Have a question
for the design doctor? Got a squabble you need to settle? Send
in a question by clicking here.
It changes over
time. Most broadsheet newspapers typically run four, five or
six stories on Page One; a half a century ago, they ran dozens (see example below). Newsy tabloids may run
three or four cover stories; other tabs prefer single-topic
covers, like magazines.
So that’s
what papers typically do. But that doesn’t mean they should
do it day after day after day. Consistency is one thing; a
rigid, monotonous rut is something else.
Your Page One
story count helps define your paper’s character. So ask
yourself regularly (or, at least, whenever you do a redesign):
What personality do we want to project? Newsy, with lots of
traffic? Stylish and artsy, with dramatic photos and big type?
The answer will depend upon your editorial style. Staffing.
Budget. Newshole. Reader preference.
The best answer:
Avoid falling into a rut where every issue looks the same.
Page-design monotony will bore you and your readers. Consider mixing up the story
count from issue to issue, page to page, letting the news --
not newsroom habit -- dictate the pace.
This classic
broadsheet from the ‘50s features 30 stories on Page One.
To view a larger version of this page, click here.
