The Hotly Debated Territory of Page 1

Page 1 is sacred space. Readers think the most important stories of the day ought to be there. So do editors, but editors want more than that. They want a mix of stories that will attract readers to the paper as well as make them dive inside the paper for more.

The Post is more traditional on Page 1 than it is inside the paper, but readers often are even more traditional. Those who write tend to be hard-news devotees. They also are less likely to worry, as editors do every day, about a news story being old by the time it hits their driveways.

A look back at August stories offers an opportunity to see how some readers reacted, mainly to stories with a more feature-like approach.

Generosa Collins of Rockville wrote on Aug. 7: "Three times last week, with the weather affecting the old, the young and the ailing, and world peace being threatened in many countries, The Post printed, hence highlighted, three inconsequential stories with photos, no less, above the fold of the front page -- members of the local football team cooling off, fans attending a scrimmage, and women fighting like cats and dogs to snag a bridal dress. . . . We have all been sentenced to blather and trivia by those who have the power to put those pictures where they put them."

Arlington reader Michael D. Tate said he doesn't like "stories accepted, daily, as front-page-worthy with scant news value, little currency or urgency, useful only as 'style' or 'local color' or for 'pathos quotient.' "

A man who identified himself only as "Gary" left a voice-mail message saying, "The Post is . . . one of the preeminent papers in this country. With everything going on, I find I increasingly am seeing ridiculous photos of Redskins in hot tubs [Aug. 1] or women chasing bridal gowns [Aug. 5]. Today [Aug. 12], some youngster jumping into a swimming pool . This is not a weekly community newspaper. It is The Post. I'm amazed that you're using valuable column inches on the front page for such idiotic photographs."

What belongs on Page 1? Executive Editor Len Downie puts it this way: "We definitely want to indicate to readers what is most important in the news. We want to showcase significant enterprise stories that can only be found in The Washington Post. We want to surprise and engage readers with interesting feature stories. We want to attract readers with impactful photographs and graphics that tell stories on their own. And we want to offer readers the rewarding experience of well-crafted writing. We want to do all this while providing a snapshot of the day in local, national and international news."

How does a story get on Page 1? Top editors meet twice a day -- at 2 and 6:30 p.m. -- to talk about the next day's paper. At the 2 p.m. meeting, section editors talk about their best stories and offer them for Page 1. At meeting's end, the top editor present -- usually Downie, Managing Editor Phil Bennett or Deputy Managing Editor Milton Coleman -- decides what stories look good.

Editors want strong local stories on Page 1 because The Post is a local paper; it will often put different local stories on Page 1 for the District, Virginia and Maryland editions. Section editors often have story and photo packages that might be good for Page 1. Not only are those difficult to move into the A-section late in the day, but section editors also feel they will get better display on section front pages. A sports editor who used to work for me complained that moving a story to the front was "burying it on Page 1."

Before the evening meeting, most stories being considered for Page 1 are far enough along for editors to read them. There is another round of discussion, and page designs for section fronts are displayed. The final say on Page 1 belongs to the editor in charge. Most days, there are six stories on Page 1, sometimes seven, and a box with "keys" mentioning stories inside.

Big news stories always dominate Page 1, whether local, national or international. The Aug. 11 front page had four stories and two photos about the terrorist plot suspects arrested in Britain and Pakistan.

But even big news stories may lack compelling pictures. The two photos on the Aug. 11 front page showed Heathrow Airport crowds and federal screeners in Denver eyeing baby formula. And on some days there is no big breaking news. Good editors plan for those days by having stories socked away that can go on Page 1; The Post always has many waiting to go.

Feature stories and pictures often are on Page 1 to keep the news from being too dreary or official, though they need to be interesting enough to lure readers to the inside pages. Page 1 never wants to be boring.

The Aug. 1 photo of the Redskins, who were sitting in large tubs of cold water, not hot tubs, accompanied a local story on the heat wave that combined news and feature elements. A picture of a couple coming out of the shower went with a story about a trend toward luxurious bathrooms. The bridal photo that bothered a number of readers didn't bother me.

A hefty chunk of space on the Aug. 16 front page was devoted to a story and photo about a fancy dormitory in Hyattsville filled with students from nine colleges. To Joe Elbert, assistant managing editor for photography, the picture wasn't strong enough to lead the paper, but it was a slow news day in mid-August. Pictures from the aftermath of the war in Lebanon and Israel had a "sameness" to them, and "there are bonus points for a local picture," even if it's a soft feature, Elbert said. "You won't see it on television or another Web site."

This reader also prefers harder news and analysis, stories and photos that tell me something I want to know -- and don't already know -- topped off by a design with pizazz. The one element often missing on Page 1 is the story or photo that's a gift. The one I didn't know I wanted to read until I saw it.

Deborah Howell can be reached at 202-334-7582 or atombudsman@washpost.com.