McJournalism Triumphant: 'USA Today' Turns 20
	found on CBS Marketwatch written by zounds, edited by Humberto (Plastic) [ read unedited ] posted Sat 31 Aug 2:08pm
		"USA Today, the self-declared 'Nation's Newspaper,' turns 20 years old on September 15th. With 2.2 million readers, it has the largest circulation of any daily newspaper," writes zounds. "When it was first published, the big-city papers ridiculed USA Today for its bite-size stories--one critic labeled it 'McPaper.' Its mission has been to publish stories that are 'easy-to-use (and) comprehensive,' and 'edited to inform and entertain today's time-pressed, affluent and influential people.' From day one, USA Today sought to appeal to readers with a focus on people and human-interest stories, large color photographs, mind-bending "factoids" and statistics on every imaginable subject (especially sports). Nowadays, the big respectable newspapers are copying USA Today's format: The New York Times rolled out a section called 'Escapes' and the Wall Street Journal introduced 'Personal Journal'--sections that were clearly inspired by their lowbrow competitor. I wonder...are these changes in the Times and Journal largely cosmetic? Or can we expect more dumbing-down to compete with the USA Today juggernaught?"

[ more plastic... ]    

show almost all: 19 commentsbest: 3 comments by oldest first (ignore threads) newest first highest scores first oldest first newest first (ignore threads)

1.  I love USA Today!   by JusBillek       at Sat 31 Aug 2:19pm score of 4 funny     "USA Today, the self-declared 'Nation's Newspaper,' turns 20 years old on September 15th. With 2.2 million readers, it has the largest circulation of any daily newspaper," Its kind of hard to understand so many numbers all close together like that. Some kind of chart or graph would be really helpful. Just a suggestion. Magnae clunes mihi placent, nec possum de hac re mentiri.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

2.  mixed emotions in several colors and little charts   by timnet       at Sat 31 Aug 2:24pm score of 2 astute     Way back when I was in college, the journalism professors had mixed emotions about the McPaper. The purists, of course, considered it a scourge, TV in print, newspaper for dummies, etc. Some of the newer professors acknowledged that it fit a certain niche of people who wouldn't get the WSJ or the vaunted Grey Lady but still wanted a national news source in print. I'm not an avid reader of USA Today, but I don't have any problem with those who read it, either. They were trying to fill a need, and they did so. Their journalism will never overshadow Edward R. Morrow, but it's not the crap you find in the New York Post either. It is, to make a rough analogy, the Krispy Kreme of the newspaper world. Some may prefer Wheaties for breakfast, but some people can't resist the more attractive, confectionary fare. "I feel like I wouldn't like me if I met me." -- Tegan and Sara   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

3.  If the CNN Ticker was a newspaper   by ALngDcmbr       at Sat 31 Aug 3:03pm score of 1     Ever notice how much USA Today dispensers look like televisions? It's not coincidental. Eh, I like USA Today. Great when you go somewhere and the local paper is trash and you don't want a headache from reading NYT or WSJ. C'mon, it's a vacation! And the crossword is a heck of a lot easier.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

15.  Re: If the CNN Ticker was a newspaper   by saab1st       at Mon 2 Sep 7:09pm score of 1   in reply to comment 3     you don't want a headache from reading NYT or WSJ. C'mon, it's a vacation! And the crossword is a heck of a lot easier. what was that about dumbing-down the wsj and nyt for people? maybe there is something to it after all... just because there aren't as many pictures doesn't make them harder to read/comprehend. besides, i'd rather know what's going on in the world instead of which celebrity has their birthday when. Sincerely, a saab snaab   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

4.  It's not dumbing-down...   by Brian Jones       at Sat 31 Aug 3:54pm score of 1.5 astute     ...if people don't read the "smarter" papers' articles in the first place. And it's certainly not dumbing-down if the person bitching about dumbing-down can't spell "juggernaut" correctly. Cheap crass attention-whoring plug goes here.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

5.  circulation uk vs usa   by ideonode       at Sat 31 Aug 5:49pm score of 1     Sort of Off-topic here. I'm a bit curious that USA Today is the bUSA's best-selling newspaper at 2.2 million readers, yet the UK, with a quarter of the population of the USA, has a much higher readership. The Sun has 3 million plus readership daily. Is there a big difference in the news-reading habits of British folk over the US?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

6.  Re: circulation uk vs usa   by ALngDcmbr       at Sat 31 Aug 6:13pm score of 1   in reply to comment 5     Umm, isn't there the fact that there has to be a lot less papers in UK? And the much larger size of the US? Most places can only receive their 2 or 3 local papers, maybe USA Today, WSJ, and NYT.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   7.  Re: circulation uk vs usa   by up2nogood       at Sat 31 Aug 6:58pm score of 1   in reply to comment 5     This might shed some light on things. Total Morning & Evening Readership (1999): just under 56 million Number of U.S. Daily Newspapers (1999): 1,483 There are also figues for the top 20 newspapers here (also 1999 figures). (Lots of other stuff on U.S. newspaper circulation there too...) "Being an American and not being cynical is sleeping on the job." - Henry Rollins   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   9.  Re: circulation uk vs usa   by nemski       at Sun 1 Sep 5:36am score of 1   in reply to comment 5     In general, we don't read. We get our news from the tele. Plastic Book Club's Nov. Selection: Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   17.  Re: circulation uk vs usa   by Petronius       at Tue 3 Sep 7:07am score of 1   in reply to comment 5     I've seen the Sun, and it averages 16 tabloid sized pages a day, including the topless girl on page 3. USA Today and even the notorious NY Post have far more content. There are weightier British papers, like the Times, Telegraph, and Guardian, but the bottom end of their market doesn't even exist in the USA. That US market is covered by broadcast news, or simply not covered at all. What rescues us from insignificance is the courage of our questions and the depth of our answers. Carl Sagan   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

8.  You take the high road, I'll take the low road   by jimray       at Sat 31 Aug 9:26pm score of 2 informative     Way back when I was a journalism student (all of about 16 months ago now) we were discussing the USA Today's effects on the face of newspapers in general. What you see, over the past 20 years (in studies done by folks that care) is that the major papers of record and papers like USA Today are starting to approach a middle ground. In the beginning, USA Today tried to limit jumps in their articles as much as possible--shorter articles with quick, easy to digest pegs. At that time, papers like the NY Times were nightmares of design, with nothing but columns of text broken up by ads. Now, you see papers like the Times with shorter articles and more intelligent design and even (gasp) color photos on the cover. At the same time, USA Today has started lengthening their articles a bit and are trying to build a little more intelligence into their paper. Also, the notion that USA Today and papers like the Times and Journal represent a strict newspaper dichotomy is pretty misleading. A number of mid-market papers, like the Chicago Tribune*, have been operating in the middle of the design extremes for decades. Overall, I think USA Today has been good for the market. I'm not convinced that "the big, respectable papers are copying USA Today's format" per se, more like they're adapting to changes in their market. This is why competition is good, after all. DISCLAIMER: I work for the Trib. :) "You're not thinking, you're just being logical" Bohr to Einstein during a debate on quantum mechanics   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

10.  My favorite   by Richard Banks       at Sun 1 Sep 2:22pm score of 1     I love USA Today because most of the times I see it I'm picking it up off the floor outside my hotel room, and I'm either on vacation or work-related (and paid) travel. It gives me snippets of my own regional news no matter where I am, and it's always free. "I'm Against This War. But I'm not with These Other People."   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

18.  Begs the question of circulation   by Subtle Trouble       at Tue 3 Sep 9:37am score of 1.5 astute   in reply to comment 10     Exactly. The only time I sully my hands with a USAToday is when I'm in line for a complimentary continental breakfast buffet at the Hampton Inn. With 2.2 million readers, it has the largest circulation of any daily newspaper So how many of these 2.2 million readers are picking their copy up from the front desk rather than their front porch? Sure, a reader is a reader, but does it matter if the reader chooses to read the paper or whether the reader simply picks up the paper because it's free? de asini umbra disceptare   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

11.  Gannett Ragz   by strumbucket       at Sun 1 Sep 9:20pm score of 1     We must also consider that the cheesemongers in Arlington, have also purchased quite a few local papers and have done the same thing in a lot of small markets. Ever read the Daily Olympian (Wa.)? Locals derisively refer it it as "the daily zero." got bodybags?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

16.  Re: Gannett Ragz   by Squeaky wheel       at Mon 2 Sep 8:48pm score of 1   in reply to comment 11     Funny, we also call the Oregonian "the daily zero." A big ol' goose egg it deserves, Pulitzers be damned. Filling up sections with wire copy just isn't the same as putting out a local paper with actual local stories. But I can't rag on Gannett entirely. I must also give the company's smaller papers, such as the Bellingham Herald, credit for pushing their reporters to do enterprising projects (and the parent company for supporting these). BH is sending one reporter on a cross-country trip with several Lummi Indians who carved a totem pole, are in the process of having it blessed by tribes across the nation, and are presenting it in New York Sept. 11 as a token of healing and unity. I just wish the cheap bastards in charge would give the reporter and photographer enough per diem to get a decent motel and eat. to expose your ass on paper terrifies some... and well it should   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

12.  It could be worse...   by BuddyLeeCU       at Sun 1 Sep 11:14pm score of 1.5 funny     They could be little snipets of articles written by underinformed, uncredited individuals that are ranked by an isolated and sniveling peer group. Then we could call it 'McPlastic.'   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

14.  Re: It could be worse...   by snarkism       at Mon 2 Sep 6:53pm score of 1   in reply to comment 12     Hey, I know you! you're that AI from the thread on the NY Times. (all these recent articles about the media are excruciatingly boring though) snarkism That's using your ass.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

13.  Better than most but still bad   by eeksypeeksy       at Mon 2 Sep 12:59am score of 1     In the US, there are something like 1600 daily papers, but about 1550 of them are bad local things filled with car wrecks and house fires. If your choice is between USA Today and one of the bad ones, buy USA Today, if only because USA Today isn't all local tripe. But if you're reading USA Today instead of, for example, the New York Times, maybe you should just give up the paper altogether and watch a little more TV.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

20.  Re: Better than most but still bad   by A. H. Cretin       at Sun 8 Sep 10:43pm score of 1   in reply to comment 13     What, national tripe is somehow better than local tripe? [Disclaimer: I detest my local fishwrap. USA Today is certainly a better newspaper. However, the National Enquirer is also a better newspaper than said local fishwrap. Crap is crap, whether local, national or international.] -A Humorless Cretin   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]