Newspaper shrinkage? Ask Dr. Design
Many newspapers shrank their broadsheet sizes by several inches before moving to tabloid size or even berliner and 8 1/2 by 11. How small will newspapers go?
“Tiny” Agate, R. I.
Dear Tiny: Good question from a Rhode Islander. Most people don’t know it, but, like newspapers, Rhode Island used to be much larger. In fact, it was so large, its founders considered naming it Rhode Continent. Sadly, revenues began to lag and the state had to cut back, losing most of its size to neighbor states and Canada.
Anyway, to your question. Most experts think that eventually newspapers will achieve the size of singularity, or the infinitely dense and infinitely small single point that many theorize was the size of the universe before the Big Bang.
Experts (and by that term I mean me) have calculated that newspapers will be the size of a paperback book by 2012, a playing card by 2014 and a postage stamp by 2015. Older readers will be mollified with a free magnifying glass with each subscription.
The Society for News Design will create a new category: stamp-size front pages with a circulation of at least seven. The haiku will become the favored format for investigative reporters.
The good news is that the smaller formats will allow newspaper companies to hire back 14 newsworkers of the more than 32,000 who have lost jobs in the past few years. And, of course, all those angels dancing on the head of a pin will have something to read.
Thanks for asking and happy layouts,
Dr. Design
If Dr. Design doesn’t give you the newspaper design answer you need, try contacting me at News Design School.
