This is the weekend edition of TheMarioBlog and will be updated as needed. The next blog post is Monday, November 12, reporting from Hamburg, Germany.
Ich liebe Wien
Vienna–Oh, beautiful Wien.
I always feel at home here in Vienna, and anywhere in Austria, a small country with such rich cultural history, amazingly talented people (friendly, too), and the architecture that takes me back to another era. I like running on the edge of the Danube. Then gain the calories back as I spoil myself with a delicious wiener schnitzel. How can anyone resist the temptation to indulge with the Sachertorte, the ultimate Viennese sweet experience, one that has been delighting palates since 1832.
By the way, I had a splendid lunch in Vienna this week: a favorite typical Austrian dish—Tafelspitz—which comes in as a soup , a broth with noodles that includes very soft boiled veal served with a mix of minced apples and horseradish . Delicious! On my plate also a piece of liver wienerschnitzel that my Austrian lunch companion wanted me to try. Yes, when in Vienna try this at Plachutta.
Love a good run around Stadtpark in Vienna all the time.
Kurier of Austria
I am happy and honored that over the next year I will be involved with the talented team of Kurier, assisting with their transformation to digital, while also paying attention to the print product. Standby for how the project evolves. I am honored to be a part of this exciting evolution of one of Austria’s most revered news titles.
While it has been a busy week (first kick off meeting for the Kurier project), I always take time to examine things around me, especially those that make an impact and that I can learn from. Follow me on this Friday journey.
Who says free newspapers are dead?
Here in Vienna this Friday morning, as I went for a run around Stadtpark, these issues of OE24 are ready to be picked up. And, it is all GRATIS.
And, belonging with the item below, talk about the power of red for the home page of oe24.at
The power of red
…and the power of good journalism. Both merge here in this in-depth story from The New York Times about how law enforcement in the USA failed to see the real threat of white nationalism, as exemplified by the recent massacre of Jewish people in a Pittsburgh synagogue.
I like the story and its exhaustive reporting about an issue we all should pay attention to. But , as a designer and teacher of design, I save this magazine cover to show how the power of red can set the page on fire and already give us a sense of what the story tries to tell us.
By the way, this print cover will appear Sunday, November 11, but the story already appears online.
Interest in those US Midterm Elections
Two days after the Midterm Elections in the United States, German-language newspapers in Germany, Switzerland and Austria continued to carry front page stories and photos of the historic event. There was also plenty of good analysis, too.
FAZ: Wearing its Sunday’s best
The Frankfurter Allgemeine is without any doubt The New York Times of Germany. Many also refer to it as the gray lady. If you look at the Monday-Friday front page it is still rather text driven, with usually only one photo, and even an opinion piece on Page One. Although I have to admit, after years of visiting and working in Germany, that the FAZ has become more visual.
However, the real evolution is its Sunday edition, where the newspaper wears its Sunday’s best and on this particular edition, it went six columns across with a photo. Bravo. I thought I would never live to see that!
Has USA Today’s print edition turned grayer?
My blog post this week has generated tons of interest on my Facebook page. Here is what I said, and then the reactions that followed:
Once upon a time, there was a newspaper called USA Today (some referred to it as the McPaper) that was all the rave among newspaper designers. Who can forget that colorful, giant poster-llike weather map? Today, however, USAT is gray, austere and flimsy. What went wrong? If newspapers ended up at a hospice, the print edition of USA Today is at the door of one. In my blog today.
https://www.garciamedia.com/blog/usa-today-turning-grayer/
TheMarioBlog post #2945