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Charles Apple: The Visual Side of Journalism

 

‘Notable wordplay’ archive

Number of comments in parentheses

May 17: For your consideration…

Heh. That image is from the Newseum. Of course.

April 30: Maybe Martha should just call Tim

As much as I dislike the New York Post — and whatever it is that passes for journalistic ethics there — I have to grudgingly admire its headline writing today. Curious, I had to go read that Martha Stewart story. That’s not what she said at all. However, she did come out and tell the Today show yesterday that she [...]

April 26: In-your-face design from the Victoria, Texas, Advocate (1)

I love pages that make me smile. Especially if I’m not the one who has to answer the phones. This entertainment tab front from one of my favorite small newspapers — the 26,531-circulation Victoria Advocate — is a couple of weeks old. But I nearly fell out of my chair laughing at the headline. That’s a crawdad, y’see. And folks in [...]

April 3: For your consideration…

That’s tabloid journalism in New York. It’s all about the f–king headline. On the left: The New York Daily News, circulation 579,636. On the right: The New York Post, circulation 555,327. The pages are both from the Newseum. Of course.

March 8: The ‘most memorable headline ever’ (13)

Trent Roberts, day copy team leader of the Charlotte Observer, writes: So I was cooking up an in-house bracket to determine the most memorable headline ever when I thought I should ask some other people what headlines should be considered. I’m sure I’m missing something, so let me know what you think should be considered for the top 16. Feel [...]

Feb. 18: That time the San Francisco Chronicle declared war on coffee (1)

Today, Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle writes about the big news in his city, 50 years ago today… when the Chronicle “declared war on coffee.” Peter writes: Above is the front page from Feb. 18, 1963. This was the epicenter of the Scott Newhall era, when there was a screaming headline above every Chronicle masthead. Whether it was [...]

Feb. 13: Possibly the most perfect headline in the history of SEO

Speaking of the Daily Tar Heel, the student paper at the University of North Carolina — and we were, earlier this afternoon — the Daily Tar Heel web folks today published what may very well be one of the greatest headlines in the history of Search Engine Optimization. The story: On the eve of the big Duke vs. North Carolina [...]

Feb. 5: When your lead visual isn’t a visual at all

Part of being a great designer is knowing when to run a picture large and getting the hell out of its way. But it’s also knowing that on occasion, you lead page one with something that might not be the most outstanding visual of the day. Some days, your lead package might be more of a compelling read than a [...]

Jan. 14: Clever headline alert

Slightly naughty, but mostly funny. That’s how I’d describe the headline afront today’s RedEye, the free commuter+youth tabloid published daily by the Chicago Tribune. The headline refers to the hosts of last night’s Golden Globe award telecast, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. I’d love to dish out credit for this minor piece of genius today, but my one and only [...]

Jan. 2: Today’s best Fiscal Cliff front pages (1)

I got a bit of mileage late last night with this attempt at humor: Because of the lateness of the vote, perhaps, only a few papers — even some on the East Coast — managed to put together pleasing and interesting front-page treatments today that focused on the Fiscal Cliff vote. Here’s a look at the most notable… — NEW [...]

Dec. 22, 2012: The best folio line you’ll ever see (2)

The best folio line you’ll ever see ran on page one of today’s Omaha World-Herald. You might not have seen it, because the World-Herald was a no-show at the Newseum today. Luckily, someone uploaded a photo to the ACES Facebook page today. Here’s a closer look: Funny stuff. Average daily circulation for the World-Herald is 135,223. More Mayan apocalypse shenanigans, [...]

Dec. 19, 2012: Clever headline alert: Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel

The story: How older writers have used new self-publishing tools to get their work out there in front of new readers. The headline: That’s just inspired. That was Monday’s centerpiece headline for the Sun Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Design director David Schutz tells us: That was Jeremy Lang, assistant night editor, and one of our best headline writers. Average [...]

Dec. 13, 2012: Clever headline (I think) alert… (2)

Philip Maramba of the Charleston, W.Va., Daily Mail writes: Longtime reader, first time caller. My wife is our former city editor here at the Charleston Daily Mail; I’m the news/design/graphics editor. She rolled her eyes at this hed for a boy born on 12/12/12. I’ve heard there’s a fine line between clever and stupid. I’m wondering if I crossed to [...]

Dec. 2, 2012: Eight front pages; eight superlative uses of design tools

My daily spin through the Newseum produced a handful of front pages you really ought to see… ___________________________ GREAT USE OF POLICE TAPE PHOTO — STAR TRIBUNE Casper, Wyo. Circulation: 24,791 Something many of us run into when there are horrific events in our communities: Building a front page with the best art we can get: Police tape surrounding the [...]

Nov. 27, 2012: Cool headline alert

This headline has everything: Puns, alliteration. Plus, it’s accurate. That’s from the Roanoke (Va.) Times. If any of my friends in Roanoke can tell me who wrote that headline, I’d be much obliged. — UPDATE – 10:20 p.m. Night metro editor Ryan Tipps tells us: The headline was written by Tom Carter, one of our amazing veteran copy editors. He’s [...]

Nov. 17, 2012: A look at today’s Twinkie apocalypse front pages (1)

You’d think that Hostess bakeries announcing it would shut down in response to a strike was the end of the world or something, from the play it got Friday in the digital media and today on front pages around the country. Come on. Twinkies will be back on shelves in no time. Someone will buy the Twinkie trademark. Here’s a [...]

Nov. 13, 2012: Today’s Petraeus scandal tab covers

Today’s winner in the Gen. David Petraeus sex scandal tabloid war: The New York Daily News. Daily News covers over the previous three days:     Average daily circulation for the Daily News is 579,636. The Post today peeled off a little front-page space to cover another sex scandal — the Sesame Street thing. Sigh… The “Sister Act” headline is [...]

Nov. 12, 2012: Sex scandal leads to an orgy of tabloid page-one one-upsmanship

I hate to use this word, given the sex scandal that brought down CIA director David Petraeus. But how else can one describe what’s going on with the major New York City tabloids, other than an orgy of tacky page-one one-upsmanship? The war started on Saturday, following news that Petraeus had resigned. Here are the next three days’ front pages [...]

Nov. 11, 2012: Because Saturday’s tabloid snark wasn’t quite enough… (1)

…The New York City tabs came back today with another round of tacky, immature and, yes, funny-as-hell cover treatments over the affair and resignation of CIA director and former Army general David Petraeus. Today’s offering from the Daily News is really, really funny. Note how Petraeus seems to making eyes at his sweetie. Also, notice the army-like stencil gimmick font [...]

Nov. 10, 2012: For your consideration…

The headline on the front of today’s New York Post will surely go down (heh) in history as one of the paper’s greatest. The pure snark there is so much greater than that demonstrated by the other guys in town. My own take: Gen. David Petraeus announces an affair and steps down as CIA director on the same day that [...]

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