By JORGE ROJAS
Miami Herald

	TODAY'S READERS, YESTERDAY'S PAPER

If so, stop it this instance!

So said Tim Harrower in his workshop, "Today's Readers, Yesterday's Paper," at the APSE convention in Philadelphia.

Harrower, author of "The Newspaper Designer's Handbook," said newspapers often fall into the same routine in their story play and designs, and as a result, "readers are kind of pissed off."

He summarized the problem areas with seven reader rants:

1. Speed it up for crying out loud

How much of a typical front page is actually being read? "We don't have a clue," Harrower said. "Try reader surveys. Ask readers to read a week's worth of papers and to circle what they actually read." He then showed an example of an attorney who read a total of six inches on the front (mostly display type) and another six on the jump (more headlines and the ending to one story). Harrower said two magazines, The Week and Maxim, have found great success simply by keeping all items short and attractive.

2) Put the news back in the newspaper

Readers like newsy. They like traffic. A 1930s Los Angeles Times had 16 items on Page 1. But sometime in the '70s, someone came up with the idea of putting five stories on the front page, and now papers are predictable and appear to be in slow motion. "Sports gets it better than more sections," Harrower said, "but they have their share of slow-motion Sunday thumb-suckers." He said he likes to use SPANDEX — a stories per page index. He used as examples the New York Times (7.4 stories per page), USA Today (11.3 stories per page), and the Philadelphia Metro tabloid (10 stories per tab page). The key is to balance depth with speed, he said.

3) Quit bringing me down you big killjoys

What's with all the depressing stories? There's only so much sadness a reader can take. Constant big displays, such as "A Time to Die" or "The Long Goodbye" or "The Boy Behind the Mask" are turnoffs.

4) Here's an idea, write more about ME for a change

Men's Health is a good example of a publication that has had widespread success by writing for its target audience. Useful, interactive tools can win readers, even if it's "How Thrilling is Your Life Story" or "How to Roll a Joint." Know who your target reader is and find a way to reach them.

5) Get out of your friggin' rut

A lot of front pages feature "the big dull centerpiece, the long-winded column, and the leftover thing at the bottom," Harrower said. "Are you trapped by your own rules?" Most stories end up four inches long, there is a dominant photo, and the result is a pre-envisioned page. A typical front, he said, has a news story stripped and an even bigger story in the right-hand newshole. Then, at the bottom of the page there's the "some editor liked this" story and the "boring, but seemed important" story. And there's the "big thing in the middle." Harrower lauded the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot as one paper that has tried to shatter those barriers with its creative design. "Sports is supposed to be fun," he said. "Sports should lead the way in innovative design."

6) Quit acting so 50

"You've got to fight to keep your mojo," said Harrower, who warned that many journalists start out an idealistic young writer, then become an overworked section editor, then a bitter senior editor. "Be interested and be interesting." Harrower, a big proponent of the weird and wacky in print, pointed out that one of the year's best talk stories was Brittney Spears and Madonna kissing — and that it can sell papers, or at least attract readers. He took great pride in a controversial column called "The Edge," which he developed at The Oregonian. It confused and angered some readers, but more important, it developed a loyal following with zany antics and edgy humor. The result: higher readership.

7) Ignore them

It's the stupidest, crummiest 10 percent of readers who make the most noise.

"Screw 'em," said Harrower, "What are you doing for the smartest 10-20 percent? Quit worrying about old readers. You've got them already. If you're not pissing off a large amount of people every day, you need to do better."

Harrower held up several Mexican and South American newspapers whose splashy displays were arguably more appealing than their U.S. counterparts. As for laying headline type on display photos (as several of the foreign papers had), he sides with design as the priority. He recommends that upper management tell photo editors, "it's a good-sounding argument about the sanctity of photos, but you lost. Get with it, and start catching up with the rest of the media."

Harrower has been an award-winning editor, designer and columnist at such newspapers as the Times-Union (Rochester, N.Y.) and The Oregonian. He currently consults on redesigns and lectures on journalism. His new book, "The Newspaper Reporter's Handbook," will be published in 2005.