Monday, March 26, 2007

LOS ANGELES TIMES CONTINUES EDITORIAL TRANSFORMATION

New Approach to Sunday OPINION, BOOK REVIEW, TV TIMES and BUSINESS
Focus on Multimedia, Rich Content and Personal Utility


LOS ANGELES, March 26, 2007— The Los Angeles Times today announced several editorial changes designed to meet the evolving needs of readers, users and advertisers. The shifts come on the heels of recent new content launches and redesigned editorial offerings and emphasize integration across print and online to better position The Times as a dynamic, round-the-clock destination for indispensable and differentiated news and information for Southern Californians.
“Our customers are changing how they live, work and play in Southern California - including how, when and where they get their news and information,” said The Times Publisher, David D. Hiller. “We are changing with them, adding in some areas and going in a new direction in others, and always sustaining the world class content our readers and users expect.”
Highlights include:

· The return of the OPINION section, (now called CURRENT), which will be merged with BOOK REVIEW as a combined Sunday section beginning April 15
o The redesigned BOOK REVIEW will be more visual, featuring portraiture and enhanced photography
o More book reviews will now appear daily in various sections of the paper, with the majority housed in CALENDAR
o www.latimes.com/books will have stronger presence and become a valuable one-stop resource incorporating book store-search ability, book-related event and lecture listings, as well as easy to find book news and reviews by The Times writers and contributors
o Interactive Editorial Pages content will be available online at www.latimes.com/opinion, including web-only columns, online debates about the week’s news, chats with Times columnists and others, and a lively blog updated throughout the day by The Times editorial board
· The SUNDAY BUSINESS Section will take on a “Your Money” focus beginning April 15, part of Business' ongoing day-of-the-week themed strategy that includes Small Business on Wednesday and International Trade on Saturday
o “Your Money” will feature enhanced consumer information and personal finance content, including how-to stories on investing, savings strategies and tax planning
o The popular “Money Makeover” feature will return once a month, giving readers the opportunity to have their financial situations assessed by a professional advisor
o BUSINESS columnists Tom Petruno and Kathy Kristof will host "Marketbeat" and "Personal Finance," respectively, and Liz Pulliam Weston’s "Money-Talk" column will be refocused and address finance issues for 18-35 year olds in her first few columns
o A print/online consumer beat column, www.latimes.com/business, will offer strategies on how to find the best deals both online and in the bricks and mortar world, with specific Sunday coverage devoted to high interest topics such as how to find the best phone deals and what to look for in your health plan
o Every SUNDAY BUSINESS will profile a business leader
· Sunday CALENDAR’s comprehensive TV coverage expands with the addition of a new “TV This Week” page, which will include a “Critic’s Pick” as well as Monday-Sunday recommendations and discoveries to help readers plan their viewing
o “TV Times” will end its run on April 8
o www.latimes.com/tvtimes will debut an enhanced, 24/7 searchable grid which will include tips and highlights from The Times critics and staff writers, sports and talk show highlights and movie reviews
o Daily TV listing grids in the print edition remain unchanged
“The media landscape is changing dramatically and the Los Angeles Times must change to remain relevant and vital to our readers,” said editor of The Times, James O’Shea. “One thing won't change, though. The Times and its staff will continue to put out a comprehensive, excellent newspaper every day and our commitment to providing locally edited news and information about Los Angeles, Southern California, the nation and the world remains as strong and durable as ever.”
Over the past several months numerous initiatives and products have been introduced to focus on the needs of the Southland’s growing local audience and enhance the depth and distinct perspectives that have made The Times an industry leader. Those include the November ’06 launch of The Envelope print series to compliment TheEnvelope.com’s successful and influential de facto entertainment awards insider Web site; January’s announced reinvention of the newsroom into a 24/7 operation allocating resources and accelerating product development online; the redesigned, local/regionally-oriented TRAVEL section and Web site; and the March 18 debut of IMAGE, in print and online, a smart cultural observer of SoCal’s unique perspective on fashion, beauty, shopping and style with an eye on the international scene. In addition, readers, users and advertisers can anticipate a re-imagined CALENDAR WEEKEND/CALENDARLIVE.com this summer as well as additional products that will roll out later in the year.

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About the Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times is the largest metropolitan daily newspaper in the country, with a daily readership of nearly 2.2 million and 3.3 million on Sunday. The Los Angeles Times and its media businesses - including latimes.com, The Envelope/theenvelope.com, Times Community Newspapers, Recycler Classifieds, Hoy, and California Community News - reach approximately 8.1 million or 62% of all adults in the Southern California marketplace every week.

The Los Angeles Times, has been covering Southern California for over 125 years and is part of Tribune Company (NYSE: TRB), one of the country's leading media companies with businesses in publishing, the Internet and broadcasting. Additional information about the Los Angeles Times is available at www.latimes.com/mediacenter.

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