Centre Daily Times, State College, Pa.

By: Jennifer Saba Since 1997, the Centre Daily Times has strongly promoted readership on the campus of nearby Pennsylvania State University. But that's only one of the reasons why this Knight Ridder paper in State College, Pa., is worth noting.

In 2003 the paper launched a weekly wraparound for single copy issues distributed on campus called "Blue." The product has been such a success that executives want to push the concept to broaden their readership. This fall, the punchy "Blue" will stand alone as a weekly, targeted to not only college students but those 18-34. Area restaurants, bars, coffee shops and other hot spots will distribute a paper running roughly 32 pages.

"We feel the idea of Blue as an alternative weekly is very strong," says president and publisher Adrian Pratt. "We want to separate it entirely from the Daily Times to be a little bit edgier."

The Daily Times has recently been nabbing other readers as well ? which is crucial, because Centre County is home to more than just fans of Penn State's Nittany Lions. The paper also has to appeal to those well past their college days, particularly, residents of the surrounding rural communities.

"We have been really trying to get back to the basics of local, local, local," says Pratt, stressing his newspaper's renewed emphasis on local news beyond its college coverage.

In April, the Daily Times launched a section called "On Centre" featuring pages where readers can submit ideas or calendar events. The paper also conducted an open call for local columnists, and 17 people were selected to contribute to its editorial page. "We've heard so many times that this is a paper that says 'no,'" Pratt explains. "We now have a reputation of being more accessible."

The Daily Times also has been getting more aggressive in its reporting. The paper broke and followed a story concerning the construction of Interstate 99, a project that caused public outcry when unearthed natural acidic rock was found to be polluting streams and wells. "It was a huge story that really gave our readers a sense of ownership," says Pratt.

The renewed focus is paying off. At a time when circ is dropping at most papers, the Daily Times reported gains in both daily and Sunday. In the FAS-FAX for the six-month period ending March 2005, daily circ increased 0.7% to 26,146 and its Sunday circ grew 2.2% to 33,999. Roughly 88% of its total copies were sold at more than 50% of the cover price, and single copy sales are up. The paper's Web site is also booming.

"We're bringing really strong journalism to Centre County," Bob Heisse, executive editor, says. Readers, he says, "are seeing more of their news and their life in the paper." -- Jennifer Saba