The 'new' Star Bulletin

[Ron Whitfield]

Today is the first day of the new formatted Star Bulletin, and overall I like it better. But it seems there is now less news/readable content. I went thru it this morning as quickly as I regularly do the Sadvertiser. They certainly lessened the comix page, at least no more Shoe, and the sports page which is usually OK was pretty junk.
Cutting cost by changing the layout is one thing but getting rid of many aspects of what made this paper head and shoulders above it's main/morning competitor is likely a way to hasten it's demise.

[helen]

Re: The 'new' Star Bulletin

Also noticed that Classic Peanuts is not there too. I couldn't find Dilbert at first (I did find it a second time looking thru the paper) in the other sections of the paper but did encounter Sherman's Lagoon and For Better or Worse while reading it on TheBus, which this format seems to work in that situation.

I would like to say I am going to miss the afternoon editions more than the old format.

I did notice that today's edition had an article about ABC's Life on Mars series finale which happen to have an incomplete ending to the article.

[pzarquon]

Re: The 'new' Star Bulletin

Here's Ian Lind's early take on the new format. He's exhausted with the ad-to-copy ratio:

This goes on for 72 pages. I’m already tired and I haven’t gotten hardly any news. And no news is bad news. The design puts a huge stress on folks doing graphics and photos. I hope this isn’t really the shape of things to come.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: The 'new' Star Bulletin

I couldn't find Dilbert at first (I did find it a second time looking thru the paper) in the other sections of the paper but did encounter Sherman's Lagoon.

Yes! Dilbert, that's what I forgot to search for. Glad you mentioned this and Sherman's Lagoon, I knew I was forgetting something! Not that it will complete the entire feeling of 'what else is missing?', but make's it a bit better.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: The 'new' Star Bulletin

Here's Ian Lind's early take on the new format.

The design puts a huge stress on folks doing graphics and photos.

I wonder if HT's own Dick has any involvement in design aspects?

[scrivener]

Re: The 'new' Star Bulletin

He's definitely somehow involved:

http://twitter.com/dickwalker/status/1514696060


I agree with Ian Lind that the ad/copy ratio is...well, I wouldn't call it wearisome, but it's something. I noticed it. Monday's edition isn't a good one to judge it by, I think. I'm looking forward to Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Physically, I have to say I think I like it so far. It is easier to read in the car and at my desk. The paper has retained some of its best people, so I don't think anything is going to happen to the quality of the work, 'though I hope we don't lose much in the way of quantity.

My completely selfish take: I'm interested in seeing where my sudoku puzzle goes. I've been right next to the NYT crossword puzzle for three years, which has always put a smile on my face.

[Kaonohi]

Re: The 'new' Star Bulletin

One would hope hat the readership's comments will have an effect on inclusion/exclusion.
When the Advertiser "axed" Prince Valiant cartoons a few years back, readership complaints restored the anachronistic cartoon to the followers (of which I am one).

Readers, talk to your editors. Tell them what you miss and what you despise. They are anxious to make for you the newspaper you want, and they WILL listen to a majority opinion.

Or, they will sink yet again....

[dick]

Re: The 'new' Star Bulletin

I'm now working in the opinion section (Views & Voices).

Cheers and/or jeers regarding the redesign can be sent to: newstarbulletin@starbulletin.com

[808golfer]

Re: The 'new' Star Bulletin

Here's Ian Lind's early take on the new format. He's exhausted with the ad-to-copy ratio:

ok ok ok.....I KNOW you ALL will pounce all over this post becuz you ALL love whatever Ian posts on his "my opinion and I rarely check the truth.com" blog.....but enough is enough. Fact: Ian was not retained by the SB when the newspaper split from the JOA. Fact: Ian early on thought Gannett ate their young when he was A PART OF THE SB. FACT: Soon after not being retained by the new owners, Ian began to think Gannett maybe wasn't all that bad.....hmmmmnnn...Check it out.....his commentary began to turn once the "ax began to grind".....suddendly, the 8 BILLION dollar gorilla began to not look so bad and the little SB couldn't do anything right. Fact: He repeatedly repeats or comments on nameless posts as though they are factual....are they? who knows?? the big time news hound doesn't even try to get to the facts....just post away Ian....dont let the facts get in the way....he's so busy chasing rats and cats there just isnt anytime to try and figure out what's true....Fact: All of you treat whatever he says like he has some sort of journalism credential. If he is so wonderful.....why hasn't his beloved Tizer offered him a job? Good God....they hired Charlie Memminger for Christ sake,,,surely Ian would rank ahead of a dreary comedian....Fact: all those people who left the SB the last few years to work at THA....last in....first out....nough said. Fact: Ian's day is so busy he couldn't even give the readers of his blog a true opinion of the first edition of the new SB. He just got soooo weary....

[mel]

Re: The 'new' Star Bulletin

I'm not a fan of Lind either.

So far I like the new Star-Bulletin. The best thing so far that I like is that the articles start and continue on the same page they are posted to.... not this synopsis crap of a few paragraphs on page A-1 and go to A-8 to read the bulk of the story with elements of the A-1 repeated again on A-8. I also like that all the pages are intergrated as one unit... pages 1 throught 72 instead of sections A-1, B-1, C-1, D-1, etc.

Now if they can use the daily TV grid and incorporate that into the weekly TV Week handout, I'd be happy. So far I hate the teeny tiny grids in the weekly TV guide publication.

They kept the daily trivia quiz. Hooray!

[LikaNui]

Re: The 'new' Star Bulletin

I like the new format, physically. As for content, I'm more than happy to give them a few weeks to get everything dialed in.
I never judge a restaurant based on its opening day or a band based on their first song. The SB deserves the same chance to work out the bugs and settle in.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: The 'new' Star Bulletin

ok ok ok.....I KNOW you ALL will pounce all over this post becuz you ALL love whatever Ian posts on his "my opinion and I rarely check the truth.com" blog.....but enough is enough.

Ian's slant on the issues he discusses on his blog can be very biased, no question about that. But agree or disagree with his opinions....at least he's willing to put his real name next to his opinions.

Right, Mr. 808golfer?

[genepark]

Re: The 'new' Star Bulletin

What I had hoped somebody would've realized by now is that yesterday's inaugural tabloid issue was on a Monday.

That meant covering news from Sunday, the slowest news day of the week. City reporter Robert Shikina was busy enough being half of the local news staff. He managed to hustle out a story on the Punchbowl shooting, on top of producing an enterprise story on the Mall Cafe, which Dave Reardon and I were tempted to go to last night just for kicks. :-P

For anyone complaining about the lack of content, today and beyond would be better barometers for how much mileage you will get out of the Star-Bulletin.

One thing: I am seeing a lot of complaints about deleted comments from the forums on starbulletin.com. This is being perceived as a censoring of negative comments on the redesign.

However this has happened several times before, where entire threads would vanish and restart. It isn't exclusive to the story about the redesign alone.

But that perception is not a good look. I'd hope someone's working on changing that.

[helen]

Re: The 'new' Star Bulletin

Yes! Dilbert, that's what I forgot to search for. Glad you mentioned this and Sherman's Lagoon,

Sherman's Lagoon is very easy to spot in the middle of page 3, Dilbert is on the bottom of the page somewhere in the Business section, and For Better or For Worse (in black & white) somewhere in the Today section.

[scrivener]

Re: The 'new' Star Bulletin

For anyone complaining about the lack of content, today and beyond would be better barometers for how much mileage you will get out of the Star-Bulletin.

That's what I said.