H for Herald: a bold new era

How the new format newspaper will look. Photo / Herald Graphic

The New Zealand Herald will display a bold new front-page masthead when the paper switches to compact format in three weeks.

Unveiled today, the gothic H masthead is the biggest change to the Herald's front page in 150 years.

The masthead will also be used on the Herald's multi-media platforms - including the redesigned nzherald.co.nz homepage - to support the launch on September 10 of the Monday-Friday compact newspaper.

"The new masthead was selected from more than a dozen designs and tested with readers, who described it as bold, stylish and striking," said Herald editor Shayne Currie.

It was crucial that the existing full masthead was incorporated into the new design, he said.

"The new masthead acknowledges our 150-year heritage, while positioning the Herald as a modern, multi-media brand."

Currie said the new masthead reiterated the significance of the upcoming changes, which went deeper than design and format.

"We're overhauling our content to ensure our journalism is fresh, relevant and topical. There will be new sections and columnists and a renewed focus on setting the daily news agenda."

The Monday-to-Friday newspaper will have at least three sections each day - a "main book" of local, national and world news, opinion and sport, a stapled business liftout and a daily lifestyle/special-interest magazine.

The new format of the weekday Herald will allow publisher APN to improve the way it integrates and delivers weekday news and information in the print edition of the newspaper and digitally - via the web, tablet and smartphone.

The compact-newspaper launch is being supported by the redesign of the award-winning nzherald.co.nz website, and a new social reader for Facebook.

"We are committed to the ongoing delivery of quality journalism and the new format allows us to explore innovative ways of delivering New Zealanders the news and information they require," said Currie.

The Weekend Herald and Herald on Sunday mastheads and formats remain unchanged.

Readers and advertisers can keep up to date with the evolution of the new-look Herald here.