PressEthic

This isn't an easy time for newspapers. Alternative media sources have caused a dip, or at least a stagnation, in circulation. This is certainly true in the UK. Consequently, British newspapers have had to find new ways to entice readers -- and one of these, according to Michael Wolff, is "the size war."

Wolff's article in October's issue of Vanity Fair takes a look at the recent trend of British broadsheets going tabloid. Or, as they would prefer to think of it, going "compact". The term tabloid traditionally referred to a newspaper with pages smaller than those of a regular broadsheet, but has come to be associated now with sensational reporting and thus has a negative connotation.

This connotation causes a general feeling that once a newspaper goes tabloid (i.e., switches to the smaller format), there will be a decline in the quality of reporting. Wolff points out that this is precisely what happened to The Independent when it switched to tabloid format in the fall of 2003: "it makes everything louder, more simplistic, and appealing." He goes on further to say that by going tabloid, The Independent left the ranks of quality newpapers. Of course, it's circulation also jumped by 20 percent.

So, the natural question: is there such a thing as a quality tabloid? Or is that just an oxymoron?

The launch of the new, petite Guardian just last week brings hope that there is such a thing. Strictly speaking, The Guardian is not a tabloid. The format being used is called the "Berliner", which is a size between a tabloid and a broadsheet. Wolff describes it:

"It is small, and portable, and yet, the front page is still a classic, hierarchical, multi-story front page. But what it does, perhaps most importantly, is preserve that crucial elemental newspaper distinction: the fold."

Another reason to belive in the ability to preserve quality regardless of size is that Le Monde, also uses the Berliner format.

Then perhaps the question is, why smaller? Wolff answers that with demographics, saying that there just isn't a market for "hour-a-day" newspapers. People don't spend the time. "The newspaper as an hour-a-day habit is not just a rarefied experience, it's something of a fetishistic one," he says.

While i am mildly insulted by the insinuation most news sources make about the short attention span of today's youth, I have to admit there are very few people I know who do actually spend the time. So, having a serious newspaper package itself more succinctly and economically can't be a bad thing. And hey, it would be easier to read on the subway.

With so many newspapers going compact internationally, it will be interesting to see which of the major broadsheets in America follow the trend, if any.

(NB: I apologize for not being able to link to the article, but only the September issue is up on the Vanity Fair site as of now).