Want to keep readers happy? You gotta be unpredictable. Provocative. And a lot cleverer.
In short: more fun.
Now, in many newsrooms, “fun” is a four-letter word. We’ve gotten too grim, too grumpy, too screwed into ruts. But you can revive the ol’ mojo with “FUN 101,” an entertaining tour of time-tested techniques for adding wit and zazz to page designs.
More zazz, less zzz-zzz. That’s our motto.
We’ll analyze hundreds of swipeable examples: classic covers from National Lampoon and Mad magazine. Legendary layouts from the Asbury Park Press. Interactive pages that will make you say “Wow!” Unusual headlines that will make you say “Huh???” And some tasteless vulgarity and nudity that will make you say, “Hmmm . . . . . this requires closer inspection.”
Which is why we’ll make CDs of the entire speech available to those who remain to the bitter end.