William r. Hearst

• Describe Hearst’s ten-step method that helps create a reader-friendly newspaper

One record of promotion of the “reader orientation” comes from what at first seems an unlikely source: the papers of yellow-journalism baron William Randolph Hearst.

Hearst is probably best known for his jingoistic bombast, such as his infamous cable to artist Frederic Remington. When he found none of the promised saber rattling or war preparations to illustrate after Hearst sent him to Cuba in 1898, Remington asked to return to the mainland. Hearst wired: “Please remain. You furnish the pictures. I’ll furnish the war”.

Some of Hearst’s later messages, however, were templates for the modern discussion of reader orientation. Newspaper designer and consultant Tony Sutton collected 10 steps to reader satisfaction from a set of memos Hearst wrote to his editors in the 1920s: 1. A reader-friendly newspaper uses a writing style that makes complex stories easy to understand. 2. A reader-friendly newspaper edits stories simply, but not dumbly. 3. A reader-friendly newspaper writes headlines that are arresting. 4. A reader-friendly newspaper writes subheads that are explanatory, without convolution or confusion. 5. A reader–friendly newspaper uses intriguing photographs. 6. A reader-friendly newspaper writes detailed, informative captions. 7. A reader-friendly newspaper uses graphics that are useful and easy to understand. 8. A reader-friendly newspaper uses a layout that is organized to make things easy for the reader. 9. A reader-friendly newspaper is printed as well as possible. 10. A reader-friendly newspaper is response driven.

Notably absent from Sutton’s list, however, is discussion of objectivity or public service.

• Are Hearst’s principles applicable today?

Of course. But I would like to add two another points:

“A reader-friendly newspaper is not expensive” and “A reader-friendly newspaper has it’s own website”. You know, it’s not reputable if mass-media hasn’t page in the Internet.