A terrible newspaper front page

By Rob Golub

It pains me to look at this front page, even though I designed it to be beautifully terrible. It hits me like a hot poker to the emotional-engagement heart.

I tried to pick a newspaper name that doesn’t sound like anything real. Any similarity is purely coincidental — except for the fact that newsrooms everywhere keep making versions of these same missteps, over and over again.

This isn’t about blame. If you see some of your own work reflected here, don’t beat yourself up. You’re here, reading Successful Journalism, the product of decades of research and lived experience. And tomorrow is another day.

Here are seven things we can learn from the good people of the fictional North Courier Sun — a tour of what not to do.

1. “France agrees to U.S. treaty.”
No — just don’t. If you’re a local news organization, do not lead with national or international news. It feels important because it’s big — France! The United States! Treaties! — but it’s not your lane. Your audience can get this news elsewhere, faster and better. I invite you to put it inside or cut it.

2. The Eiffel Tower photo.
This has nothing to do with your community. Editors may have chosen this story largely because they needed art for the front page. Even editors who don’t think in emotional-engagement terms know a wall of text is a bad idea.

But the solution matters. If you’ve never run a standalone photo, consider it. A community moment — with a strong image, caption, and headline — can carry the front page with no story at all. And if we step back and rethink the choices on this page through an emotional-engagement lens, better photo options often reveal themselves.

3. “Northern Nellies Sports Roundup.”
This is so vague it communicates nothing. Find an angle. Think like a community cheerleader: “Northern Nellies win by 2 points” or “Nellies pull it off again.” These are our teams. Some rooting is allowed. Save strict detachment for moments when democracy, humanity or balance among competing interests is on the line — not for local sports.

4. “Dr. Frank celebrates 30 years of practice.”
Hyperlocal stories with names and faces can be wonderful — but they still need an angle, and they still need to earn the front page. We try to avoid obligatory news, where the source is excited and we feel like we just should. Anniversary stories are often very important to sources. Serving the community is not always the same thing as serving sources.

I’m sure Dr. Frank feels it’s meaningful that the earth has traveled around the sun 30 times since he opened his practice. Most readers don’t.

5. “1,000 free backpacks given to students.”
This is a well-intentioned approach that falls short. We prefer go-and-do journalism — information that empowers people — not what you missed. Don’t cover your community. Serve your community. Yesterday’s headline should have been: “How to get a free backpack for your student.” Today’s event could have been a strong standalone photo with ordinary people on the front page, rather than a story that tells readers they’re too late, and chews up a half-day of reporter time.

6. “Spring is in the air.”
This is space-filling, not serving. A front page is a scarce and powerful asset. Ask yourself: What motivator can we trigger today? I know you’re understaffed. I know there’s no time. I’ve lived it. But when the goals are clear and internalized, better choices become possible — even under pressure. Review the one-sheet. Post it. Let it guide you.

7. “Contract for North Park improvements approved.”
Yes, that’s what happened. But it’s not what matters most to readers. Same meeting, different angle: “North Park could see picnic tables, bathrooms.” Help people imagine themselves there. Empower them with information about their little world – give them something to talk about with a friend. “If there’s tables at the park I could read my book while the kids play on Thursdays – I hope they do it.”

Do you work at the North Courier Sun? You don’t have to.

Most of us are making some version of these choices every week. The good news is that we can do better — engage our audiences, earn their trust, and improve our revenue at the same time.

Onward.

Like what you read?

I’m building a movement for greater trust in journalism, rooted in emotional engagement of audiences. If this resonates with you, please forward this to a colleague or friend who cares about the future of local or community news.

For additional practical steps, check out the Successful Journalism One-Sheet Guide.

Together, we can create journalism that communities believe in.