We aim to please, but how’s our aim?

By PAUL BAIER - Staff writer | Friday, September 12, 2008 12:14 AM PDT ∞

You might have noticed our attempt to attract newspaper readers this past Monday by taking the news off the front page.

A unique approach, to be sure.

If you didn’t see it, we ran a big photo of the Chargers and some “teasers” telling you where to look for stories about the Chargers. Now one could argue that the Chargers are a legitimate news story and worthy of the front page.

One could also argue that you could run Chargers stories on the front of the business section. (A cynical one might argue that stories on the Chargers could run on the comics pages.)

Now I’m not, and I’ll repeat it just in case my bosses happen to be reading this (and just in case I need evidence after I’m let go), I’m not ridiculing the effort to attract readers. Without you guys (there is someone out there, right?) we might as well admit we’re in the birdcage-lining business and not bother with all these words and pictures. (Maybe we need to convince advertisers that birds read ads and influence their owners’ purchasing habits.)

Trouble is, I’m not sure if newspaper people know what newspaper readers want in their newspapers anymore, and we never really think to ask.

Do you want more hard news? Do you want news you can use? Do you want us to dig for dirt? Do you want more fluff?

Do you want short, no-nonsense stories or longer pieces that make you think? Do you want more world and nation news? (Say yes to that one if you think I need more job security.) Do you want more Sarah Palin? (Say no to that one if you think I need more job sanity.)

I haven’t heard yet what the reaction was to our Monday experiment, but I’d like to say that it’s not true that if it was successful we’re going to go the way of the British tabloids.

Now I may be wrong, but I’ve heard rumblings that management wants to follow Chargers Monday with something tentatively called A2 Tuesday, in which myself and fellow columnist John Van Doorn would be recruited to lure readers by emulating Page 3 girls.

(For those who don’t know, Page 3 is a newsy feature showing shapely newsmakers making news by showing their shapes.) Of course John would probably be all for it (the guy will drop his shirt at the drop of a hat).

As for me, well, everyone knows I’d give the shirt off my back for the corporation, but I’d prefer to wait until my never-ending quest for abs of steel is complete, and right now I’m at the abs of Silly Putty stage.

I imagine more bells and whistles are in store for you as the powers-that-be grope and stumble ---- sometimes hitting, sometimes missing ---- to put out some kind of product while trying to keep you and the corporate types and investors happy.

The key is you, newspaper readers. And you're a very curious (and I mean that in a mostly good way) bunch. You’re very critical and very loyal. We find that out when mistakes slip through or we attempt to mess with popular features such as the comics or the TV guide. (Personally, I’m still trying to get the name of the person responsible for those annoying ads attached to the Sunday comics.)

Recently, we messed with our TV listings, and readers made their feelings known and known and known. And it worked, kind of. While other papers dropped the reader-friendly service, we didn’t. (If it were up to me I’d give you the best TV book ever, even if a boss or two had to be sacrificed to make it happen.)

I’m not sure if we’ll ever come up with the right combination of bells and whistles to get us the attention we need. Maybe something such as Chargers Monday will make enough noise to make readers look our way.

If not, drastic measures may be on the way, and I don’t think you’re ready (I know I’m not) for us to lose our shirts.

Paul Baier is a wire editor for the North County Times. Contact him at (760) 740-3519 or pbaier@nctimes.com.