Connecting Jewish Pittsburgh

Whether you want to call it a redesign, an overhaul or even a typesetting transformation, the new look of the newest iteration of the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle reflects the bold and clear vision of its mission.

Our tagline at the top, “Connecting Jewish Pittsburgh,” accurately expresses what we seek to accomplish. Through a simplified layout, enhanced fonts and more reliance upon color photography in conjunction with our award winning journalism, the Chronicle will foster that connection each week.

Note that chief among the major changes is our name. Whereas we were once titled The Jewish Chronicle, the new moniker reflects our regional position and local focus. We’re still keeping an eye on national and international stories, but in our heart and from our head, it’s all Pittsburgh.

As a newspaper, our primary focus is on the news, and we will now be identifying every article in our Headlines section as either a local, national or world news story. In addition, we have updated our front page to provide space for highlighting what we think are the most interesting articles in that week’s issue.

This Noteworthy feature will provide short synopses and a way for you to get a birds eye view of the breadth of news available in the Chronicle.

Turning from the front page, you’ll notice that we have placed the masthead on Page 2, a more convenient spot for those looking for information about how to reach us. The change has also allowed us to expand our Opinion section, where the masthead used to be, to greater reflect the diversity of views in our local community and in the Jewish world at large.

Further inside, you’ll notice a clean crisp read of the stories you’ve come to enjoy. Highlighted by bold imagery and augmented fonts, the paper’s focus on community has never been so clear.

And keeping in line with the clarity theme is our revamped and expanded Calendar section. We’ve done away with the old Metro Briefs, which became a haphazard presentation of smaller news stories, community announcements and event listings. The new Calendar offers instead a four-week view of upcoming events, complete with descriptions and contact information.

Non-event info will be found in smaller briefs throughout the Headlines section. With events’ days and dates now clearly in view in the Calendar, it has never been easier to join the myriad functions happening in the Steel City.

Joining the list of expanded sections is our popular Community feature in the back of each issue. One of the primary complaints among readers has been the paucity of photos, but that was due primarily to the constraints of keeping the section to just one page. So we’ve doubled the Community section to two pages, reflecting our pledge to you, our readers and institutions, that when you send us your photos of past events, we will endeavor to publish them in a timely manner.

Change gives rise to many reactions. Some people will like the new look, but there will always be those who object. We get it, and we want to hear about it. As a communal partner charged with connecting Jewish Pittsburgh, we hope more than ever that you will reach out to us. We see the Chronicle as fostering dialogue, whether in print or online.
We are confident that the changes will better serve us all. This whole enterprise is a partnership; we know that and we greatly value your role in the relationship. If something isn’t working, or you don’t like what you see, please let us know. We are a work in progress, and one that is always trying to improve.

Looking forward to years of continued success. L’Chaim! PJC

Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.