Chicago Tribune to go tabloid

[Robb Montgomery]

"Chicago Tribune repackaging itself in tabloid size for street sales" is the no-nonsense headline from Tribune Tower in Chicago.

The Chicago Tribune on Monday will hit the streets—and its rival, the Chicago Sun-Times—with a newly reformatted tabloid-sized version of itself for weekday sales at area commuter stations, newsstands and newspaper boxes, the Tribune announced today. Home delivery subscribers will continue to receive the Tribune’s traditional broadsheet edition, which will have the same editorial content as the single-copy tabloid version with minor differences in headlines, photos and captions because of the new size, the paper said.

If past history holds any predictive power, it is foregone that readers will prefer the small format.
From Kuala Lumpur to London - every broadsheet that offered both sizes to readers eventually stopped offering the broadsheet version within six months. The Times of London, the New Straits Times . . will it be the same for the Chicago Tribune?

We now have a new newspaper war in Chicago - three street tab dailies will be duking it out in a new war for street sales. Can the Trib out Sun-Times the Sun-Times? Will Red Eye continue to run many of the same items as the paid product?

Stay tuned.

Here's the official memo. Please add links and comments to this thread.

When market leaders go tab - they don't go back.

On 18 April 2005, the The New Straits Times in Kuala Lumpur offered readers a choice of broadsheet or tabloid size. After six months of producing both sizes the newspaper terminated a 160-year-old tradition of being a broadsheet. (Photo by Robb Montgomery)

[Oscar Valdes]

I think the change is coming to most newspapers. It's still frightening to think that newspapers (phisically) are in danger of extinction because of the web. Newspapers all over the world are revamping ideas to keep the business alive and attractive to all sorts of readers. Changing the size of the product is a really good idea that if I had a newspaper of my own, I'll do just that. The downside is that stories are shorter BUT, they can lead to more on their web content. People want straight to the point with straight facts news. Most new readers would only read the headline, see the photo and read the caption and that's their 2 cents for the day....they're informed.

That's my opinion though, I'm no professional but I am in the middle of it all by working in the newspaper industry. Changes are happening! We'll be ready and everyone will adapt sooner or later.

[Anders Tapola]

This is exciting news. At last maybe a breakthrough for the tabs in the U.S.? And also a new war for street sales in Chicago.
And I definitely agree with Robb, almost everyone will prefer a tab if they have to choose.
A tab needs much more concern when it comes to design. A smaller room needs more care when arranging the furniture. The bigger room – the broadsheet – is not all that sensitive where you put every piece of funiture.
So I'm thrilled to see how The Chicago Tribune succeed to furnish the tab on Monday.

[Alejandro Banuet]

It is a very interesting move by an american paper. I mean, some papers have publish a broadsheet and a tabloid version at the same time for a while, like UK’s The Independent did in 2003 and The Times did in 2004 (and at the end both remained “tabloids”, by the way) but they are a different business model.
So, I would really appreciate if someone could help me with the following questions:
How will the tabloid deal with the ads? and with the extra-charge for ad location? will they have different sections?
They said that the new version will have the same editorial content as the broadsheet version, will it be the same for pictures, graphics and ads? and ... where does the “design” (as we know it) remains? is it just a plain “translation”?

[James A. Molnar]

I just feel bad for the designers at the Tribune. They are probably overworked as is with all of the newsroom cuts (did they cut any of the design team?). Now, they have to produce two papers five days a week? I don't know how easy the conversion between editions will be but it sounds like the Tribune may need to hire more designers. Am I wrong?

P.S. I am available to help starting in May when I graduate. ;-)

[Patricia Gibson]

You've hit on another trend: Doubling the work, no new staff.

We're doing it here (but not because we're putting out two editions of the same paper, which I question the wisdom of, personally).

I'm not sure which is worse, cutting staff or shipping in another whole paper to put out every night with no new people. I'm told the coming arrangement "will be a good thing," but I don't see anything but a downhill slide at this point.

It's apparently the wave of the future, though.

[Robb Montgomery]

I understand that the Tribune has hired five designers to do lay out this new edition and the pack includes Kenny Marlatt moving in from the Indianapolis Star.

[Tim McCormick]

This "Tribecca" format approach for Chicago Trib imprints just might make sense.
The full size papers roll or fold easier for home delivery and the two tab editions require less elbow room
for commuters and designers.
As for a $.75 edition vs. a free edition---it's all about circulation numbers. "Ka-ching."
Some folks will be willing to sponsor an expanded tab. Some people just want a cheap read.
Some people will opt for both tabs because they can. Some people will pick up two Trib tabs and
a Sun-times. Some of another sort get their fix electronically.
I get most of my dailies via Newspaper Direct so I'm not sure which Chicago issue will win my eyeball time. This whole news business just gets curiouser and curiouser.
I do know one thing for sure. It is going to be hard to make one of those folding Colonel Tribune paper hats
out of a tab-sized paper run that can fit my fat head. Then again --- how about paper airplanes?

[Roger Black]

Removes any remaining dignity from the Tribune, which may be a good thing. This mock-up is very content-light, however.

If I were running the Sun-Times, I would immediately reduce to Digest size. It would be a first. Reader's would love it. And I would like to be there when the ad sales folks pitch to Marsahll, er, Macy's with the line, "A page is still a page."

[James de Vries]

Yes, Dignity doesn't seemed to have worked for most newspapers as a way of increasing sales.
In Sydney Australia, the two major broadsheets;The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian, have been in a stand-off for at least a decade.
When we redesigned the Sydney Morning Herald for 2000, they were in possession of detailed research showing that readers preferred the convenience of a tabloid size.
There was a conscious choice to stay broadsheet, because in a two player market, they didn't want to give the opposition the free kick to say 'we're the ONLY ones who can provide full broadsheet ads'.
Needless to say, they're both still broadsheet, classified revenues are evaporating, and both newspapers have continued in the way that most big, general newspapers go.

[NewsDesigner2009]

They did the paper in two formats for six months?
Wow. Please tell us more!

[Mike Solita]

Oh, Jonny Berlin. The stories you must be able to tell. Hang in there, man.

I grew up in Illinois, basically worshipping the Tribune before I even knew was graphic design was. I'd pour over those huge broadsheet infographics and drool over as a kid. Their Olympics and baseball coverage really stuck out in my memory. I remember pouring over those poster page infographics that explained pitching or various Olympic sports and just be in heaven.

(sigh.)