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Charles Apple: The Visual Side of Journalism

 

‘USA Today’ archive

Number of comments in parentheses

April 16: A look at today’s best and not-quite-the-best Boston bombing front pages (6)

As you’re already aware, the Boston Globe and its photography staff rose to the challenge of yesterday’s bombings during the Boston Marathon. Pictures by staffers John Tlumacki and David L. Ryan appeared in papers around the world, bringing the horror and the emotion home for readers everywhere. Here’s a quick review of some of the day’s notable front pages… — [...]

March 14: The great J. Ford Huffman on the relationship of visuals and text in an infographic

J. Ford Huffman was quoted recently by Anni Murray of visual.ly about the relationship of visuals and text in an infographic. J. Ford said: First, the text and the image must reinforce each other. Each must show or tell what the other cannot. Each has a function, and neither function is to decorate. The two elements – text and image [...]

Feb. 19: Another amazing headline error at the top of page one

Longtime blog readers know: One thing that sets me off is a misspelled headline. Especially when it’s above the fold on page one. I can almost — almost — understand it when the word is a homonym for a word that would be spelled correctly. There’s no way an automated spell checker can catch something like that. Which is why [...]

Feb. 11: For your consideration…

Did you see what USA Today did with its logo today? Very cute. When we last looked at USA Today‘s “blue balls” logos, the paper was backing off just a bit to establish the big blue dot itself before continuing to play around with them. Here are some of the variations we saw in the first month or so:   [...]

Jan. 28: More about that big space shuttle Challenger front page by USA Today

Had I known I’d be writing about that groundbreaking USA Today front page from the space shuttle disaster in January 1986, I’d have sent a request to former USA Today managing editor Richard Curtis for his memories of that day. I did this afternoon, however. Richard’s reply: I couldn’t have told you that the anniversary was today, but I do [...]

Jan. 28: Do you remember where you were when the Challenger exploded? (5)

On this date, 27 years ago, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Fla. I was between jobs at the time, living in a small apartment northeast of Atlanta. My wife was at work. I was at home alone, watching it all on TV in horror. The next day, I went out and bought every [...]

Jan. 7: Rand Paul. William Paul. RuPaul. Peter, Paul and Mary. Seen one Paul, seen ‘em all…

My pal Dave Sottile, a sports business reporter for PennLive, writes to tell us: Before going to bed last night, I noticed this gem from USA Today‘s mobile site. A senator was arrested? Turns out it was the senator’s son. Guess they could use a copy editor. Looks like they got it right in the story (see the very bottom [...]

Dec. 21, 2012: You heard it here first: The world did NOT end today

…So far, that is. Were you surprised? Believe me, you’ll know when the world comes to an end: The Chicago Cubs will win the World Series first. Here’s a look at some of the day’s most notable Mayan “apocalypse” front pages… __________________ LET’S GET THIS ONE OUT OF THE WAY EARLY, SHALL WE? The Sentinel of Santa Cruz, Calif., quoted [...]

Dec. 21, 2012: It’s another page-one display text ‘boner’ (1)

A little (snow)bird tells me: In case you didn’t see it… Note the USA Today headline in the edition delivered here. The name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, of course, is not “Bohener.” It’s John Boehner — you see it spelled correctly in the last line of the blurb. Like my tipster notes, the name is spelled [...]

Oct. 29, 2012: USA Today tweaks body copy font (5)

There’s a small blue tint box at the bottom of the front page of today’s USA Today. In that box: News of a small change to USA Today‘s new redesign. The paper has “darkened and enlarged the typeface” of the body copy used throughout the paper, writes editor-in-chief David Callaway. In addition, Callaway writes: We’ve added more color to our [...]

Oct. 21, 2012: Logo designers of the world: You’re not doing it right (2)

The news recently out of Columbus: Wendy’s hamburgers is updating its logo. I think Wendy’s blew it. That’s simply not how you redesign a logo these days. This is how you redesign a logo these days: Also, Arby’s chain of barbeque sandwiches has redesigned its logo. They, too, misfired. Here’s what Arby’s should have gone with: Here’s yet another fast-food [...]

Oct. 16, 2012: Has USA Today run out of ‘blue ball’ logo ideas already? (3)

Several folks have asked me: What’s the deal with the graphic icons — or lack thereof — in the USA Today logo lately? Have the USA Today graphics folks run out of ideas already, just as predicted by Stephen Colbert?         The answer: No, they haven’t. USA Today publisher Larry Kramer told Politico‘s Dylan Byers last week: [...]

Oct. 6, 2012: Passing through town tonight: Richard Curtis

Richard Curtis and his wife, Jane, came to Hampton Roads this weekend to do the tourist thing. They were soooo bored this evening that they took Sharon and me out to dinner. Yet, this was the only picture I took. Richard, of course, is the founding managing editor for graphics and photo at USA Today. He worked there for 75 [...]

Oct. 3, 2012: A look at today’s debate preview front pages (3)

Tonight is a huge night for political junkies: The first presidential debate will be held tonight at the University of Denver. Here’s a look at some of today’s front page preview treatments… — DENVER POST Denver, Colo. Circulation: 401,120 As you might expect, the Denver Post was all over it with a special section that wrapped around today’s paper. In [...]

Sept. 27, 2012: Singers, coaches, referees and thieves: Ten notable Thursday front pages (1)

Here are ten front pages worthy of your attention today… — DES MOINES REGISTER Des Moines, Iowa Circulation: 101,915 Singer Andy Williams died Thursday. Did you know he was a native of Iowa? I did, but only because I lived in Iowa for five years. The Register honored Williams with a large illustration on the front today. The page was [...]

Sept. 20, 2012: USA Today responds to Stephen Colbert’s logo challenge (2)

During his routine Tuesday night regarding the new USA Today redesign — in which he tweaked the paper’s new “blue ball” logos — comedian Stephen Colbert pointed out that the only things that might fit into those logos are circular objects. Colbert closed by saying: If SpongeBob SquarePants ever chokes on a Dorito at the Pentagon, you won’t read about [...]

Sept. 19, 2012: A critique of Wednesday’s USA Today: Day Four of the redesign (3)

Again, I ask: Are you getting tired of reading about USA Today? To be honest, I’m getting a little tired of writing about it. The redesign is the story of the year in visual journalism, however. Especially since the project has attracted so much attention… and not always of the good sort. I didn’t intend to write about USA Today [...]

Sept. 19, 2012: Today’s huge laugh (3)

Have you seen this yet? Drop everything for four minutes and watch Stephen Colbert‘s take on the USA Today redesign. The Colbert Report Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive . Funny stuff. Thanks to my circle (heh) of friends who tipped me off about this overnight.

Sept. 17, 2012: Are you sick of USA Today yet? My thoughts about Monday’s edition (6)

I was late to the USA Today redesign print edition critique party, thanks to USA Today‘s inability to, y’know, actually deliver newspapers to the largest city in Virginia. Because I didn’t post my thoughts about Friday’s debut edition until this morning, I thought I’d come back and offer a few more thoughts, a) following up on comments from my earlier [...]

Sept. 17, 2012: A (somewhat belated) in-depth look at the new USA Today (9)

Sometime Saturday, USA Today finally managed to deliver its Friday edition to Hampton Roads. You might be aware of what I went through Friday morning, searching for a copy of the paper’s newly redesigned print edition to evaluate and blog about. Saturday afternoon, I went to pick up a movie at my local RedBox. While I was out, I ducked [...]

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