This Is Why Newspapers Should Hate Newsprint

In yesterday’s Sunday’s Arts section, the New York Times has an interesting piece about the role of graphic design in xenophobic public policy campaigns. It’s a slightly wonky piece, the kind that appeals to those with blended interests in politics and design. Like myself.

Unfortunately for the New York Times, I’m also a bit of a traditionalist, and I take the actual paper. So I was a bit surprised to see this:

The poster being referred to is visible a few inches above – six inches tall. So, unless “Ja” means “stop,” and “Stopp” means, like, “Hey!” – there’s something amiss.

Online, the story is subtly altered:

Missing is an exciting modifier for “black”. How about “big, black-as-night letters”? Or “big, jet-black letters”? “Big, black-as-the-words-on-this-page-except-the-word-Ja-which-as-any-idiot-can-see-is-in-red letters”?

To my friends at the Gray Lady: fear not the evaporation of print newspapers. Sometimes writing things down is embarrassing – and distracting to snarky, nitpicky design snobs.

(Ed. Also, if you’re going to quote “Stopp” then it also needs to have another ‘p.’ Just had to add my two cents as a snarky, nitpicky word snob. Okay, we’ll both stopp now. RS)

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