The Times editor writes today:
Dear Reader,
As you will have noticed from this morning’s paper, Times2 is back. It returns, bigger and better.
When we introduced our new daily sections earlier this year, many readers wrote to say how much they loved the greater coverage of food, fashion, health and the arts. Many others were thrilled at the introduction of Mind Games, offering more brain-aching Su Doku and more infuriating puzzles than ever before.
But many of you wrote to say how sorely you missed the second section. Letters came in saying how much you loved The Times’s distinctive run of features. It was clear how deeply you shared Times2’s passions, its sense of humour, its cares, its intelligence, its campaigning spirit. And, even though Times2 had simply moved to a new home, many of you felt a loss. It was obvious how much you relied on a separate section for the TV and radio listings, as well as a smart guide to film, music, theatre, dance and the arts. And, most of all, you missed having a paper that you could share: The Times, in two parts – or, as one person put it, two papers for the price of one.
Well, he is wrong.
The problem with the T2 section is the content and the design.
Both are really bad.
Content and design are trashy.
That’s the problem, my dear!
“Readers want” is another excuse to change in order to avoid real changes
T2 compared with the trendy and crispy G2 of The Guardian looks like a second class section.
So instead, give me less pages, and a more and better edited newspaper.
A Compact and compelling newspaper.
Work harder for me (reader and subscriber of The Times) and don’t be bother about focus group “instant miracle solutions”.
Many of these new separate section were created because, we were told, advertisers want it.
Well, the T2 is almost empty of paid ads.
Why?
Because advertisers know better: it’s a poor product.
Integrated or standing alone.
This doesn’t matter.
Good content and brilliant design is what really matters.
Tags:
DESIGN,
G2,
T2,
THE GUARDIAN,
THE TIMES,
content
