"Layering" Stories

My question: Are any of you using the technique of layering? (If that's the right word.) That is, putting a portion of a story on the front page, then continuing the account inside the paper, not as a jump but as a separate story.
The approach makes sense. It cuts down on jumps, but allows reporters to more fully develop a story. It gives readers a chance to get a briefing on the topic if they don't want a full story. It allows you to save jumps for the truly important or compelling stories. We have been using this technique more and more. Sometimes it works well; others times not so well. Example: The University of Delaware's football team just won a crucial game. It was a big local story. We ran about seven inches of copy on the front page, but had fuller coverage in the sports section.
Of course, it is useful only if you use it effectively. I want to make it part of our routine training here. What is your paper's thinking behind the technique? What do's and don't's have you developed?
When is it best used? Where can I go to find more? Articles, books, practitioners? And if you haven't used it, what do you think of it? If something isn't readily available, I will pull some tips together and share them with you.
John Sweeney - The News Journal, Wilmington, Delaware

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It seems more of a device for the artificial limiting of jumps than anything else. The bottom line is that in most instances you end up telling the reader the same thing twice; once on page one and again on the inside. Rather than a page one short story perhaps it is better to use a promo box, or a single paragraph reader ala the NYT, or better yet, a photo related to the story inside. The latter works very will with sports stories. Unless refinements of this device dictate otherwise they seem a grand waste of reader's time.
Contributor's ID wasn't saved

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The Atlanta Journal Constitution did what the ME called "nuggets" on the front page,. then wrote entire stories inside. I spent a couple of days in Atlanta studying the nuggets but I suggest you find out why the paper stopped doing 'em. I've got some good info on 'em but think you would get more up-to-date info from the paper itself.
Also, do you see the New York Times? There's a small daily "brief" on the front and a full story inside. Similar to what Atlanta did with its nuggets.
Cindy Stiff - Freedom Forum

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You might check out the Rockford, Illinois, Register Star. It redesigned more than a year ago with a Page One that is totally written (or rewritten) by one or two people and there are no jumps. I think they do refer to inside packages but haven't seen it in a while.
Vikki Porter - University of Southern California

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We use it often at the Nottingham Evening Post. In fact we try whenever possible, to write a feature or in-depth piece, to go with the page one splash. In this way the main story on page one almost becomes a jump.
The thinking behind it is if we think a story is important enough to lead the whole paper on then it is important enough for an in-depth feature. Of course it doesn't work every day but we try. Bear in mind that our paper is a tabloid so there is only limited space on the front page anyway.
One of the debates/problems we often have is how far back in the paper can you comfortably place a piece which is "promoted" on the front page. We have always had a sneaking suspicion that our readers are happy to go five or six pages inside but do not bother if the story is too far back. We have no hard evidence on this subject.
We also use short paragraphs on the front to "tease" readers into pages inside. Here we refer to it as cross references. Our thinking behind this is your giving your customer a better idea of the overall package you are offering them. You are telling them you have six or seven really good stories inside the paper - not just what they see on page one.
The culture has grown here in England because our newspapers are increasingly finding their sales move away from home delivery and subscriptions and more towards casual sale. This has forced newspapers to think more about the "hard sell" to passing customers and we now concentrate a lot of time and effort on page one promotion panels, cross referencing etc.
I think the practice is very well developed in England and I would be happy to send you copies of our paper if it would help.
Jon Grubb - Nottingham Evening Post, England

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I've seen papers use layering well, but I question the premise. I believe newspapers have misread research showing that readers don't like jumps. Of course readers say in surveys and focus groups that they don't like jumps, but that research result has no validity because the opposite would never be true. They wouldn't say that they like jumps. If you should be jumping more stories, they might say they don't find anything interesting in the paper. The problem isn't how many stories we jump. The problem is how many stories we write that are compelling enough to make the reader turn the page. Magazine and book editors have faith in the reader's willingness to turn the page for a good story. In fact, a spellbinding novel is called a page turner. And with the increasing use of the 50-inch web, page-turning is becoming easier for newspaper readers. One of the best stories I ever wrote was about 8 inches and didn't jump. But most of my best stories jump, and I hear from lots more readers about them than I do from my stories that don't jump. One of the strongest reader responses I ever heard was to a 200-inch epic that jumped four times. We should work as hard in this business at writing page-turner stories as we do at stamping out jumps.
Steve Buttry - Omaha World-Herald

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If details come forward about research on readers and jumps, please list the sources for everyone to see. I too would like to learn where that notion comes from.
Dean Kahn - The Bellingham Herald

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The Oregonian attempted a layering strategy when I first arrived here in the early '80s. My experience with that leads to one word of advice for anybody thinking about something similar: Don't.
Jack Hart - The Oregonian

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As I said before, I question the conclusion our industry draws from the research, but I believe the research exists. You can find information on this research here:
http://www.poynter.org/Visual/monica_consume.htm
and here:
http://www.asne.org/kiosk/archive/convention/conv96/genx.htm
Steve Buttry - Omaha World-Herald

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Steve,
I had seen these two sites before, and dismissed the Poynter reference as a subjective essay, rather than the sort of research that is definitive.
For example, the Monica Moses piece says, "Most papers jump stories without hesitation, though a wealth of research shows we lose readers at the jump. Jumps interrupt the reading process and irritate readers."
Later, she says, "Newspapers should solve the irritation of the jump, a constant impediment to reading. Illustrated 'refers' or billboards on section fronts can tantalize readers into turning to an in-depth, well-displayed story inside."
That's passing along that single fruit cake to me. What "wealth of research"? (I found no reference to jumps on the ASNE site.)
One of my hero editors used to tell this story:

Sometimes, the lousy writing and dumb editing in our news columns just doesn't appeal to readers, no matter whether it's on the doorstep at 6 a.m., is cheaper than a Starbucks' cup of coffee and is oh-so-pretty because of yet another redesign.
Dick Thien

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You might see if there is any research remaining from Knight-Ridder's 25/43 project in Boca Raton, which emphasized layering stories as well as the cute maps with numbers. When I was in Akron, we tried the latest fad on our readers and it was a flop. In focus groups (and angry phone calls), they told us that they liked stories that held to the front and they didn't mind stories that jumped, although they weren't crazy about them. But they felt cheated when they thought they were reaching the end of the story, only to discover that they had to go elsewhere for the real story. But our audience skewed much older than what 25/43 was aiming for. (FYI, our readers loved the maps).
Stuart Warner - The Plain Dealer

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I like Roy's image of the tool-maker. It's a good description of what we should be doing.
"Layering" is, or can be, a tool. And, like all tools, we should know when to use it and when not to use it. The next question would be how to use it.
Roy's example of a narrative is perfect. That's one occasion to use it. Are there others?
The next question on narrative would then be how do we use the tool. Why only 400 words? What would be put on A1 or left off? Should you summarize the story or just set the scene?
So my questions are:
One, when do we use the tool? Two, how do we use it?
John Sweeney - The News Journal, Wilmington, Delaware

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The newspaper industry would do well to stop wasting time and money on focus groups and go with instinct. If you have to rely on a focus group, you have no focus and readers can tell. To me, layering seems like another focus-group-derived mess. Give the readers compelling stories and they will read. Trust them.
Howard Altman - Philadelphia City Paper

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In my experience, most attempts to "layer" (we call it "slice," a term used as both a noun and verb) fall short because there just isn't that much worth saying in two different spots. It works best when you have a big enough story that you can communicate the bare bones news on A1 and then share the full story, with ample context and texture inside.
When the local high school wins the state championship game in double overtime, you can convey that news in 6 or 8 inches on A1, and then give the full game and reaction story inside with lots of color and detail. Here the news is worth a short A1 story (it's important) and the full scene is worth a bigger second story inside (it's interesting/ a good read). Some people will only want the short A1 story; others will read both. That's serving readers.
Michael Roberts - Cincinnati Enquirer

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Great discussion. Two camps forming:

• Writing over design: News judgment should dictate story length and display. So, stop trying to put squares in circles. Write well and readers will follow. (Reliable Source: Experience and Instinct)
• Design over writing: Design organizes a news report, so don't turn off readers with poorly put-together packages. Use your fronts to showcase the day's best and let them expand inside where you have the room.

(Reliable Source: Readers and Studies)
And then this:

• Teaser: Short item or promo to get you to look inside.
• Tease: Front-page summary that directs you inside or serves as a briefing.
• Teased: Hungry readers confused by unclear execution.

Tom Silvestri - Media General