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Chicago Tribune goes tab -- well, sort of

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by steveu, Jan 13, 2009.

  1. zebracoy

    zebracoy Guest

    The design of the broadsheet in that linked story is absolutely horrendous.
     
  2. JBHawkEye

    JBHawkEye Well-Known Member

    I can smell it from 250 miles away.
     
  3. Frank_Ridgeway

    Frank_Ridgeway Well-Known Member

    What are they doing with the ads? You have only two choices when you take a broadsheet full-page ad and put it in a tabloid -- run it sideways over two tab pages or shoot it down to fit on one tab page. In neither case do advertisers wish to continue paying the same rate they were paying for a broadsheet full-page ad. The rebellion may not happen this week, but it will happen. It's a completely stupid idea even if the unlikely happens and an extra 50,000 commuters buy the tabloid Trib because it's easier to handle on a train or bus than the broadsheet Trib. It's also going to be difficult for the advertising and marketing departments to portray the Trib as the more upscale buy than the Sun-Times when it now appears that the Trib and Sun-Times are going after the exact same readers with very similar products.
     
  4. Simon_Cowbell

    Simon_Cowbell Active Member

    Frank, are the proportions right to simply shoot down the page?
     
  5. Joe Williams

    Joe Williams Well-Known Member

    I like this comment from the readers:

    "So if this is true, why do they still need the RedEye, wasn't it the same purpose and format?
    At first I thought this was an Onion article."
     
  6. Frank_Ridgeway

    Frank_Ridgeway Well-Known Member

    No. In my experience -- broadsheet every day except tab on Saturdays -- you wound up with a 9-pica rail for stories when you shot down a broadsheet full-page ad to tabloid size. That was one reason why the tab format was discontinued there. Of course, this was the 1980s and page widths have changed. My guess is it would be an even more awkward fit now.
     
  7. Clerk Typist

    Clerk Typist Guest

    The tab size is nearly square. As bad a fit as possible.
     
  8. sportsed

    sportsed Member

    From Tribune story:
    I'd imagine that some of the stories will have to be trimmed for space reasons as well.
     
  9. 2muchcoffeeman

    2muchcoffeeman Well-Known Member

    E&P's review of the Trib tab:

    http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003931797
     
  10. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member


    . . . unless the Tribe will be looking for two separate versions from their treasured paying clientele . . .
     
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