« Older Entries  |  Front page  |  Newer Entries »

Charles Apple: The Visual Side of Journalism

 

‘Tabloid design’ archive

Number of comments in parentheses

Nov. 11, 2011: Only because Ernie Smith asked so nicely… (2)

Ernie Smith of ShortFormBlog asked tonight via Twitter: In case you didn’t see it, here was today’s New York Post, as seen at the Newseum. My reply: Not impressed with the design. Not impressed with the story. Not impressed with Ashton Kutcher. In case you didn’t hear about what happened — and in case you give a crap — check [...]

Oct. 28, 2011: Pittsburgh alt-weekly prints Spanish edition as a protest

As a protest, this week’s Spanish edition of the Pittsburgh City Paper will get plenty of attention. The edition is a reaction to yet another proposal by a state legislator — Republican RoseMarie Swanger — to make English the official language of the state. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette‘s Mackenzie Carpenter reports: “We were having a little fun because this discussion always [...]

Oct. 21, 2011: Not exactly a hidden subliminal message (3)

A young mother in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is offended by the cover of this week’s Coast, an alt-weekly. She’s offended! Can you imagine? That’s fucked up! Fucked Up is the name of a Toronto-based punk band. The band was this week’s cover story. The Canadian Broadcast Company reports today: “I’m in shock, really. I can’t believe it. Because I have [...]

Oct. 16, 2011: Separated at birth? (1)

It’s amazing how often these two competing papers end up with similar art and similar headlines on page one.   On the left is the New York Post, circulation 522,874. On the right is the Daily News, circulation 530,924. Both images are from the Newseum. Of course.

Oct. 3, 2011: Separated at birth?

On the left is the front of the Philadelphia Daily News from Sept. 19. On the right is today’s front.   Not exactly. But similar enough. Average daily circulation for the Daily News is 110,000. The page image is from the Newseum. Of course.

Aug. 5, 2011: Army Times titles show how to prepare for a zombie-fighting deployment (2)

You guys remember the big zombie apocalypse guide published earlier this year by the Centers for Disease Control, right? It caused a bit of a stir, because a) It proves governmental agencies can have a sense of humor. And b) It was a scream. Well, it’s not just the health officials in Atlanta who are wondering “what if” zombies attacked. [...]

Aug. 2, 2011: Now, THAT will get your attention (1)

Here’s how you generate buzz for your page one story. I’m not the world’s biggest fan of the Tampa Bay Times, the free, youth-oriented tabloid published by the St. Petersburg Times. But man, you have to admire the way they go after those eyeballs. And, if you can’t push “nookie” on page one, go for simple nudity instead. That is [...]

Aug. 1, 2011: Truly bad news vs. advertising juxtaposition

Meet page 12 of today’s tampa bay times, the free, youth-oriented tabloid published daily by the St. Petersburg Times. Okay. Looks like a fairly interesting story, with a pretty decent headline across the top. So what’s the problem? The problem is the display copy in the ad on the facing page.   Hmmm. Not good. Not good at all. In [...]

July 27, 2011: For your consideration… (2)

Today’s New York Post cover is deliberately familiar. The story is about grass-roots outrage at the failure of Congress and President Barack Obama to make a deal on the debt limit. But the cover is meant to be a reference to a famous old cover of the rival Daily News from way back in October 1975, when then-President Gerald Ford [...]

July 23, 2011: Pot, meet kettle

Right after News Corp. announced the closing of News of the World two weeks ago, the Irish Daily Star — itself a very typical U.K. “redtop” tabloid — referred to News of the World on a page-one promo as a “Sunday rag.” In addition, the Daily Star threw in a swipe at another Murdoch paper, the Irish Sun, calling it [...]

July 22, 2011: “Overheard in the Newsroom” creator Kevin Cobb moving to WaPo’s Express tab

News designer Kevin Cobb has left the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel and will join the design team of Express, the D.C.-area commuter tab published by the Washington Post. Kevin posted last week on his Facebook page: Starting Aug. 1 I’ll be design for Washington Post‘s Express. His last day in Fort Lauderdale was yesterday. The same as Sun Sentinel design [...]

July 11, 2011: Can you imagine? The Philly Daily News a ‘loud, irreverant, fun tabloid.’

[Sarcasm mode off, now.] Among the several announcements Gregory Osberg –President and CEO of Philadelphia Media Network Inc., owners of the  Inquirer and the Daily News — made via a press release today was this bit about the tabloid Daily News: Osberg also announced that the transformation of the Philadelphia Daily News as a “loud, irreverent, fun tabloid” under the [...]

July 11, 2011: From hell’s heart, I stab at thee. For hate’s sake, I spit my last breath at thee…

You’re aware that the popular English tabloid News of the World published its final edition Sunday, right? If you’re not aware, then get all caught up here. The U.K. Guardian reports today that there may have been some funny stuff going on in that last edition. The Guardian‘s Beatrice Woolfe reports: If the staff at the News of the World [...]

July 10, 2011: Behind Newsday’s wrap-around Derek Jeter cover

There’s a fun story behind the wrap-around cover of today’s Newsday cover, commemorating the 3,000th career hit by New York Yankees start Derek Jeter. The cover not only wraps around the entire tabloid today, it does it sideways. Click for a larger look. The lead photo by staffer David Pokress. The guy who designed it — news art director Seth [...]

June 30, 2011: Baltimore Sun’s free daily ‘b’ youth tab going weekly

Poynter’s Jim Romenesko reports today that b — the free youth tab published daily by the Baltimore Sun — will be switching to weekly publication next month. Already, the spinning has started. Romenesko reports that Don Farley — publisher of the weekly Baltimore City Paper – says: Obviously cutting back to one issue is admitting it’s a failure. Yet, Tim [...]

June 24, 2011: How to sell a newspaper (3)

I see a front page like the one afront today’s Newsday and I think: Oh, sure. How sensationalistic. They went way over the top today in hopes of selling newspapers. But then I go to Newsday‘s web site and read the main story about this guy. And it becomes clear: It’s not the page that’s over the top. It was [...]

June 17, 2011: The last Weiner headlines we’ll ever see. Hopefully. (2)

I think the problem with headlines on the Congressman Anthony Weiner story was this: The puns were simply too easy. As you know, the New York City tabloids have a long history of coming up with outrageous puns for news stories. Some of those puns are even funny. There have been a number of Weiner pun headlines. But most of [...]

June 8, 2011: The Weiner front page illustration we all wanted to see

There have been some fabulous New York tabloid covers this week featuring disgraced Congressman Anthony Wiener. But none were better than the front page of today’s amNewYork. That illustration was created by amNewYork design director Christopher Sabatini. Chris tells us: We worked really hard on all our packages on this subject and were proud of the outcome. When we were [...]

June 1, 2011: Where in the World is Carmen Palin Sandiego?

Is Sarah Palin running for president or isn’t she? She sure acts as if she is. But experts says she won’t. She’s making the rounds this week. Her rolling bus tour spent some time yesterday at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The 110,000-circulation Daily News commemorated the visit with this high-larious headline. And then her bus made it to the Big [...]

May 20, 2011: How are you covering Saturday’s doomsday/rapture?

Over the last couple of days, a number of papers have advanced Saturday’s rapture/beginning of armageddon, um, event. It’s supposed to happen around 6 p.m., I’m told. I’ve not yet heard how this has affected oil futures. Or NFL labor negotiations. Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich fills us in on the particulars: You may have heard that Saturday, May 21, [...]

« Older Entries

Newer Entries »