Front page design: Some trends continue

Newspaper Research Journal, Summer 2003 by Utt, Sandra H, Pasternack, Steve

A growing body of literature has also been developing relating to the design of the online newspaper. Studies thus far have focused primarily on navigation and efficiency, but there are some descriptive content analyses being done as well as studies applying reader-use models to the online experience. Li's study in the late 1990s of three newspapers' online editions found an average of 3.4 news items each day on the home page and an average of 10 on the so-called "front page" (the first link from the home page, or in effect, a "section front").23 The mix of text and graphics, according to the study, varied according to what type of page the reader was visiting: on home and front pages, Li found large-sized graphics, while text dominated inner pages (those containing articles, e.g.).

Li also found that only 13 percent of the stories in the online edition of The New York Times had accompanying photographs. In a study of 56 online dailies in the United States, Huang found that 89 percent of the newspapers carried at least one photograph on their site and that 42 percent of stories inside the Web sites carried at least one photo.24 He also studied photo size, download time and photo location.

Major issues for readers of online newspapers are navigability and efficiency of information retrieval. In a 2002 study, Li wrote that various types of web page designs can be effective for retrieval efficiency; he also said that visual appeal and retrieval efficiency do not always go hand in hand,25 a view echoed by some others.26

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the design of newspapers, including their print front page and online edition. A second purpose is to explore the attitudes of editors toward the importance of appearance and how important they think design is to newspaper readers. This is a replication of studies conducted in 1982, 1988 and 1993.

Method

From a population of 857 daily newspapers with circulations of 10,000 and above, 300 were selected from the 2002 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook, using a systematic probability sampling method. Booklet-sized questionnaires, accompanied by a cover letter and a business reply envelope, were mailed to daily newspapers in November 2002. A follow-up letter was mailed in February 2003. The questionnaire was addressed to the newspaper's staff member who was primarily responsible and / or most knowledgeable of the layout and design of both the print and the online editions.

Research Questions

RQ1:

What are the graphic and design characteristics of daily newspapers' print front pages and their online edition with respect to the overall design; type selection; color; photography; informational graphics; use of technology, graphics software; design staff and software and printing methods?

RQ2:

What are editors' attitudes and perceptions toward graphics and design with respect to the attractiveness of American dailies and their online editions?

Characteristics of Sample

Responses were received from 130 newspapers, representing a 43.3 percent response rate. The responding dailies were categorized as follows: 10,000 to 24,999 (38.5 percent) 25,000 to 49,999 circulation (32.3 percent); 50,000 to 99,999 (15.4 percent); 100,000 to 249,999 (8.5 percent); and 250,000 and above (5.4 percent). According to the 2002 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook, daily newspapers nationally are categorized as follows by circulation: 10,000 to 24,999 (50.5 percent) 25,000 to 49,999 circulation (23.4 percent); 50,000 to 99,999 (13.7 percent); 100,000 to 249,999 (7.8 percent) and 250,000 and above (4.4 percent).