Many reasons exist why people abandon reading of a printed newspaper. I think I have heard them all in focus groups:
no time,
I get all the news on my phone,
I only read online,
I cancelled print subscription because I would find the unread copy of the newspaper on the kitchen table at night and it reminded me of how busy I was.
Yep, all of these are known and legitimate reasons why print suffers.
I can add one, when it comes to the Financial Times: the size of the type reminds me that my eyes are not as young as they used to, and I don’t need such reminders as I try to navigate articles of interest but set in type that is so small—is it 8 point? It could not be. It shouldn’t be.
If it is, is the Financial Times the last newspaper in the globe to set text type at 8 point? I have blogged about this repeatedly, hoping for a miracle, but this week I again picked up a print edition of the FT (at an airport lounge, of course) and flipped through the pages at high speed. When an article caught my eye I went to ft.com and read it online.
Please take a look at this screen shot of a page from the Financial Times: that type size has to be around 8 points.
Here I put the FT text side by side with a page from The New York Times, which I believe sets type in at least 9,2 points:
I am sure I am not the only reader of a “certain age” complaining about this. Print editions already have enough problems without adding legibility of text to the mix.
FT, are you listening?
Speaking Engagements Coming Up
I will be speaking at these events in the weeks ahead:
Mobile Media Culture in the Americas: The Digital Divide
March 23
Miami, Florida
USA
I will be one of the speakers/panelists in this conference, a full day of interactive analysis of how information and communication technologies—specifically, mobile media—affect Latin American and Caribbean societies. How are mobile media bridging divides? Is that bridge strengthening democracy, social mobility, and economic equality and supporting growth and development? How has innovation changed the newsroom and news media landscape in Latin America and the Caribbean? What is being done to support enhanced journalistic coverage of our hemisphere?
For more information: https://mmca17.splashthat.com/
Webinar for Crowdynews: open to all
March 29, 9 a.m. EST
The brief: What trends should every publisher embrace in 2017? According to Dr. Mario Garcia, top-of-mind should include digital storytelling, email newsletters, and sponsored content.
“Mario Garcia, world renown storyteller, editorial designer, and digital strategy consultant, will share practical steps news organizations can embrace to offset the disruptive forces rocking the news industry. During this 60-minute webinar, Mario will introduce a concept and then open the floor for a discussion on implementation and best practices sharing stories of those who are realizing success.”
In this webinar, Dr. Garcia will cover how to:
1) Go where your readers are: mobile. How do you create a more visually compelling and interactive experience for your mobile users while facing the challenge of a smaller screen size?
2) Be the source of their news – starting with their inbox every morning. How do you create a personalised, informative, and indispensable newsletter for your audience?
3) Serve your readers with high quality, non-obstructive ads or face ad blockers. How do you organize your newsroom to offer sponsored content while not compromising editorial integrity?
To register, go here:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5146625194690261761
VOZ Media Conference
April 6
Vienna, Austria
I will be the keynote speaker for this event, my presentation titled The important role of print in the digital age. This presentation presents a state of the media today, with emphasis on how we tell stories visually on mobile devices, the role of print and the importance of email newsletters and sponsored content to find new ways of promoting content and monetizing your operation.
For more information: http://www.voez.at