2007: The Kansas City Star redesign

Miriam Pepper:

On our editorial page, we have our views horizontal on the top, and "What others are saying" on the other half. That other half includes a daily pro-con that we piece together by looking at other editorials and think tanks (this is intended to promote the idea of "balance" on the page). Plus we have two national excerpts and two global excerpts daily, also to offer a better variety of points of view, plus two blog bits daily, to help cull from the blogosphere for readers. In total, we may have 10 different topics featured on one opinion page, offering what we hope will give people a good array of current issues in the world. Our readership is up, too.

On the op-ed page we offer daily balance at the bottom, pitting one liberal and one conservative side-by-side daily. What we learned? Do not label the intentional liberal-conservative face-off. Initially we had little kickers above each piece that said "On the left" and "On the right." Readers howled. We yanked the label/kickers and the complaints ended. What we learned? They want balance, but they don't want us labeling that balance.

The letters page is a full page daily. W e post all published letters on the Unfettered Letters blog, allowing even more readers to reply and debate in unfettered form. The latest news from that blog is that the regulars are planning to meet for coffee soon.

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