NEW YORK -- Dow Jones&Co. is considering a series of potentially significant changes to the look of its flagship newspaper, The Wall Street Journal.
A long-standing company project that would lend the 1.82 million circulation business broadsheet additional capacity for color printing early in 2002 has sparked discussions regarding the popular newspaper's layout and design. New implementations could include a rejiggered front page and possible additional sections.
"There will be a redesign of the paper, and it will enable us to use more color," said Steven Goldstein, a spokesman for the New York financial publisher. "We are already using color in other sections."
Dow Jones (DJ), which also is the publisher of this news service, has for the last few years told Wall Street that its color-capacity project would allow it to run more -- and costlier -- advertisements in the newspaper.
One potential change apparently under discussion is tweaking the paper's famous six-column front page in order to include more breaking news. The Journal's Page One is a rarity in the newspaper business. Four of its columns usually present enterprise reporting on a range of different topics, while the news of the day is cited only in brief fashion. Readers who want to find more information are directed to interior pages.
Such a move would follow redesigns of the Journal's international editions. Both The Asian Wall Street Journal and The Wall Street Journal Europe offer colorful front pages that sport a more contemporary look, along with a mix of enterprise features and breaking news.
"There has not been a decision made regarding the front-page design" of the paper's U.S. edition, Mr. Goldstein said. "It's possible that the front page could look as it is now, or it's possible that it could be tweaked."
He added: "We are sure that when readers open the door to reach for their paper they will be able to recognize the Journal."
Additional color is the project's only certainty. Accompanying changes, if any, would be expected -- along with the added hue -- in the first quarter of 2002.
In addition to this and other newswires and the Journal and its international and online editions, Dow Jones publishes Barron's and SmartMoney magazines and other periodicals, Dow Jones Indexes, and the Ottaway group of community newspapers. Dow Jones is co-owner with Reuters Group of Factiva and with NBC of the CNBC television operations in Asia and Europe. Dow Jones also provides news content to CNBC and radio stations in the U.S.
Copyright (c) 2001 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.