USA TODAY Covers the USA-- Not Just NYC, DC, or L.A.
Written: Aug 03 '01 (Updated Aug 04 '01)
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Pros: Few words are right words; graphic charts; sports section; nationwide availability
Cons: Very short sections; prone to discombobulation
The Bottom Line: Economy of words and Time are the main assets of USA Today, especially in light of the fact most people have busy lives.
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| neomartin's Full Review: USA Today |
USA Today covers the Unites States in as few words as possible each and every issue. While newspapers such as the New York Times or Washington Post have nationwide distribution, they are still provincial newspapers which have extensive resources dedicated to whatever articles those newspapers want to publish. USA Today is the Unites States first truly national newspaper.
Given the size and population of the United States (seven or eight time zones from Hawaii to Maine, over 250 million people), USA Today wisely decided to employ the summary format. Given the amount of time people barely have to themselves in their busy lives, they just want a quick run-down of the nation's events. "Just the facts, ma'am" is the approach taken by USA Today-- it has just enough to keep people updated on national news, and it is amazing how the economy of language is managed to be information-rich. There is something for everyone in USA Today.
Each issue of USA Today has sections for News, Business, Sports, and Life. Main articles are featured on each section's front page, and most articles are contained on one page (one or two are continued on other pages). Trends or polls are shown by vivid graphs. Newspaper layout is well defined on every page of every section. The sports section is comprehensive and truly balanced in coverage of sports and teams. The business section offers timely articles which are useful for a bit longer time since it has less content than traditional business sections. The news section is crammed with all sorts of news from across the nation. The life section has a different pace from the other sections, but its articles are informative and interesting.
Because each section has about 16 pages (many times less) and USA Today is sized like the Wall Street Journal (which has much more content in its three sections), each issue of USA Today in hand has a tendency to get easily discombobulated and hard to put away when finished-- like road maps which have been used over and over. This may be a result of the thin newsprint used since other newspapers have thicker newsprint. I don't know, but this is my main complaint about USA Today. Another minus is the fact that some sections deserve more extensive coverage than what they get. This is more of an editorial decision given the geographic area being covered, so I won't argue this point.
Overall, USA Today is a very good national newspaper which gives its readers much information in little time. If anyone wants more detailed coverage, the reader is always welcome to supplement USA Today with the more regional or local daily publications. Economy of words and Time are the main assets of USA Today.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
neomartin
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Location: New York, NY, USA
Reviews written: 117
Trusted by: 9 members
About Me:
Single Native New Yorker, 34, who returned to NYC after several years in NJ.
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