Reading the paper should be easy.
How many times have you been enthralled with a story that started on Page 1 of your newspaper only to have to find the rest of it 10 or more pages deeper inside?
I know I’ve wrestled countless times with my paper. I’ve flipped and folded the paper, looking to finish an article, then losing the front page in my now-sloppy origami of a newspaper.
From your emails, phone calls and a recent survey, I also know local news is important to you. I’m happy to say, starting April 30, The Star-Ledger team is making a few more tweaks that will allow for a better reader experience. But the quick of it is emphasizing local news. Here’s what you can look forward to:
- The first section of the newspaper will carry primarily local New Jersey news
- Articles that start on the front page, A1, will continue on the next page.
- The remainder of the section will have news from around the state, including:
- The weather graphic moves toward the back of the section
- National and World news will move to its own section after local and regional news
- Non-New Jersey business stories will go in the online newspaper’s Update section
All other sections will remain the same. That is, the obituary, sports, features, and opinion sections won’t change. My column will be in the mix with all the other local content.
Moving the weather graphic was the easiest change. Considering most readers use the internet or an app for the weather at any given time of day.
In other markets where these types of changes were first tested, editors have gotten nothing but positive feedback. My hope is you’ll agree the changes in The Star-Ledger and online will improve the flow of local content.
As you may have read in a previous column, I started working at The Star-Ledger 20 years ago, then moved to NJ Advance Media, which provides content to NJ.com, The Star-Ledger and affiliated newspapers. In our industry, we’re always looking for better ways to serve our readers while remaining sustainable.
The continuous changes are a balancing act between reporting the news in a timely manner and technological innovations. To think when I started my career in the early 1990s some newspapers still used typewriters and fax machines. Today we’re using a telephone/computer that fits in our pocket to consume content from various sources around the planet.
That’s why it’s so important for me to emphasize how much more content is available in the online newspaper, including news and sports scores that come in after our daily deadlines.
Page editors communicate with our Sports and News desks on any late developments up until midnight. For big news events, such as a late World Series game or results on Election Night, there are teams producing the online paper as late as 1:30 a.m.
And on a Sunday like today, you get the special section “Eat smart, eat light, eat easy.” Click through the section to enjoy a curated selection of recipes, plus get tips on meal prep, picking the best seasonal produce, and more.
Subscribers who have activated their online accounts know the convenience of having their newspaper news available to them even before the print edition hits their driveways. I encourage you to try it out.
As always, I’d like to hear from you. Send a note to feedback@starledger.com with “Local First” in the subject line to let me know what you think about the changes.
We are the best in the Garden State!
I’m proud to share, for the third consecutive year in a row, The Star-Ledger and NJ.com won the general excellence award in the 2023 The New Jersey Press Association’s annual Better Newspaper Contest.
“This shows the quality of our journalism,” an elated Ronnie Agnew told me at the NJPA awards banquet at the Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township on Thursday night. Agnew is general manager of NJ Advance Media, which provides content for The Star-Ledger and NJ.com.
“We are mission driven and driven by passion. Every single day our team is trying to serve our audience, trying to grow audience trying looking for that next thing that resonates with folks,” he said. “So tonight is just a recognition of the work that we do.”
The Star-Ledger and NJ.com competes in the largest circulation category in the state.
In addition to the highest honor, for the first time since 2015, NJ Advance Media won first in each of the three top journalism categories: Public Service, First Amendment and Enterprise.
Staff photographer Andy Mills had the largest single haul of awards, earning six nods, including three first places.
The Sports Department garnered a clean sweep in two categories, winning first, second and third places in Sports Writing portfolio and in Scholastic Sports Writing portfolio.
As you’ll see in the full list of winners , we had more than a dozen second-place finishes, including for Best Headlines. Kudos to the paper that beat out this beauty: “Mural’s conditioning improving after hospital performs art transplant.”
That was penned by newspaper headline writer Phil Cornell. Since 2017, he has won that category three times. In recent years, he’s also been honored with two first-place awards by the national ACES: The Society of Editing.
According to the NJPA, the contest is forward-looking, encouraging newspaper and digital news organizations “to find new ways to inform, entertain, enlighten and engage their readers.”
That’s what we strive for — and more — every day.
Enrique Lavín is the editor of online newspapers. Email him at elavin@njadvancemedia.com.
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