New York Times redesigns opening pages to echo “front of book” magazine layouts

The New York Times has redesigned the opening two pages of its newspaper, modelled on the “front of book” pages of magazine layouts. Under the direction of associate masthead editor Tom Jolly and editor-in-chief Jake Silverstein, the A2 and A3 pages have been reimagined to give a more comprehensive overview of the NYT’s print and digital output.

According to the team, the pages will become a place where readers will find information about what The Times is doing not only with its core news report, but throughout the entire organisation. “The pages will offer stories and content that has not been part of the print paper before,” it explains. These include Inside the Times, a behind-the-scenes look at its journalism; The Conversation, the most popular posts from NYTimes.com; Spotlight, reportage from Times journalists; and highlights from its video and audio content. The second page will host the NYT masthead.

The changes “represent a sharp departure from what the pages have been used for in the past”, it continues, with A2 previously home to corrections and summaries of articles, and A3 to news articles.

Executive editor Dean Baquet explains: “_The Times_ has a universe that extends well beyond the print newspaper, and we’re excited to transform pages A2 and A3 into a must-read destination that gives readers a sense of that. As we continue to invest and innovate in print, this redesign is a step toward creating a print newspaper for a digital era."