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Every Saturday for more than 30 years, the Tribune Chronicle has been published in a tabloid format rather than the broadsheet format we use the other six days of the week.
I've been told the decision was made back then because many daily newspapers were doing it in an attempt to make the paper more unique and user friendly -- particularly to accommodate the community news photos and submissions that generally publish that day.
Now, that may have been the case back then, but throughout the years, the smaller format has presented challenges and limitations in our desire to bring you, our readers, the most complete coverage of stories, designs that are easy to read and especially a newspaper that is comfortable to handle.
I've personally heard from readers who have pointed out frustrations at being forced to flip from tabloid-sized A and C sections, to broadsheet-sized B and D sections, and we know these readers make a good point.
For these reasons, the Tribune Chronicle has decided that now is the time to make the important and long-anticipated decision to bring back the full-size Saturday edition.
But never fear! The Tribune Chronicle still will bring our readers the Saturday features that you have come to expect and enjoy -- plus some.
We know our high school football families and fans always enjoy seeing a photo of the Friday night game of the week on the cover each Saturday morning. After all, this moment of "fame" certainly may be the only time a local teen appears in a newsprint photo that can be clipped, laminated and hung on the family's refrigerator! For that reason, we will strive to maintain that feature, above the fold on the cover of Saturday editions.
And the expanded front page also now will allow us to present a new series of locally produced feature profiles about area residents, offering these folks their own moment of fame in stories we believe will be interesting and appealing to our readers.
Published within the Saturday edition pages, readers also still will find the photos and other reader submissions recognizing community organizations that we know are important to you. We'll continue to devote the space, free of charge, for photo submissions recognizing things like Scouting, area clubs and lodges, school news, armed forces, five-generation gatherings and, of course, all your religion news.
Of course, the weekly real estate section will remain, as we know we are the go-to place for people interested in buying or selling a home here in Trumbull County.
"Orchids and onions" will remain as an opinion page favorite, and syndicated columnist Cal Thomas will also stay put.
But in addition to all this, the new bigger Saturday format will provide an opportunity for a new reader engagement column we'll fondly refer to as "Sound off!" This opinion page column will provide readers yet another forum to applaud successes, discuss issues, point out problems and review the events of the day -- provided it's in a constructive manner. Keep watching the Tribune Chronicle this week for more details on how to submit comments for the Saturday "Sound off!"
Of course, we also will continue to bring you the most up-to-date complete local news coverage, along with state, national and international news in print. There also will be regular updates and breaking news online at www.tribtoday.com.
I'm very pleased to be able to bring you this refreshed and enlarged Saturday paper, all beginning on Saturday, Sept. 29.
As always, I hope you will share your thoughts, suggestions, ideas and even any dislikes with me. Please email me at the address below, and I'll do my best to respond quickly.
Thank you for being a loyal reader. I hope you will be as excited as I am about the upcoming new Saturday Tribune Chronicle.
blinert@tribtoday.com