This simple graphic is all the reader needs
to understand how Americans feel about September 11 in 2003. It was drawn
from the text of the story.
The old headline A nation forever
changed did not accurately reflect the story. In fact, the
story said that people are beginning to forget, as described in the display
type above the main headline.
The main photo on the old page had little visual
or emotional appeal. The new group of photos shows the range of observances
throughout the country in a more compelling way.
The wire digest has room for six national or
international stories, leaving the bulk of the front page for local news.
The old front page made no mention of the stabbing in Sweden. The new
front page included a summary of this story and a photo, as well as summaries
and photos from other provocative stories.
The old front-page story about Osama bin Laden
described how he appeared in a recently released video, but did not show
how he looked. The new page contains the current image as well as two
others for comparison.
The new version of this story is better in two
ways: First, the old headline Baddest cat in town has some
residents on edge is not as clear as the new headline. Second,
the addition of the graphics allows readers to compare the sizes of the
cats that were allegedly seen.
The Observer-Reporter is a 40,000-circulation daily newspaper serving Washington and Greene counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.
The paper has two kinds of readers longtime residents of the small mining towns that dot the region and newcomers from Pittsburgh who prefer the lower taxes and suburban setting that Washington County offers.
To meet the needs of both kinds of readers, the Observer-Reporter must
provide complete coverage of local news and a comprehensive report of
national and international events. The redesign includes tools to help
achieve this goal digests of national news and national sports
free up most of the front page and sports front for local news.
To grow its circulation, the Observer-Reporter must compete head-to-head with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which is published just 25 miles to the north. It must convince newcomers who are more oriented toward Pittsburgh and the Post-Gazette to switch to the Observer-Reporter for its more thorough coverage of Washington County news.
To succeed, the Observer-Reporter must offer a superior local report and
a concise, yet complete, wire report. And it must provide both without
the resources of its competitors.