'STATE OF THE NEWSPAPER' CONTINUES

A few weeks ago I promised to keep you updated on some changes at the newspaper. Since then, although I'm not a surfer, I've felt like I have been riding on a large and powerful wave. The only thing is that on my surfboard there are a couple hundred other people, all who work alongside me. We're cutting through the water as fast as we've ever traveled.

There's no doubt this new experience is exhilarating - and challenging.

Tomorrow, you'll be able to see a tangible example of what we've been working on here at the Southeast Missourian. In this column, however, I'd like to give you a foreshadowing.

Many of you have noticed the increased color in the pages of the Southeast Missourian already. It seems I can't go out to luch or dinner anymore without someone remarking how good these color pages look. Well, there's more color coming. Lots more. As in every day of the week more. This is part of our renewed commitment to you the reader.

Some of you have also remarked on the phone and in letters that the design of some sections has really become more exciting. And the photographs, too, have improved. We're glad to hear such comments, and I love to pass them on to the specific editor or photographer responsible when I hear them. It's also part of our new commitment to you.

We've been changing the process here lately, investing heavily in the latest technology, giving our people the tools to take full advantage of their talents. What is our goal? Make the newspaper as improtant and vital to you as we can. Make it readable. Make it more informative.

tomorrow, we take another step in that process. This step comes as we unveil an new look. It's a look that in many ways hearkens to the Southeast Missourian in the early part of this century. It will be cleaner and easier for you to read, we hope. Mre ortanized, with better listings of calendar items. More regional news, more entertainment news, more financial news, more local news, more kids news, more outdoor news.

Not all of these additions will hit on one day. In fact, while we unveil a new look tomorrow, we'll actually be refining the paper for the next several months. Because, as you should already know, in October we'll also be unveiling a permanent Saturday edition.

One important aspect about our new look and organization is that we will be offering you additional section features. These features won't usually come in a separate part of the newspaper, but like the Business Section is now they'll take over the front page of section B on certain days, with sports moving inside.

Here's the new line-up of sections:Business on Monday; Learning, Tuesday; Home, Wednesday; Arts & Leisure, Thursday; Region, Thursday; and Life on Sunday. Beginning in October's Saturday edition will be two new features:Health and Finance.

For those of you who don't see Your Time or Food in this line-up, rest assured. Your Time will be incorporated into the Thursday Arts & Leisure section (for those of you who asked overwhelmingly for Your Time to be returned to Thursday, you see, we heard). Meanwhile, most of the old Food section will be incorporated into the new Home section. Both new sections, however, will allow us to cover even more of the issues that affect your daily life.

Of course, all special advertising features will continue, like to popular Wheels and TBY.

This new look will not change our philosphy about reporting. We take the responsibility seriously to provide you with accurate, complete and fair news. This is always the most important enterprise of a newspaper, and without fair and accurate information, nothing else matters.

I'd like you to know about something else going on with the Southeast Missourian. While we know tomorrow is merely the next step in serving you better, and there'll be many more steps to take (and we expect we might even wobble a few times in the next few weeks as we get used to our new look and its potential - along with the new computer (technology), we're proud of what we're doing. And we want you and others to know about the changes.

That's why starting today we will be telephoning everyone in this area who is not already a subscriber to the Southeast Missourian. It will take a few weeks to do this, but we're committed to doing it, because we believe there's no better deal for a citizen of Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois than to subscribe to this newspaper. Not only because of the quality of the news, but because of the advertising, the coupons and the entertainment values.

So if you're not a subscriber already and you receive a call, give us a moment to talk to you. We think you'll be glad you did.

Finally, I mentioned above that I've felt like I've been surfing a powerful wave the past several weeks. As I hinted, I've not been alone. I'm just one of an entire company that is giving its all to you. Over the past several weeks many here have given up their weekends, their nights and their early mornings to bring about some dramatic changes in your newspaper. A few have basically camped out at the office, not even seeing their wives or husbands and children for two weeks (we've heard their spouses have been throwing some great parties in their absence, however). These are good and dedicated people - whom I am proud to work alongside, and whom you should be proud to have work for you at your daily newspaper.

But why are these men and women of the Southeast Missourian doing what they are doing? It's certainly not because they don't love their families, because they do.

I think they're probably doing what they are doing for the same reason I am. They - like me - take great pride in our work.

We take great pride in this newspaper. We take great pride in this community. And we want to see all three of these be the best that they can be.

As the new look and organization of the paper emerges, let us know what you think, what you like and what you don't like - what else you'd like to see. Please take some time to get used to the new look before you make up your mind, and then call us. My number is 335-6611, extension 57 (Speak Out is 334-5111). Thank you.