'Star-Ledger' Feature Fits the Bill

By: Joe Strupp Sometimes it's the simple idea that means the most. Take The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., which devoted a week's worth of business section front-page space to explaining typical monthly bills to customers -- the kind of reader-friendly service that too few daily papers bother to provide.

"A lot of people liked it and said it was informative," said Tom Johnson, a 20-year Star-Ledger reporter and one of those who researched the series that ran from Aug. 24-29. "I think it helped bring some light to the subject."

Labeled "Reading Your Bills," the series focused on one common bill each day over six days, providing a copy of a typical invoice from the company and a lengthy explanation of each charge. Readers on Aug. 28 learned how to calculate the number of BTU's (British Thermal Units) of gas they used and why they pay hidden fees such as "societal benefits charges" and "balancing costs." When the Comcast Cable Bill was under scrutiny, readers discovered what the local, state and federal governments do with their monthly franchise fees, while also learning that they pay 30 cents each month to cover the cost of in-home repairs. The series began with a look at a credit card bill.

Each day's explanation also told residents if alternatives existed and if payment plans or other budget-helpful options were available from the company. Readers may have been upset to learn they had no other natural gas options, but glad to find out that their cable company was not the only place to find a digital subscriber line (DSL) for their computer. The paper mentioned that Verizon DSL service was $8 per month less than Comcast.

Citibank and New Jersey Natural Gas provided the reporters with prototype bills that were used in the series, while Johnson's own Comcast bill was examined for the report. "It was a valuable piece that laid out in clear terms what the bill does," Jeff Alexander, director of public relations for Comcast Cable's eastern division, said about the project. "Bills can be confusing, so we were glad to take the time to talk them through it."