| Checklist. | ||
| Corporate media are highly efficient tools for the company's interior communication. Check your own medium to prove whether it is up to date. | ||
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Overall Appeal - When comparing your medium with those presented in this magazine do you find that yours is topical, updated or rather outdated, passé? A medium's appeal is often closely related to the typface used for headlines. The novelty of some typefaces wears out after some time. Publication Dates - The publication is issued between six and twelve times per year on fixed dates that are strictly kept. Newspaper Layout - Each article together with all its components - headline, picture, service box - forms a four -edged block. - Each page consists of a lead article on the upper half with a bigger headline. - News items are clustered on the left or right margin. - The largest picture appears at the top of the page, other pictures follow a hierarchical order on the remaining space. Magazine Layout - The magazine consists of a combination of pages with short and long articles, forming a rhythm which is able to arouse the readers' interest. - Each issue is supplied with a long cover story which is placed in the first third of the publication. - The final part contains standard sections of interest which provide another highlight. Headlines - They consist of four to eight words to be able to make concrete statements. - As they are meant to refer to the contents of the appropriate article they need to be clear . - A subhead or a combination of subhead and lead provide with more detailed information. - A keyword with each headline is a useful device for the readers of how to place the contents of the article. - Headline and picture compliment each other and form a unity . Photography - Photos are supposed top give a realistic idea of the world of work. - People at work should be preferred to static group photos. - Surveys or sections with a similar intention are a means to not only present the executives, but also the average employees. - Group photos should be placed in such as way as not to dominate the publication. - Extreme horizontal and vertical formats are used tp give the pages a dynamic look. - Extreme cuts: Photos are cut in such a way as to evoke an updated appeal. - Each picture is supplied with a caption and portraits are supplied with names. - Captions appear below the photo because the readers expect them there. - Captions to the right or left of a picture are the exception from the rule. - As captions are most likely to be studied they should not be smaller than the body copy . - Each photo has a caption of its own. Captions belonging to dif ferent photos should never be grouped together. Readability - The bodycopy should neither be too big nor too small (12 point would be too big, 7 point too small). - A serif typeface makes for better readability than a sanserif one. - Facts are extracted from the main article and collected in fact boxes according to a sensible order . - The language in the articles should not be char ged with technical terms, but need to be understandable for the entire staff. The Individual at the Core - The publication contains sections where individual members, their hobbies, social commitment etc., are introduced. - Photographies do not only show production processes, but also people at work. Journalistic Genres - Not only news-stories, but also reportages, comments, glosses, interviews ('Three question for ...') as well as discussions should be employed as they are popular with readers. Opinion Pages - The staff's ideas and questions should be given room in a magazine. If necessary, urgent issues should directly be addressed by experts in charge. Interviews - Headline and lead introduce to the contents of an interview . - Photos of the interviewees show different gestures. - Poignant statements made during the interview should be emphasized and serve to break-up the layout. |
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