Behold that news kiosk at the corner. I am blessed to have one that I get to see each morning at the corner of Second Avenue and 79th Street in my neighborhood in the Upper East Side. And if I walk one block south to First Avenue, there is an even better one, one of the old fashioned newsstands which is bigger, with better lights and has the word NEWS in big bright letters atop of it. It is next to St. Monica Catholic Church and I always put the two together, print and religion, a good fit.

It should be.

While in Europe, the kiosks, as they are called there, are a throwback to another era, but also we see more customers stopping by, especially in cities like Paris, Amsterdam and London.

But even if you don’t stop to buy, what a gift for the eyes, to see a vast display of magazines, newspapers and sometimes books clamoring for attention. Sort of like the Radio City Rockettes, all trying to get noticed, in perfect or imperfect harmony, a mixture of content that would probably never be seen on the same coffee table, that cover of The Economist on a series topic like Gaza and the Israeli conflict, next to title that proclaims that Brad and Jen are ready to have a baby (If you don’t know who Brad and Jen are, chances are that magazine is not on your coffee table). In between, covers that entice you to do spring cleaning in your home, or to plan the ultimate trip to the Maldives.

That smorgasbord of temptations is difficult to get, at a glance in any digital device I am aware of. When my eyes sweep through the kiosks I can put together my own curated newsletter of the moment, with everything from the serious to the titillating and with self help in between (Try Oprah Magazine covers, where she always appears as the reigning queen, with headlines that include Who You can Trust, or, a favorite, Age Brilliantly. The Oprah Way is the only way for many).

But to the right of Oprah Magazine could be the more serious The Atlantic:

Side by side this week

For example, this week, while passing through the Lufthansa lounge these three magazines happened to be side by side. Fortune, The Economist and Newsweek.

All had interesting covers. Fortune with a bold type attack where its logo blended too much with the headline, in my view.

Then The Economist, always smart with its use of illustration, this time for a story about Gaza

Newsweek uses a great illustration of North Korea’s Kim Jong Um, with a headline The Art of the Deal, then a subtitle, What If Kim Jong Um is the smartest guy in the room?.

Inside, a double page “poster” of the man that the White House now refers to as Chairman Kim.

For those print designers

I know it is not an easy thing to be the designer in charge of the print edition. It is not hip enough perhaps, and definitely not where the best salaries are today.

However, as the examples above show, your work is appreciated, admired and necessary.

Earlier this week I posted an image of the current cover of National Geographic, truly a collector’s item for anyone who deals with the power of creativity in any field. I have received dozens of messages about the impact of that one cover, which I include here.

Readers appreciate your creative efforts. So don’t give up. Looking forward to your next creations.

…as for the future of kiosks & newsstands

I certainly hope their presence at the corner continue to make our commutes to work more interesting. While the corner buildings, the traffic light and the fire hydrants don’t change much, it is the covers and the headlines that provide change in our familiar surroundings.

If there is no movement with a hashtag #savethenewsstands, I’d like to start one.