They’ve taken an axe to the staff. They’ve cut out whole sections of the paper, and reduced some sections to as few as four pages. What else can they cut at this point?

Why, the width of the paper, of course. It seems the paper is getting a bit more narrow:

“Readers will notice that the width of each page of the newspaper will be reduced by 1 1/2 inches [starting in October]. The depth of the pages will remain the same.

“This format is fast becoming the industry standard […] Readers in markets where the narrower format has been introduced have said they prefer the ‘feel’ and portability.”

The current format is about 12½ inches wide, so that works out to about a 12% reduction in newsprint. I wonder if they’ll be lowering their subscription price by 12% to compensate. (Not!) I love the way they try to sell this reduction in content: It’s preferred by readers! It’s more portable! It feels better! Kind of an insult to their readers’ intelligence, no?

I predict the Journal Star will abandon broadsheet publication altogether in a few years, opting for tabloid format. The Chicago Tribune already prints a version of its paper in tabloid format for sale at airport and train station newsstands. And this is the popular format for newspapers “across the pond,” too, meaning it’s becoming the “industry standard” of tomorrow.

And then, eventually, it will be reduced to the size you see on the left.