TAKEAWAY: Reporting from Dubai this week: who said Europe had hot temperatures? ALSO: Sharon Stone at 50 and the cover of Paris Match, plus tidbits from here and there PLUS: Pure Design download #25: Content rhythm
Dubai: where many newspapers find their way with readers
It is a hot morning in Dubai, where I work this week. Today’s Monday musings come from a variety of sources, inspired by readings and thoughts while flying Germany to the UAE yesterday.
Will be updating from here this week.
First impressive sight in Dubai: no, not the skyscrapers that rise like giraffes stretching their long necks out into the horizon.
For me, it is a happy morning when you see 13 daily newspapers, side by side, at the entrance of the breakfast room of the Emirates Towers Hotel. Yesterday, we blogged about the plight of Philadelphia, the beautiful American city that has gone from 10 dailies (in a long gone heyday) to two—-both of which are part of the same company and struggle for survival.
Here in the UAE, these newspapers seem to find a niche—-some in English, others in Arabic. Competition, yes, but not one in bankruptcy court.
Who’s News in TheMarioBlog this Monday?
Now the voice almost matches the face
When we do before and after shots in this blog, it is usually to show pages of newspapers or magazines. But we make an exception this Monday to show contrasting photos of Susan Boyle, the woman whose voice captivated millions worldwide. Now SuBo, as some of the British tabs affectionately call her, has succumbed to the ultimate redesign. In the hands of Harper’s Bazaar’s team, what emerges is a very different Susan. Most publications’ redesigns attempt to do something like this, and some achieve it. We thought it would be more difficult for Susan to undergo this transformation. But, here she is!
What’s in a (first) name, anyway
It is said that Sigmund Freud hated America (but not the dollars it made him), and Americans (“those savages”) for many reasons, one of which was that people here called him “Sigmund”.
Well, that was his name, so what’s wrong with that? And it could have been much worse: his middle name was Schlomo
Too much informality for the man who, ironically, put so many Americans on the couch when his theories of psychoanalysis took hold. The rest we know well.
And, no, I am not reminiscing about the Austrian neurologist because I am on the couch myself. However, I can understand his obsession with acquaintances NOT calling him by his first name.
We Americans have a tendency to prefer the informal salutations. Some cultures do not take to “hi, Wolfgang, or hi, Angela” as quickly. Let’s put it this way: they warm up to it, but don’t try it upon entering their offices.
Having done much business globally, but particularly in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, I know the rules. In my case, the Mr. So and So is there for at least the first meeting, but soon after that one can begin addressing this person by his/her first name, and it works. I am always impressed by the way personal assistants and secretaries treat their bosses formally in Germany, for example. Not the same in America, where there is nothing wrong with a secretary ushering you into the boss’ office by saying:
“Brian, here is Mario to see you.” And that is that.
Respect the culture. Learn the rules. No need to psychoanalyze this.
In my case, call me Mario.
Dominating the cover at 50
La Sharon Stone showing her assets at 50: Eat your heart out Madonna
Sharon Stone graces the cover of my favorite Paris Match magazine; at 50, the star of Fatal Attraction bares her upper half and struts her stuff happily for all the French to see.
Another Paris Match coup?
“It’s been an incredible reaction for this cover, and our website has exploded” writes Paris Match Design Director, Michel Maiquez. “Other publications throughout Europe have mentioned it, increasing the buzz for us.”
Go here: http://www.parismatch.com/People-Match/Cinema/Actu/Sharon-Stone-J-ai-50-ans-et-alors-%21-118449/
Talking about good news….
An elegant weekly newspaper that has Germany as its main beat
And if the presence of la Sharon on the cover of Paris Match showing us how to be healthy and half nude at 50 was not enough good news, here is a clever idea from The German Times, Theo Sommer’s smartly rich weekly—-all about German life, politics, arts in English. I met Theo many years ago while engaged on a total rethinking of Die Zeit-—that most memorable of projects. The elegant Theo did more than he will ever know to persuade me to continue with what was such a difficult task—sort of repainting the Sistine Chapel (or its German version).
That I survived, that Die Zeit changed graphically to what it is today (a real beauty) is testimony to Theo’s many sessions of encouragement: Yes, you can do it, he would remind me in his impeccable English. Then he would explain to me what Die Zeit meant to its editors (‘this is an institution”), to the readers (“professors require students to read it, but we would like for students to read it after they left the university as well”), and, as always, a big smile and a pat on the back that kept me going.
Now Theo publishes German Times, which can be compared to an oasis in terms of its visual presentation—classic typography, centered headlines, just the necessary but efficient use of white space, and, of course, a Black Letter logo—-this is the image of Germany to the world, it could not be anything else.
One feature that appeals to me: the Good News column.
It is simply presented, a skinny, to the left of the page, column on Page 6. No fanfare. No trombones. I can almost see tall Theo entering the page and whispering these things to his readers.
This week’s “good news”:
China: returning to pre-crisis conditions…..and if the Chinese start consuming more, things will improve in the US and Europe, too.
US real estate: there may be a turnaround where the crisis began as well…housing prices in urban areas rose by 0.5 percent in May.
Berlin: ….the city’s metropolitan trains have started running again.
Fruits and vegetables: levels of toxins has changed for the better
India: High Court in New Delhi overturned paragraph 377 of the criminal code, which forbade sexual intercourse between people of the same sex.
Cheers, Theo. Here is hoping that soon this skinny single column will expand. Half a page of good news is what we all are waiting for.
More good news: It’s Justice Sotomayor
Proud grandpa that I am, with my three granddaughters here.
If I had my newspaper and a column titled Good News, today I would be saying that it is, indeed, very good news that Judge Sonia Sotomayor (New York City), has now become Justice Sotomaryor——the first Latin to be appointed to the US Supreme Court, and only the third woman to be so honored.
As a Hispanic, I am overjoyed with pride. As the grandfather of ten—-including three beautiful granddaughters—-I am now more certain that their Hispanic heritage will not be an obstacle to their ambitions. For my granddaughters—-Brianna Garcia, Sophia Lazaro and Angelina Barravecchio-—the comment from Abo is: there you go, girls. You will go as far as your dreams. Justice Sotomayor showed us that it can happen. For you, she has paved the way.
Pure Design: Content rhythm
Who is Jacky?
Every Sunday: Jacky leads us to his favorite picks from Bild Am Sonntag!
Download entire first section of Pure Design: Words
Now that I have fully presented the first of six sections of Pure Design on TheMarioBlog, I am offering the entire initial section, “Words,” available for download—all 33 pages of it. This may be useful for those of you saving or printing out Pure Design and will be done following each of the remaining sections. At the end of our journey through words, type, layout, color, pictures, and process, I will publish the entirety of Pure Design in one file.
WAN’s World Trends 2009 Report
The 2009 edition of World Press Trends from WAN/IFRA is now available. I always like to review this report for its complete information on global circulation, advertising and online trends in our industry. All countries in the world where daily newspapers are published are covered in the publication.
This year the WAN/IFRA folks have decided to publish a print version but only make the book available on pdf.
Those interested go:
http://www.wan-press.org/forms/wpt2009.html
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Follow the Marios
Two Marios. Two Views.
Follow Mario Jr. and his blog about media analysis, web design and assorted topics related to the current state of our industry.
http://garciainteractive.com/
Visit Mario Sr. daily here, or through TweetsByDesign (www.twitter.com/tweetsbydesign)
In Spanish daily: The Rodrigo Fino blog
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To read TheRodrigoFino blog, in Spanish, go:
https://garciamedia.com/latinamerica/blog/
TheMarioBlog posting #328