Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 16/6/2016 (1557 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

For the past year, a yellowed and tattered copy of the May 4, 1979 edition of the Winnipeg Free Press has sat on a coffee table in my office.

The Winnipeg Free Press debuts its new design June 16.

While I probably delivered copies of that paper to homes on my St. James route in the early days of my Free Press career, I wasn’t holding onto it for any sentimental reasons. Instead, it landed atop my clutter because it marked the most extensive redesign of the paper since it was founded in 1872. And what struck me about the front page of that special edition was the excitement surrounding the new look for the paper, a look that continues today by way of our distinctive masthead.

"The masthead is new, the headline type is new, the labelling of section fronts is new, the style for picture captions is new, even the way the sports statistics are laid out is new,’’ read the boasting on that front-page story from 37 years ago. "But your newspaper’s commitment to quality, its dedication to integrity, its pursuit of truth remains as strong as ever."

A lot has changed in the world of newspapers and at the Free Press since that new design rolled off our presses in 1979. Those who toiled in our newsroom then at the old Free Press Building at 300 Carlton St. couldn’t have imagined all the Free Press is able to do today. But what has not changed over the years is that commitment to quality, integrity and the pursuit of truth.

That long-standing commitment to our readers, along with a proud passion for print, underscores the new-look Free Press you are holding today.

What we have delivered for you is a redesign that freshens up our pages with more colour and makes it easier to read.

Some highlights:

A bolder and more elegant masthead that not only returns to the Free Press blue of that 1979 redesign, along with a touch of navy that’s an homage to editions long past.

A distinctive front-page look to make our weekend edition stand out.

Colour-coded sections for ease of navigation.

A slightly larger typeface with more leading — room between each line — that make it easier on your eyes.

A global news summary on A2 to get you up to speed at a glance.

But a redesigned print platform is just the start of a broader blueprint for an investment in our audience and the community we serve. Later this summer, we will introduce some fairly significant changes to our website, winnipegfreepress.com. While we have done some fine-tuning over the past year, these digital improvements are a response to feedback from our online readers.

As well, we'll be introducing a series of perks, including special events, designed to ensure you get even more value from being a member of the Free Press.

And speaking of membership benefits, we want to change how we view the people who pay to read what we produce. For the past 144 years, we have looked at our readers as customers. But it’s time to see those who invest their time and their dime to read the Free Press as much more than that. We need to treat them as members, because paying to read the Free Press — on a smartphone, desktop, tablet or in print — means you are part of something much bigger than the word "customer" can capture.

Paying to read us means funding the journalism of Manitoba’s largest newsroom. Paying to read us means ensuring this community can continue to have a strong and vibrant newspaper at a time when that luxury is no longer a given in many cities across Canada and the United States. Paying to read us means we can afford to innovate in ways that put the Free Press front and centre in global discussions about the future of newspapers. Paying to read us means you deserve an accounting for what we have done and what we are going to do by way of quarterly reports to our members.

Over the next few weeks, we will have lots more to tell our readers about the benefits of a being a Free Press member. And over the next few weeks, I look forward to hearing from you about our print redesign and the direction we are taking.

As part of that ongoing conversation, I will be answering questions both in person and online next Thursday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at our News Café at 237 McDermot Ave. Please come join me for a free cup of coffee or send me a question by email or Twitter that I will answer during the livestream.

paul.samyn@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @paulsamyn

Paul Samyn is editor of the Winnipeg Free Press.