-04:00

Bored designing pages? Sick of getting information to the public? Can't stand that night city editor? Have we got the career change for you:

Selling Handmade Jewellery, lima

Update: this ad has been removed.

Scott Horner named Knight Fellow

2006-05-03T11:52:00.000-04:00

Charles Apple beat me to the news--from my own paper no less--so here's a link to his post at VizEds.

For those of you who don't know, Scott is a multi-media extrodinaire. Check out a lot of his work at www.sun-sentinel.com/theedge.

Read the news at the Knight Fellows site here.

Charles notes:

Scott Horner, the assistant graphics director of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, has been awarded a John S. Knight Fellowship at Stanford University for the 2006-07 school year. Horner is one of 12 U.S. journalists and eight from other countries to win the fellowship this year. Scott plans to use his time at Stanford “adapting the techniques of film to improve non-linear narratives,” according to the release.

Congratulations, Scott!!

Cassie Armstrong wants you!

2006-05-03T09:16:00.000-04:00

To donate to the SND Foundation silent auction! She writes over at VizEds:

On behalf of the SND Foundation, we’d like to invite you to share in a very meaningful way – by donating items to the silent auction at this year’s annual Workshop & Exhibition in Orlando. The auction is one of the Workshop highlights, and many attendees look forward to the opportunity to take home a piece of visual memorabilia ranging from original artwork to software to consulting services. Artwork that is signed, mounted and framed always fetches a higher price. We are also looking for gifts of electronic gadgets, sports memorabilia, jewelry, books, tickets, etc. We hope you’ll contribute to the cause. The Foundation is the nonprofit research and education effort of SND, providing services such as:

Travel grants and workshop grants to deserving students.

Partnerships with news organizations to provide faculty, support, and instructional materials for training programs that prepare minorities for jobs in newspaper design and new media.

Sponsorship of seminars on key issues in design and journalism.

Contributions to the SND Foundation, because of its status as a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, are generally tax deductible (in the United States) as charitable donations. We’d be delighted to receive any item you’d like to contribute, sent in along with this form, by July 31 at the address below. On behalf of the next generation of visual journalists, thank you for your support. Send items, along with the form (which can be downloaded from http://www.sndorlando.com/), to:
Joan Andrews
Senior News Designer
Orlando Sentinel
633 N. Orange Ave. Orlando, FL 32801

It has come to my attention....

2006-05-03T09:06:00.000-04:00

That perhaps having the blog sectioned (see links at right) isn't the best plan as some of you didn't even KNOW there were links at right. So, I'm going to start posting everything here on this one page, although I'll leave the other pages up for reference--or something. I'll start by wishing Ernie Smith at Bluffton Today a happy belated birthday. It was yesterday.

Happy Birthday, Ernie!

Which paper would you buy? A study in content

2006-04-28T14:34:00.000-04:00

From a design standpoint I prefer the Sentinel. (full disclosure: I did not work last night so I had nothing to do with said page, however my boyfriend did shoot the picture and I'm quite proud of him.) But I'm not sure that's what's selling these papers. What is?

Today's page of the day

2006-04-27T14:06:00.000-04:00

Up in St. Lucie, Florida, a bunch of kids got busted with alcohol and drugs in their prom limo. Apparently, some kids asked for breathalyzer tests and were refused, while others told the truth about what happened and were subsequently punished. They're talking explusion for the kids, but yesterday's news was that some of the studens from, shall we say, more prosperous families are not being punished at all. Some students who weren't even in the limo staged a protest across the street from the school, too. Now, the Stuart News does a good job of keeping this on the front page by using the tried and true document-highlighting centerpiece. Yeah, it's been done, but it doesn't always work. Nice work, Stuart.

Let's pretend it's yesterday...

2006-04-27T13:47:00.000-04:00

Three pages of inspiration for you. From Wednesday.
First we have Bluffton Today with the headline we all wished we could write.
The Daily Reflector has a good example of short form at the top of 1A.
And my favorite, The Opelika-Auburn News with a new twist on the overdone iPod homages. Plus you should all be aware of the story they're covering because, like gas prices, it sucks. CNET News has a good story and graphic about which states are charging tax for music downloads.

State legislatures and tax officials, eager to find new ways to boost government spending and curb budget shortfalls, are eyeing the burgeoning market for digital downloads as a potentially lucrative source of revenue.
A CNET News.com analysis shows that 15 states and the District of Columbia now tax downloads of music, movies and electronic books. Some high-tax states such as California do not levy the same charge on iTunes downloads, but that could soon change.

Writing short wins awards

2006-04-24T23:00:00.000-04:00

Poynter has an interview up with Brady Dennis, night cops reporter at the St. Petersburg Times. Dennis won this year's Ernie Pyle award for human interest writing. You're probably wondering now why I'm posting this on a design blog, but this wasn't just any old human interest story. Close your eyes for a moment and imagine a typical human interest story. Now imagine yourself designing it. Ugh, right? Requesting space, aruging about trimming two inches of the 80-inch narritive. Assuring the photo department you will do thier work justice despite the monstrosity in front of you. Well, here's what Dennis did. His feature, or series of them rather, was titled 300 Words. Yup. That's about it. Each piece highlighted a "regular" person and came in under nine inches. About once a month Dennis and photographer Chris Zuppa get together to tell their stories on the SPT's local front.

Dennis says in his interview:

I learned it doesn't take 3,000 words to put together a beginning, middle and end. A good story is a good story, no matter the length. And sometimes the shorter ones turn out [to be] more powerful than the windy ones.

That said, there's a risk of sounding like I'm advocating super-short stories with no traditional nut graph. Not so. I believe no matter how long or short the story, people should know why it is important and worth their time. It's not enough just to paint a pretty picture. We must strive to tell them something about the world that matters, to be journalists and not simply storytellers. Hopefully, in a non-traditional way, "300 Words" does that.

Refreshing and award winning! Read the Poynter story here. Read Dennis' work here and here, and if anyone from the SPT would like to send along some examples of how this was handled on your local fronts please pass 'em on to nicole.bogdas@gmail.com.

New Orleans votes

2006-04-23T11:22:00.000-04:00

Welcome back to me!

2006-04-21T12:20:00.000-04:00

I return (finally) following a trip to the Columbia, Mo., where I was a judge for this year's SSND contest. Winners have been posted here. If you can get your hands on any of them, you're lucky people. You're also lucky to get your hands on any of the fine designers at the University of Missouri. Except for Rick Metzroth. Savannah already snapped him up! Check out the MU student portfolios here.

New section debuts in Atlanta

Will Alford of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution passes on some pages from their new Better Heath section that debuted this week. Plus--a sneak peek at next week's cover. See my original post on the topic here.

Wednesday's cover illustration by Dale Dodson
Next week's cover photos by Bita Honarvar
Cover designs by Will Alford
Inside page designs by Evelyn Ortega and Cindy Deifenderfer

I know how you feel, Tennessee

2006-04-08T17:22:00.000-04:00

Weathering another bout of storms, The Tennessean pulls off this awesome page.

Powerful tornado pages

2006-04-07T02:21:00.000-04:00

Pages of the day

2006-04-05T13:05:00.000-04:00

It's so nice to see the women's championship game get similar play to the men's. Nice work!

Also, check out sportsdesigner.com for pages from the men's game (and soon from the women's? Nudge, nudge, guys.)

Tornado follows

2006-04-05T12:57:00.000-04:00

To donate, mail a check payable to the American Red Cross with an "American Disaster Relief Fund" notation in the memo line to: 2201 Charlotte Ave., Nashville, TN, 37203.

To make a credit card donation, call 250-4264 or log on to the agency's Web site at www.nashvilleredcross.org and click on the "Donate" link.

Tornadoes in the South

2006-04-04T22:50:00.000-04:00

As a veteran designer of weather-related disaster pages, I can attest to the impressiveness of these pages. The amount of information packed into each of these fronts while still maintaining navigation and impact is not an easy task. This is one of the few times that newspapers that can be a true public service, and each of these publications--two with special sections!--are providing just that with photography, maps, refers and stories that impact their communities. Everyone without power and or a home must be grateful that they have these papers to keep them informed of the situation. I hope all the employees made it through the storm.

Page o' the day

2006-04-01T20:54:00.000-05:00

Not just an eye-catching a design, but an interesting story, too.

Mystery ad hints at new Raliegh paper

2006-03-31T16:28:00.000-05:00

This ad at Craigslist.org prompted a story in the Raliegh News and Observer. Excerpt below.

Raleigh might soon get a new daily newspaper.
A want ad appearing on the Web site craigslist.org seeks writers for "a daily news operation publishing Monday through Friday to be opened in Raleigh later this year."

The company placing the ad bills itself as an "established newspaper company" but doesn't identify itself. Nor does the ad give a sense of the scale of the planned new venture. Efforts to reach the company through the ad elicited an e-mail response that the venture isn't yet far enough along to talk about its plans.
It's unclear whether a printed newspaper, presumably with a companion online edition, is in the works. Another possibility would be an online- only publication.

More at the N&O website here.

Get the heck out of region 3!

2006-03-31T13:27:00.000-05:00

Take some time to regroup with fellow designers at Cleveland's 1A/News Design Quick Course. Details are here. The wonderful David Kordalski also has started a thread over at VizEds. Find it here.

Speakers include:
STEVE DORSEY, AME/Presentation, Detroit Free Press
JULIE ELMAN, Assistant Professor, Ohio University
TIM FRANK, DME Visuals/Creative Director, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
JOSEPH HUTCHINSON, Creative Director, Los Angeles Times
CHRISTINE McNEAL, Deputy Managing Editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
BILL GUGLIOTTA, Director of Photography, The Plain Dealer
EMMET SMITH, Designer, The Plain Dealer

A three-fer!

2006-03-31T13:12:00.000-05:00

It was hard to find one page that did it all today, but these three have some good stuff going on. First, the Savannah refer (or is that a stand-alone item?) on coral is just so eye catching you have to read it. The Tennessean made something out of nothing, and I love the photo from Memphis.

You can't win if you don't play!

2006-03-30T08:58:00.000-05:00

Today marks the start of the North Carolina Lottery. Here's some samples of how the state handled it. I really like the N&O graphic. It gives the story some context that just showing images of the games does not. In case you can't read it, the graphic shows how much you would have to spend per game to win $10 or more. Carolina Cash weighs in at $35 for 7 tickets at 5 bucks apiece, and at the other end we have Tic Tac Toe at $112 with tickets costing a buck each. Despite these startling revelations, millions of Carolinans will be playing the very bad odds today, I'm sure. Good luck!

Page(s) of the day

2006-03-30T08:46:00.000-05:00

I haven't been keeping up with my promise to myself to feature a page a day from the region, maybe April will be my lucky month or something. In any case, in a feeble attempt to make up for my slacking, today I bring you two pages!

The first is a nice treatment by the Knoxville (Tenn.) News-Sentinel. There's a lot of faces on this page, but hierarchy and color help keep your interest. My only nitpick--the centerpiece photos are too similar.

The second is from the Lake Charles (La.) American Press. They aren't on the Newseum very often, but today was a good day to send. The typography on the picnic story is elegant, and coupled with the cutout of the tree, a static photo becomes inticing. Nice work all around.

Joyful thought of the day

2006-03-28T20:30:00.000-05:00

“There must be joy in making the paper if customers are going to find joy in reading it. We’ve made plenty of joy here, and all of you are the joy creators.’’

Gil Thelen, president and publisher
of The Tampa Tribune, in his retirement letter

Read the story here.

Newspapers and beer go together like newsapers and, uh, coffee

2006-03-21T13:54:00.000-05:00

The former Raleigh Times building has been turned into a bar. It's also a coffee shop. The N&O reports:

Now downtown Raleigh is attempting another renaissance, and, fittingly enough, the Times building from the '20s is being turned into a watering hole (The Raleigh Times) and a next-door coffee shop (The Morning Times) on Hargett Street.

Read the whole thing here.

While we're at it, what are your favorite post-work watering holes? I recall rather enjoying my times at the Anchor Bar in Detroit, the Heidelberg (which burned down a few years ago and has since been rebuilt) in Columbia, Mo., and you can't have this discussion without mention of the Billy Goat.

Son of Sports Quick Course

2006-03-16T13:08:00.000-05:00

Your sports section need some big ideas? Florida is the place to find them. The Sunshine State is home to some of the greatest events, brightest stars and biggest stories in sports. And the competition to cover them can make UF vs. FSU look like an intramural flag football game. The papers here consistently produce some of the deepest, most dynamic sports sections in the country. Our Quick Course speakers will give you an inside look at how these departments work, and the techniques that make them so successful. Plus, the first 25 people to register get a pair of game-worn Shaq sneakers!*

Here's a look at the tentative schedule for a day jam-packed with great sports design ideas:

8:30-9:15 > REGISTRATION / COFFEE / WELCOME

9:15-10:15 > PLAYING BIG AT A SMALL PAPER with Paul Wallen
The Sun Journal — circulation 35,000 — consistently produces work that many larger papers would envy. Wallen, their ME/Visuals, explains how hustle and planning help them play up.

10:30-11:45 > THE CLUTCH HITTER with Chris Courtney
Wanna be the go-to guy in your department? Do you know how to get there? Courtney provides the roadmap to help you meet your goals and tips on how to pick up your team along the way.

NOON-1 > LUNCH & ETHICS SESSION (speaker TBA)

1-2 > CROSS TRAINING with Jonathan Boho and Hiram Henriquez
How the Sun-Sentinel fuses graphics, design and content to create dramatic, informative packages.

2:15-3:15 > TACKLING THE BIG STORY with Michael Babin
From the World Series to national championship games, from the Shaq trade to the Ricky Williams debacle to the Daunte Culpepper trade. Planning -- and executing -- coverage of the Big News Story.

3:30-4:45 > PHOTO EYE FOR THE SPORTS GUY with Mark Edelson
Selecting the right photos — and using them properly — can make or break your pages. Edelson, a seven-time newspaper picture editor of the year, shows you what to look for.

4:45-6 > CRITIQUE SESSION
Bring your work to have it critiqued by members of our panel.

Register now!

* - Not an actual offer.

New sections in Atlanta

2006-03-16T11:59:00.000-05:00

Will Alford is design leader for new products in Atlanta (what a great job!) and he passes along images from the AJC's new sections. NorthSide Weekend launches this weekend and is a 16-page all-color (!) broadsheet. Will points out some "dynamic ad shapes (such as the triangle-shaped ad on the calendar page)" What does it all mean?

Readers in the north/northwest suburbs (approx. circ. 100,000) will now get a zoned community section three times a week. A similar concept will also launch for readers in the Gwinnett County suburbs as a stand-alone supplement to their daily Gwinnett News section (approx. circ. 70,000).

The Better Health section launches April 19. Will says:

It'll be a weekly lifestyle all-color broadsheet (generally 12-16 pages), printed on 35 lb./80 brite paper stock and will wrap our Wednesday ad inserts. It'll be distributed only in the 20-county metro area.

Director of editing & presentation Ray Cox headed up the whole NorthSide initiative.
Director of innovations Stacy Lynch headed up the Better Health initiative.
NorthSide Weekend designed by Rachel Conger.

Savannah redesign zoomified

2006-03-10T22:14:00.000-05:00

Robb's got the exhibit up here.

New sections debut in Atlanta

2006-03-10T22:11:00.000-05:00

Charles Apple passes this news on from Rick Crotts at the Journal-Constitution:

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is adding two new sections in the next few weeks. The first will be NorthSide Weekend, which debuts March 17. The other is Better Health section, launching April 19.

Read the whole note here.

Asian American Journalists Association Awards

2006-03-07T18:34:00.000-05:00

Sun-Sentinel graphics reporter Belinda Long passes this along:

You are cordially invited to submit nominations for the Asian American Journalists Association National Awards in Online and Graphics (as well as in Photography, Print, Radio and Television). You can also send in your entries for our Special Recognition and Lifetime Achievement awards as well as our Dr Suzanne Ahn Award for Civil Rights and Social Justice for Asian Americans.

Entries must be received by March 15, 2006.

For more information visit: http://www.aaja.org/programs/awards/

Award winning pages

2006-03-07T09:32:00.000-05:00

Over in the sidebar there's a new link to Region 3 SND award winners. Check out your collegues work and send me your own award-winning pages! nicole.bogdas@gmail.com

SMN pages--check 'em out, and talk about them, too.

2006-03-07T08:46:00.000-05:00

In no particular order: Enjoy!

SMN pages

2006-03-07T00:59:00.000-05:00

Are in my inbox, however, and this is more than you ever wanted to know, my boyfriend's kids just moved down here with us yesterday and tomorrow is thier first day of school. They have to be there at 7:30 and I have to take them. In fact, I always will take them (What was I thinking when I volunteered for that!?! Oh yeah, they'd never see me otherwise.) So, I'm being a good "parent" and going to be earlier than usual, never mind that I got up earlier than usual today. So, you can expect the extra pages around 8:30-9 when I get back. Thank you for your patience and understanding. All representative are currently assisting other customers. Please continue to hold.

Awards and redesigns

2006-03-06T15:21:00.000-05:00

I seriously hope you aren't learning this from me, but I'll post it anyway. The SND Awards database is up! If you won something send it to nicole.bogdas@gmail.com and when I get enough I'll create a new, alphabetical-by-state, region 3 winners blog.

REDESIGN of THE WEEK

The other news of the day is that Savannah's redesign launched this morning. Here, completey hijacked from Visual Editors, is what SMD designer Francie Krantz had to say about it (hopefully she'll send me or Robb more pages):

Our new fonts are Caslon FB, BigCaslon for section flags, Relay and Miller for body copy. The covers have a nine column grid, then two picas of white space, and then a 13p7 rail.

Our color palate reflects the community: each section has an assigned color. Coastal Empire, our local section, is hain blue, also known as Josh Jackson Blue, as he created the color. Exchange, or business, which is now a standalone section, is Spanish Moss Green. Sports is Red Door Red, to reflect the red doors on the mansions around town. Accent, which is now a tab every day, is Mulberry Purple, to reflect the azaleas that bloom around town. Classifieds is brass, like the brass doorknobs you see everywhere. Closeups, our weekly neighborhood sections, have expanded and are now tabs as well. They also get the hain (Josh) blue color.

We redesigned the weather page, which is finally a color page everyday, with expanded people items. Each page topper has extra information promoting to the web or other 'treat information.' Each section also has a rail, with additional briefs and promotable items. We really built navigation into the redesign, because readers complained that they could never find a damn thing.

It's been a long process, replete with RBS scores and committees and reader focus groups. We're glad it's finally here.

AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR A DESIGNER!! Please come play. PM me for details.

Liars! Bastards! Con Artists!

2006-03-04T02:58:00.000-05:00

Well, not really, but SND has pushed back the release date of Awards Database 2006 to Monday.

SND Awards Database

2006-03-03T16:54:00.000-05:00

Is expected to be up at 7 p.m. Keep an eye on www.snd.org for more!

guilt trip

2006-02-28T03:59:00.000-05:00

Ok, so, I'm not big on the whole guilt trip thing, but I've sent a ton of you e-mail about sending news and stuff to me. I don't even want stuff just for the blog--I've got to make a report to SND twice a year!! Please, if you can, send me what you can, even if you don't want it posted. If you want confidentiality, I'll provide it. Also, I've decided to turn the comments back on for everyone because I want the discussion. If certain trolls ever make it back here please just ignore them and continue with the intellegent conversation I know we're capable of. Please enjoy and participate in the news and exchange of ideas that come from this forum.

Savannah redesign week

2006-02-28T03:50:00.000-05:00

It's now!!

Francie Krantz sends this along from Executive News Editor Susan Catron (oh, yes. I'm posting it all):

In a recent note I said there would be changes coming for the Savannah Morning News.

While we've made a few, there are many more in store.

On March 6, you'll see most of them as we bring you a fresh look at Savannah-area news. There will be changes in the structure of the paper, the type and many features, all driven by reader research over the past year.

While you will notice new color, bigger type and new sections, it won't all be cosmetic because we understand that a newspaper is much more than, well, paper and ink.

What you've told us you really want is useful information that's timely, clear and accurate.

Providing that at the level you deserve requires a new organization and a fresh view of how we do our jobs.

A few weeks ago, we rebuilt the newsroom newsgathering and editing structure to improve our internal communication and reflect the changes we believe you want to see.

We've added more muscle to our business reporting and to our regional staff. A separate group of reporters and editors tracks trends and entertainment to give you more information about ways to plan your play time.

Here's a look at the newsroom organization:

l Metro news desk: Editors and reporters who handle breaking news and governmental activities, as well as keep an eye on police and court work.

l Region desk: Responsible for news from municipalities and counties outside Savannah proper, including Effingham and Bryan and Liberty counties. This desk coordinates news for the weekly Closeups section that focuses on your neighbors and schools. If you move to the outskirts of Savannah and Chatham County, we'll still be the newspaper bringing you photos of your kids, basic news and entertainment information.

Business desk: Coordinates our daily report on growth, jobs and the area's economy.

Features desk: Gathers news about issues that matter to you daily from entertainment to health to shopping and your faith.

Sports desk: Presents the day's sports news from area high schools to NASCAR.

Photo desk: Six photographers bring you images daily of your neighborhoods and area events.

Presentation desk: Assembles the daily papers clearly so you can find what you want quickly. There are more copy editors behind the scenes who are checking copy for clarity and accuracy. We know typos and unclear writing distract and frustrate you, and they hamper our ability to be clear.

While we won't be perfect overnight, we're aiming higher.

And we know that's something you want, too.

From negatives to positives

2006-02-26T03:48:00.000-05:00

Scott Walker, AME for the Birmingham News, sends along a special section running Sunday's (that's today) paper. Apparently a photo intern was rummaging through an old equipment closet when he/she came across a box marked "Keep. Do not sell." In the box was more than 5,000 unpublished images of the civil rights movement from 1950-1965. Read the full story here. There are dozens more images online here. You can get your very own PDF of the section here.

Scott says:

For the first time, we're publishing dozens of previously lost images of the civil rights movement in Alabama. From segregation and the Freedom Riders in Birmingham to "Bloody Sunday" in Selma – the pictures are remarkable and have never been seen by the public. Until now.

Wow. That's just remarkable work.

Katrina coverage

2006-02-25T21:29:00.000-05:00

The SND judges unanimously awarded the Times-Picayune and the Biloxi Sun-Herald with a Judges' Special Recognition for their Hurricane Katrina coverage. Read all about it here.

“It’s difficult enough to make a well-designed newspaper under the best daily circumstances, but these papers did not have the best circumstances: They had the worst,” judge Phil Ritzenberg said. “The people who made The Times-Picayune and the Sun Herald come out so beautifully during those most-trying first days after the hurricane hit deserve both our highest recognition and our deepest thanks."

Horn tooting

2006-02-25T21:28:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to myself and my collegues for being in the top ten of SND award winners! Now, if only someone would tell us what we won.

Another SND winner

2006-02-25T21:25:00.000-05:00

The Atlanta Business Chronicle won an award of excellence for news page design according to the judging Web site. Congrats to the Chronicle!

SND photo winner

2006-02-22T15:49:00.000-05:00

Director of Photography Al Anderson at The State has graciously passed along this winning image in the sports photo category. The State's award was one of those randomly announced during this past weekend's judging. Congrats to The State!

Birmingham News Zambia reprint and SND award winner

2006-02-22T03:11:00.000-05:00

Designer Napo Monasterio sends along his award winning reprint with this to add:

I'm sending it to you as as spreads, but it actually ran in book format -- stapled and everything, with thick, book-like paper and a thicker cover. It turned out really cool, actually!

I couldn't possibly, well, I guess technically I could, post all the pages here, so this is a sampling of the 52 page section.

I am a slacker

2006-02-21T16:48:00.000-05:00

I cannot tell a lie. I saw this over the weekend, well my weekend, and decided to watch reruns of Law & Order and eat Indian food instead of posting. Newsdesigner has done a lovely job, so I'll just send you there.

St. Pete weekly tab to go daily.

Another region 3 winner!

2006-02-19T19:36:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to The Birmingham News for their award of excellence in the reprints category! I think this is the original 1A from the entry.

For your viewing and discussing plesure

2006-02-19T13:55:00.000-05:00

Here's a page from the Vero Beach (Fla.) Press Journal. An interesting presentation regarding a new law that might go into effect barring sex offenders from living within a certain distance from schools. Ethical question of the day: Do we single these people out? Do we do it on the front page? Certainly this information is available to the public through other means, so it's perfectly legal, but is this ethical?

Here's a page from the Northeast Mississipi Daily Journal in Tupelo (Long live The King!) Original story by John Armisted, though it's not clear who painted the, uh, paintings. The story is a work of fiction and will run in the paper over the next seven days (so, eight days total). Question of the day, pt. 2: Is the newspaper a place for this kind of writing? Is the front page?

Region Three-er is Random Winner!

2006-02-18T22:49:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't, go check out this link for judging coverage. The coordinators this year have thought up an evil little treat for us, too. Every now and then they are announcing a random winner from a completed category. One of today's random Award of Excellence winners is Columbia, S.C.'s, The State for Sports Photography. Congrats to The State!

Big brother is watching

2006-02-18T01:15:00.000-05:00

Why haven't you sent me any news? Let's get on it folks! We're famous!

Page o' the day!

2006-02-17T21:39:00.000-05:00

I'd really like to see the rest of the pages with this series. A bold move to use the whole front starting on a Friday. A bold story, of course, even if I did read the head as Katrina is dead at first.

World's best judging complete

2006-02-15T03:38:00.000-05:00

But in order to avoid tainting the rest of the judging the results will be kept secret until Feb. 20. This is new, no? I have to say it doesn't satisfy my curiosity, but I'm behind it for ethical reasons. What do you guys think?

NC native wins gold

2006-02-14T16:10:00.000-05:00

Here are the pages:

These pages are a great example of all the different presentation options available to us. Starting at the top: The Charlotte Observer had a container out there on Cheek paired with a box on who to root for today, which I think is a great idea. The Winston-Salem Journal paired action with feature to tell a complete story. The News & Record went with a columnist's take and the News & Observer played it straight. None was right or wrong and all are good.

A couple of quick notes on Charlotte: The top right refer above the flag actually sends readers to to a story on 1A below the fold. I remember a few years ago USA Today doing something like, but honestly I don't read them enough to know if it stuck. I do know we made a heck of a lot of fun of them. With the industry slowing dying and all, it's not so funny anymore. Also, the rail on left is new, and I believe it was even wider yesterday...is this a sign of things to come? Sarah Franquet, are you reading?

Students are designers, too

2006-02-14T02:52:00.000-05:00

Here's a couple good illos from Allison Cianci at the Red & Black in Athens, Ga. I'd only advise to stay away from the novelty fonts, but good work!

Apologies to the ignored

2006-02-14T02:48:00.000-05:00

So, it's a big week for sports, you know, with the Olympics and all...I've been too busy watching them (I seriously don't care that the couple from China fell and almost bowed out...they kicked the Russians' butt) to post pages. Here's a couple from NPD. Orlando, can you tell us more about your page toppers? If you've got special sections or exceptional pages send 'em to me at nicole.bogdas@gmail.com and I'll get 'em up here. Good luck and good deadlines.

Update: I apparently am not the only one to ask about Orlando's olympic treatment. Chris Olds passes this along (follow the link for more pages):

The Olympics flag is made up of Italian marble tiles. Something simple and earthy that has oomph, but not too much. (It was a risk, but was liked here. You aren't the 1st one to ask what they are, either.)

Judging begins

2006-02-14T01:56:00.000-05:00

Go to this link to view Quicktime movies of the World's Best Designed coverage.

Shop talk

2006-02-14T01:51:00.000-05:00

As some of you might have noticed, someone, who shall remain nameless, has showed up here. I'm probably inadvertantly provoking with this post, but I wanted to apologize that I've had to change the settings from allowing anyone to comment to just Blogger members. Please don't let this deter you from joining the discussion.

Mmmmm....Chocolate

2006-02-12T14:08:00.000-05:00

The white space draws you in, and the red touches say Valentine's Day. But the best part about this package is the question is poses and promises to answer...inside. How do you tell what's in a chocolate without breaking it open? A simple question that we've all struggled with. What better way to get people into the paper? The stats at the bottom add context and interest. I ate it up.