New look, features aim to aid readers

COLUMBUS - Today is a special day in the history of The Columbus Telegram, even though similar days have occurred many times before.

The paper will be taking on a new look - a new nameplate, a new column of information down the left side of the front page to give you a quick look at news from around the state, nation and world, all stories from the front page will be continued on the next page, and many less obvious changes.

We have a new weather package on the inside back page of the first section of the paper. The weather is custom designed for our city and includes many new features for our weather-conscious readers.

We have added a new and expanded “How to reach us” box on Page 2A, more story breakouts to explain why something is important to you, a headline face that will allow us a few more letters with which to write better headlines, the inclusion of staff e-mail addresses with each story to help you get in touch with a reporter and more.

Also on Page 2A, we will be highlighting a community news item each day - ranging from a new Eagle Scout to a notable charitable donation to a scholarship winner to our men and women in the military. We hope you apprise us of any particularly noteworthy items for this new feature.

We will be making a few content changes in the coming days as well. Two in particular that you might enjoy are a Soduko puzzle and a fantasy sports columns. The Soduko column will appear on the comics page and the fantasy sports column will be a weekly staple of the Sports section.

Special news content we have planned for the weeks ahead are the three sections that will recognize the 150 people and events who have made Columbus the city that it is today as well as identifying 50 people who were identified by their peers as the people who will most influence the Columbus of the future.

We believe this will be a fitting finale to the tremendous sesquicentennial year we all have enjoyed so much.

I also want to remind you of the regular features that will continue to appear in The Telegram on:

Monday: Farm news and the scrapbook page, every other week.

Tuesday: Health news, and the Advantage including the Taste page.

Wednesday: Business news and the Youth page plus American Profile magazine.

Thursday: The Red Zone in fall, and entertainment and home and garden news.

Friday: Church and senior news.

Sunday: The Red Zone in fall, business news, several local columns, USA Weekend and our TV listings. (Not to mention numerous money saving advertisements and coupons.)

Finally, please check out our lively online forums, hot topics and news updates at columbustelgram.com. News of the state, nation and world is updated constantly on the site with local news updated as needed.

The site is visited by thousands of viewers each day, and is an opportunity for you to be a part of our physical and virtual community in real time.

Enjoy the new Telegram ... it adds some good new features, improves some old standbys and keeps the best of what was.

Jim Dean is the managing editor of The Columbus Telegram. He can be reached at jdean@

columbustelegram.com or at 563-7502.