Contemporary Newspaper Design [Hardcover]

John D. Berry (Editor), Roger Black (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2004

A look at how the digital age has shaped the news and its visual presentation.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John D. Berry is a designer and the former editor of the journal on type and design entitled U&lc. He has written widely on the design and typography; Roger Black (Foreword) is an internationally-recognized leader in the media design world. He has redesigned many prestigious magazines and newspapers, including Newsweek, The National Enquirer, The Baltimore Sun, The Straits Times (Singapore), Tages Anzeiger (Zurich), Svensak Dagbladet (Stockholm), The Toronto Star, and The New Republic.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

John Berry, one of the best design writers and editors of the past decade, has assembled an energetic group of case studies of recent newspaper design projects. The span of this work is only a few years. If the editors can keep to the course and if designers can keep building the momentum, I'm ready to say they are going to save the whole industry. Newspapers may yet be around for a long time to come. Roger Black from the Forward.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Mark Batty Publisher (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972424032
• ISBN-13: 978-0972424035
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 0.7 x 11.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,005,663 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good design and writing make this fun even for casual reader, October 11, 2004

By 

Michael S. Dobson (Bethesda, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Contemporary Newspaper Design (Hardcover)

I stopped subscribing to a daily newspaper nearly ten years ago, and if it weren't for the ubiquitous copies of USA TODAY shoved under hotel room doors, my direct experience with contemporary papers would be limited for the most part to leave-behinds on subways and airplane seat pockets. True, I shove coins in the corner box when confronted by a major headline event, but the web is ever beckoning.

That's why I'm surprised how much I enjoyed CONTEMPORARY NEWSPAPER DESIGN. I've long been familiar with John D. Berry's writing on type, of course, but to see him focused on (ahem) yesterday's news didn't at first appeal. But then I took a closer look. Beginning with his insightful initial essay linking technology, economics, and the different needs of commuter train and subway car readers to the practical decisions of design and type, he goes on to illustrate his themes through well-chosen pages from papers around the world, from the most formal to the rawest tabloids, accompanied by a series of thoughtful, insightful, well-written essays from leading practitioners.

While this book is rich enough for the more knowledgeable and demanding reader, it's accessible and interesting enough for those of us with a more casual relationship to the daily newspaper. I hadn't expected it, but I ended up agreeing with Berry's conclusion, that "those who think carefully about the best ways to give us our news, and the entertainment and punditry and advertising that go with it, will do us a service and will probably be in demand for a long time to come."

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource for Newspaper Layout, February 23, 2006

By 

tyrannei (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Contemporary Newspaper Design (Hardcover)

This book gives a very nice graphical look at many different newpapers from around the world. Not only is it a terrific resource for any designer who is looking for inspiration, but it is also an interesting read for any curious person.