Wall Street Journal Gets a New Look
Tuesday, January 2nd, 2007
The newly redesigned Wall Street Journal hit newsstands this morning, and nearly 500,000 copies were available free at newsstands across the country.
The new look includes bolder headlines, a brighter look, a reduced page width and even a new font created specifically for the WSJ called “Exchange”.
The Readers’ Guide highlights the whats and whys of the redesign. According to the press release, “A cornerstone of the Journal will be an increased focus on interpretation, insight and ideas—more of what the news means, not just what happened. Other changes include new content features, innovative newspaper navigation, and better print-online alignment.”
The reference to gently pointing folks online underscores the delicate balance between tradition and relevancy. The fact is, our expectations of media have shifted, making this an era when we expect media to embrace that change or we go elsewhere. More synopsis, bolder headlines, a brighter colors and visuals are all techniques that have been used by long-copy web sites and other print publications to help people get through content quickly, but just how far can WSJ go and still be “the” business icon?
I get the feeling the WSJ is engaged in a tough balancing act going forward. They need to stay true to their brand, the cornerstone of which is long-form, text-oriented content. But they also need to accomodate reader “scanning” in order to reflect today’s consumer desire for an easier-to-use newspaper that adds value as readers get news tidbits from multiple sources and channels throughout the day.
It looks like via this redesign they are trying to preserve their brand tradition while acknowledging that the way people absorb content has and is continuing to change rapidly. Supporting readers who “submerge” as well as those who “skim” will be their ongoing challenge.