NYT magazine drops its acrostic puzzle: a necessary change?

Posted by Christie Silk on June 24, 2009 at 10:56 AM

Many newspaper readers would agree that word games are an essential component of the newspaper package. Yet, in last Sunday's edition of the New York Times magazine, the Acrostic puzzle had apparently disappeared.

The magazine has been making modifications to economise on newsprint. It has been reduced in size and the puzzle content altered: two Sundays ago the acrostic had moved page, and its original spot filled by a maths puzzle, the KenKen.

The Acrostic vanished altogether last Sunday. The enthusiasts were informed in small print at the bottom of the page that "The Acrostic Puzzle is Online."

Although the puzzle team had been warned that the variety puzzle section would be alterted due to the downsize, neither the Times puzzle editor, Will Shortz nor the Times puzzle blog editor were told that the Acrostic would be cut out. It is unclear if it will be returned to the print edition.

"A lot of people have been complaining," Shortz said in an interview. "Literally thousands of people buy it for these puzzles... This will be the tipping point for them... This is one of those things that's perfect for the print medium--better than online."

Fears that the diminishment of the puzzle section could damage circulation levels seem well founded. The Acrostic had been an established feature of the Times magazine since 1942, and it could be suggested that word puzzles are an important part in the newspaper reading experience for a large number of purchasers.

Sunday magazine Editor Gerald Marzaroti explained the cost cuts to readers in the June 14 edition. He said that the dimensions of the paper had been reduced, but that the it would not have significant consequences for word content. Marzaroti emphasised that readers could now play the latest number game KenKen instead of the Acrostic.

This controversy highlights the difficult position faced by editorial teams, as they are forced to make potentially unpopular content changes to accommodate reduced budgets. It remains to be seen if new number puzzles, moreover, riding on the popular enthusiam for the Sudoku will convince the loyal band of word game players, whose newspaper choice may be swayed by its brain-teaser content.

Source: Wall Street Journal