The Mario Blog

04.08.2009—10am    Post #569
How Italian dailies cover the earthquake

TAKEAWAY: As rescuers continue to search for survivors under buildings destroyed by a devastating earthquake in L’Aquila region, which killed at least 207 people and has left 1500 injured and 17000 homeless, Italian newspapers flex their muscles to bring readers breaking news, graphics and photos of this, the worst earthquake to hit Italy in more than 30 years. We show you some, with emphasis on Il Secolo XIX of Genoa.

Updated Friday, April 9, 2009, 05:17 pm

Il Secolo pages from Friday, April 9

blog post image

blog post image

blog post image

blog post image
Front and inside page from today’s Il Secolo XIX

blog post image
Various inside pages from Il Secolo XIX, of Genoa, Italy

blog post image
Two pages of Il Secolo XIX, and front page of La Stampa

blog post image
Page devoted to graphics about the earthquake: design by Massimo Gentile

blog post image

blog post image
Various front pages from around Italy

We are grateful to Massimo Gentile, design director of Il Secolo XIX of Genoa, Italy, for updating us on how the Italian newspapers are covering this most devastating of earthquakes.

This is a sort of nightmare for the residents of the region. Our front page of today shows the dominant photo, dramatically presented, of a woman crying in front of her house, destroyed by the impact of the earthquake. In that photo, we see the terror and devastation of this earthquake.

Massimo directs us to Page 3 today where they have a 3D map of the affected region, where the impact of the earthquake register 6.3 in the Richter scale, with a second strong tremor, 5.3 in the scale. The map also shows the specific areas where the greatest number of victims were killed or injured.

Says Massimo: No newspaper in Italy was able to carry a graphic that was so informative in its scope, except Il Secolo XIX.

For the staff of Il Secolo XIX, a news event such as this earthquake allows them to see how the processes of editing/design come together, and how they extend to the online edition, where videos and multi media presentations are available as well.

Paris Match wins top awards

blog post image

blog post image
These two Obama-inspired covers were part of the coverage that won Paris Match the SPMI Magazine of the Year 2009 Award

blog post image
blog post image
The “Audacity in Journalism” Award went to this piece about the Taliban, published in edition # 3094 , September 4, 2008

blog post image
Olivier Royant and his colleague Franck Espiasse proudly receive the SPMI Award Monday night in Paris

The SPMI Awards were presented Monday night in Paris. Olivier Royant, the proud editor in chief of Paris Match, sends us the report. We were very honored to work with Olivier and his talented team of Paris Match during 2008, so this is happy news—-but not surprising! Each week we look at Paris Match and see how the team, headed by Olivier, with Michel Maiquez as art director, take the original concept and enhance it. As I repeat often, Olivier is a print editor who believes in scoops, and makes the street his laboratory to find them.

The awards were specifically presented for the use of photography, and for what the juries called “audacity of journalism” for a special report on the Taliban, with magnificent photographs, which is part of what gives Paris Match its identity, and which caught the judge’s eyes. One judge commented about the Taliban piece:

This is exactly the genre and subject in the area of audacity in journalism for which we recommend Paris Match. It is a subject covered in the most difficult of conditions, the way the subject was handled is a tribute to the courage of a war reporter. This is a true prize for the audacity exhibited in covering one of the most controversial media subjects of the year.”

Here is what the jury had to say in the Best Magazine of the Year category:

Here is the magazine with THE excellent photos, the ones that can’t be ignored, showing courage and distinction. It is all well executed here. And not resting on their laurels, the staff also introduced a new design formula in 2008.

Olivier adds:

“Since you’ve part of the life of Paris Match in 2008, I wanted to share
these 2 awards with you.”

Thanks, Olivier and team. You all make me very proud and I hope to toast to this victory with all of you when I am in Paris again soon!

TheMarioBlog posting #234

The Mario Blog