Reader Complaints Drove 'Hartford Courant' Design Reversal

By: Joe Strupp Reader complaints drove the decision by Hartford (Conn.) Courant management to reverse the Page One redesign it had implemented just nine months ago and bring back a more traditional banner.

Rich Graziano, who became CEO, president and publisher of the paper March 30, said the consistent objections by older readers to the new design -- which had placed the banner sideways along the left rail -- sparked a need for a review.

"One of the things we heard was that the traditional loyal audience did not like the change," Graziano said Wednesday. "The feedback was that they didn't like the change on the banner." The Courant's redesign was implemented in September; it reverted to its original format on Monday.

The redesign was one of many by Tribune Co. newspapers during the past 12 months, which included new front-page designs for the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune and both of its major Florida dailies. Graziano, who was not at the Courant when the changes were made, said he did not feel it was a corporate demand: "I don't think it was a forced redesign. There was an effort to promote the paper as well as possible."

But before any front-page design reversal was done, internal and external polls were conducted in May. Those also coincided with management changes that included new editors Jeff Levine and Nadine Hazel. Former editor Cliff Teutsch was among those who departed the paper.

"We did a lot of sit-downs with management and employees and a lot of people in the newsroom felt the previous management did not listen to readers," Graziano said. "They felt there were some things they weren't addressing."

One was the Page One look. So internal designers came up with six new design options and allowed all employees of the Courant, and its two sister television stations, to vote on their favorites in early June. The top three designs were then posted online for a reader poll, in which the winning design was selected.

Graziano said that poll also revealed 96% of respondents did not like the design that was instituted in September. "It was definitely more contemporary," Graziano said. "It is a tough question. But the key is to be close to the reader."

Since Monday, Graziano said he has heard mostly positive feedback on the change.