The Stars and Stripes: The American Soldiers' Newspaper of World War I, 1918-1919
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Design and Layout
The design and layout of The Stars and Stripes were typical of newspapers of the day. The pages were fairly dense in appearance, although illustrations helped to "break up" the text. The top headline on a story appeared in all capital letters; below that headline, one to three "stacked" headlines provided additional details to lead readers into the story. Many headlines were the same size, so pages were sometimes rather monotonous in appearance.
Examine a number of issues of The Stars and Stripes, focusing on the front page.
- Do you notice any common features about the way the front page was laid out from issue to issue?
- Can you tell from the layout of the front page which was the most important story of the day? Explain your answer.
- Study several contemporary newspapers, such as The New York Times, USA Today, and your local newspaper. Which paper looks most like The Stars and Stripes? Which looks least like The Stars and Stripes? What changes do you think are due to technology? To changes in people's tastes? Which paper do you find most appealing? Choose an issue of The Stars and Stripes and redesign the front page to resemble the paper you find most appealing.