Arizona Daily Star: More words. More letters. No more Ann Coulter.

[paineinthearse]

Small market newspapers are steering a course back to objective news and opinion. The Arizona Daily Star is the latest.

http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/opinion/90500.php



Published: 08.28.2005

My opinion David Stoeffler: Opinion pages get a makeover

More words. More letters. No more Ann Coulter.

Since my arrival here nine weeks ago, we've been doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work aimed at making the Arizona Daily Star a better newspaper. Today, we unveil some visible changes to your Opinion pages. More changes will come here and throughout the paper over the coming weeks and months.

First, the highlights of changes to the Opinion pages. Then a little about the process we're using to arrive at our plans. When I first wrote to you as I assumed my duties here, I invited your comments about the paper. Of an estimated 300 e-mails and letters, I'd guess one third or so have dealt with some aspect of the Opinion pages and a recent redesign. Very few said you loved it. Some of you said you could leave it.

It's true enough that for some readers, the only way to win their hearts would be to reverse the longstanding editorial position of the newspaper on political and social issues. But readers of all political persuasions said a redesign launched earlier this year on the Opinion pages had simply gone too far in emphasis on design. While strong visuals, including cartoons, can help pull readers into the pages, people ultimately turn to these pages for the commentary - ours, that of our local and syndicated columnists and that of other readers. Beginning today, we're shifting the balance back toward more words. We'll still have photos and cartoons, but they will consistently run smaller. No more full-body photos of the letter-writer of the week or of people who contribute to our weekly highlights from local blogs.

<snip>

Finally, we've decided that syndicated columnist Ann Coulter has worn out her welcome. Many readers find her shrill, bombastic and mean-spirited. And those are the words used by readers who identified themselves as conservatives. Taking her place on Saturdays will be Tony Snow, host of "The Tony Snow Show," syndicated nationally on Fox News Radio, and "Weekend Live with Tony Snow" on Fox News Channel. He has worked at a number of daily newspapers and is a former speechwriter for former President George H.W. Bush.

more....

Please let us know what you think.

David Stoeffler is publisher and editor of the Star. Contact him at [e-mail] or at P.O. Box 26807, Tucson, AZ 85726.

[Zuni]

1. yay. I hope she is soon in poverty

[davidinalameda]

3. lord knows that she doesn't have to eat

[Wetzelbill]

2. good, I may subscribe again

they lost me earlier this year when they went completely batshit.

[Kerrytravelers]

4. Excellent.

While I'm certainly no fan of tony snow, we're liberals, which means we don't want to stiffle opinion, so the conservative opinion should be represented. But ann coulter is not an example of a conservative opinion. She is an example of an insane bloodthirsty monster who really has no place in journalism in any form. She calls for the U.S. to kill people or turn them Christian. What is that? She suggests that if NYC were attacked, they'd all surrender. HOw nuts is that? NYC was attacked on that day rummy is throwing a pentagon party for--- 9/11, their holy of holiest days from which they base all their lies.

Just a question: Is Tucson a more liberal area? Since they are attempting to put out an actually newspaper, I assume it is.

[lonestarnot]

5. Hmmmm. could you buy a paper in Phoenix?