|
|
|
GateHouse is in the process of rolling out a massive redesign project involving the nearly 100 weekly newspapers surrounding Boston. By the end of March, nearly every weekly in GateHouse Media New England will launch on a new template and fonts, with new content and, for the vast majority, a new nameplate.
The goals of the project:
- To make page production more efficient by getting all the publications using the same styles.
- Including more templated pages to make layout more efficient for newsrooms, allowing editors and reporters more time for news gathering.
- Scaling the templates according to the size of each newsroom. Two templates were created: a basic, for the smallest staffs, and an enhanced for weeklies with more resources.
- A write-to-fit approach for the front page, to save time in layout and production.
- Installation of GateHouse News Service fonts to allow for more seamless use of GateHouse News Service niche content.
- Templating of key GateHouse News Cube strategies, including promotion of print-exclusive content, reader callouts, public service journalism and community partner journalism.
A committee of GateHouse Media New England managers has been planning the rollout for months, covering all points of this complicated project: production and technical setup, marketing and promotion, circulation, new advertising positions and training.
GateHouse corporate News & Interactive staffers worked closely with the committee to create nameplate and template options for editors and publishers to choose from.
After a series of planning sessions, feedback and revisions, GateHouse design direction Joe Greco produced dozens of new nameplates and prepared about 100 new templates for the phased rollout. The templates were turned over for localization and organization to prepress director Conor Plunkett and assistant pagination manager Ray Johnson and the team in Framingham and to prepress/pagination manager Paula O'Brien and the team in Marshfield.
Training for newsrooms and paginators has been key to the project’s success. News & Interactive held six training sessions - four onsite and all available via webinar as well - to review new content and style in detail. The training was led by manager of newsroom development Chris Biondi and New England director of online content development Sarah Corbitt, with the assistance of Kathy Cordeiro, an editor in chief in the Massachusetts group.
GateHouse is in the process of rolling out a massive redesign project involving the nearly 100 weekly newspapers surrounding Boston. By the end of March, nearly every weekly in GateHouse Media New England will launch on a new template and fonts, with new content and, for the vast majority, a new nameplate.
The goals of the project:
- To make page production more efficient by getting all the publications using the same styles.
- Including more templated pages to make layout more efficient for newsrooms, allowing editors and reporters more time for news gathering.
- Scaling the templates according to the size of each newsroom. Two templates were created: a basic, for the smallest staffs, and an enhanced for weeklies with more resources.
- A write-to-fit approach for the front page, to save time in layout and production.
- Installation of GateHouse News Service fonts to allow for more seamless use of GateHouse News Service niche content.
- Templating of key GateHouse News Cube strategies, including promotion of print-exclusive content, reader callouts, public service journalism and community partner journalism.
A committee of GateHouse Media New England managers has been planning the rollout for months, covering all points of this complicated project: production and technical setup, marketing and promotion, circulation, new advertising positions and training.
GateHouse corporate News & Interactive staffers worked closely with the committee to create nameplate and template options for editors and publishers to choose from.
After a series of planning sessions, feedback and revisions, GateHouse design direction Joe Greco produced dozens of new nameplates and prepared about 100 new templates for the phased rollout. The templates were turned over for localization and organization to prepress director Conor Plunkett and assistant pagination manager Ray Johnson and the team in Framingham and to prepress/pagination manager Paula O'Brien and the team in Marshfield.
Training for newsrooms and paginators has been key to the project’s success. News & Interactive held six training sessions - four onsite and all available via webinar as well - to review new content and style in detail. The training was led by manager of newsroom development Chris Biondi and New England director of online content development Sarah Corbitt, with the assistance of Kathy Cordeiro, an editor in chief in the Massachusetts group.
