'Hartford Courant' Goes Back to Traditional Design After Reader Complaints

The editors at the Hartford Courant thought they'd move into the 21st century with a winning page one design. Everyone thought this was a great and brilliant plan until the reader complaints started to come in...and in...and in. So without much hoopla, the publisher of the Connecticut paper broke down and reversed the design back to something a bit more palatable for the readership.

Joe Strupp of Editor and Publisher reports, "One of the things we heard was that the traditional loyal audience did not like the change," Rich Graziano, who became CEO, president and publisher of the paper March 30 said Wednesday. "The feedback was that they didn't like the change on the banner." The Courant's redesign was implemented in September; it reverted to its original format on Monday.

Should Grazino and his staff have changed the design back to its original look?