For many, an old friend has an unsettling new look

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My biggest surprise is how few readers offered their views. Many, urged to share their thoughts by e-mailing http://ideas@washpost.com, sent lengthy comments that reflected a genuine devotion and commitment to the newspaper. But they totaled fewer than the more than 750 who contacted The Post in the spring after editors eliminated the "Judge Parker" comic strip (it was restored).

Cynics will speculate that readers are losing interest in the paper. Yet despite the bleak financial situation facing the money-losing Post, circulation has held relatively steady compared with industry trends. Latest published figures put circulation at 622,000 daily and 858,100 on Sundays. New audited figures are to be released Monday, but they are not expected to change dramatically. Last week, The Post had fewer than 10 cancellations due to the design changes.

Brauchli also was surprised that there weren't more reader comments, and he offered a theory.

"I think people are more receptive to change in newspapers than they've ever been," he said. "They know that media are changing at a phenomenal rate.

"If you can make a case that change improves the experience of readers," he said, "there's a willingness to try it."

Andrew Alexander can be reached at 202-334-7582 or at ombudsman@washpost.com. For daily updates, read the Omblog.

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