Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part 1 Getting started in journalism
- Part 2 Writing skills
- 5 Grammar
- 6 Spelling and punctuation
- 7 Subbing
- 8 Basic newspaper layout and design
- Part 3 Understanding the law
- Part 4 Research skills
- Part 5 Being professional in journalism
- Bibliography
- Further reading
- Index
8 - Basic newspaper layout and design
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part 1 Getting started in journalism
- Part 2 Writing skills
- 5 Grammar
- 6 Spelling and punctuation
- 7 Subbing
- 8 Basic newspaper layout and design
- Part 3 Understanding the law
- Part 4 Research skills
- Part 5 Being professional in journalism
- Bibliography
- Further reading
- Index
Summary
Computer-based desktop publishing packages are very sophisticated these days. The options available and their capabilities are vast. But that can be a trap.
In producing pages for newspapers, simple is best. The urge to use all kinds of typefaces and colours and fancy borders, just because they are there, should be avoided. You may create a technological marvel but the readers may not love you. Indeed they may avoid you. The whole amazing result may be too much for the eye and instead of the wonder of it all appealing to the reader it may have the opposite effect.
Technology should enhance, not hinder, your efforts to communicate with your readers. There are two important issues the journalist has to keep in mind. One is readability. The other is comprehension.
The first is important because, if readers find it hard to read what you have written, they will not struggle. They will move on. And the second is important, because there is not much point in getting them to read your copy if they misunderstand it.
Your writing impacts on both. So write simply and clearly. But typography, layout and design also impact on readability and comprehension.
So it's useful to know about them too.
Typography
There are countless typefaces or fonts available today. The illustration below shows three closely related fonts, and a fourth which is not related. The first three fonts are all sans serif typefaces.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- So You Want To Be A Journalist? , pp. 197 - 214Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2007