The publishers of the Cleveland Plain Dealer are revamping and redesigning the paper to combat smothering economic conditions. Changes will include, among other things, a front section easy to scan through and an area for reader feedback.

"Today we are sharing in another community challenge: a tough, rapidly shifting economy that is demanding changes of nearly every big industry, small business, and individual household," Publisher Terry Egger said in a letter to readers.

"The Plain Dealer is no exception."

The Plain Dealer detailed the changes in a two-page summary. A reshuffled front section will allow readers looking for a quick scan to have easy, comprehensive access to the crucial facts. Page Two's WakeUpCall will include regular columns, an area for reader feedback, and a brand-new "Five Smart Things You Should Know Today" summary.

"If you only have a few minutes," the summary says, "This page is your watercooler study guide."

Though it went unmentioned in the release, the changes at the Plain Dealer also include trimming pages. According to Managing Editor Debra Adams Simmons, the paper will be reduced by an average of 32 pages per week.

"It plays out differently on different days of the week," Simmons said. "We are looking at fewer pages per week."

Other changes include an expanded Sunday opinion forum and a new Diversions section - featuring comics, puzzles, and crosswords - that will wrap around the daily Classifieds. Additionally, the business section will no longer be published Mondays, and will instead be available online.

The paper also produced a daily time timeline designed to give readers a peek inside the daily churnings of a newspaper.

"We'd like you to understand more about what it takes to create, build, manufacture and deliver what we call 'the daily miracle'," Egger said.

To view PDFs of the summary and the timeline, click here, and scroll down to the links near the bottom of the article.

Source: Cleveland.com, Editor and Publisher