Honey, They Shrunk The ....Times? Smaller New York Times Coming on Monday

Editor & Publisher ^ | 8/5/07

[LdSentinal]

NEW YORK Over the years, The New York Times has tended to think big, but tomorrow it will have to adapt to a new smaller-is- beautiful era.

In a front page note to readers this morning, the paper stated that the print edition they will hold tomorrow will be decidedly more compact.

Beginning Monday, the Times "will reduce the width of its pages by an inch and a half," to a 12-inch standard, the paper declared.

"The move will cut newsprint expenses and, in some printing press locations, will make special configurations unnecessary. Slight modifications in design will preserve the look and texture of The Times, with all existing features and sections, and" -- it admitted at the end -- "somewhat fewer words per page."

The Times had originally planned to make the shift next March. It is far from the first paper to shrink in size in recent years, but the new look tomorrow promises to cause much comment.

When the company announced the coming size change in June 2006, Times Editor Bill Keller wrote in a staff memo the reduction would shrink the news hole by 11%.

Papers in the New York Times Co.'s New England and Regional Media divisions also are slimming down. The Boston Globe is reducing its web with from 50 inches to 48 inches in Q4. Along with four of its regional papers, The Ledger in Lakeland, Fla., reported it was trimming its size from a 54-inch web width to 48 inches.

[Earthdweller]

Excellent.

[squidly]

The move will cut newsprint expenses

Sounds like it's not exactly the salad days.

[rwfromkansas]

Newspapers still routinely get 30 percent profits. Not exactly hurting; it is just that being used to even bigger profits leads to panic.

[Bernard]

shrink the news hole

Not gonna do it, not gonna do it.

And here I was prepared to make a comment about the need for standardized perforations in order to the put the NYT to its best and highest use, when I saw this passage. This stuff just writes itself.

[river rat]

Ultimately, the New York Slimes will be forced to reduce the size of their paper to the size of their customer base -— a postage stamp..

[ElkGroveDan]

I’m melting! Oh what a cruel world......

[reg45]

“All The News That Fits, We Print”

[Milhous]

Pinch finally gets around to implementing a smaller size as promised in June.

[preacher]

Why don’t they just quit publishing altogether before they start showing an actual loss, rather than just a declining profit.

[FormerACLUmember]

11% fewer lies and treason!

[FormerACLUmember]

89% short of my fondest dream!

[Milhous]

Newspapers' Ad Sales Show Accelerating Drop

[Caipirabob]

The "NEW" New York Times! 30% LESS TRUTH...

[Tripoli]

Looks like a Preparation H treatment for the old gray lady.

[GoldenPup]

With Old Rupert buying the WSJ, this is only the beginning of the NYSlimes sinking. About time.

[Brilliant]

Not small enough. Maybe they should eliminate the articles and leave only the ads.

[Old Professer]

[Gorzaloon]

Slight modifications in design will preserve the look and texture of The Times, with all existing features and sections, and" -- it admitted at the end -- "somewhat fewer words per page."

Well, THAT is not a problem at all.

They can STILL Print

"Death To Amerika!- Death To Bush!"

on one line as long as they avoid 72 point Type.

[Cheburashka]

Well, we aren’t at “Nearer My God to Thee” time yet, but it does seems to be approaching.