You may have noticed we’ve been experimenting with one or two bolder designs on the Guardian Weekly’s front page in recent weeks. It was a topic that gave me pause for thought during a recent vacation in Italy, while browsing the packed street-corner news kiosks. For a small paper the Weekly may punch above its weight in terms of global coverage, but is it making itself seen as well as heard?
From last week’s microplastic global tap water pollution exclusive to the eurozone’s economic resurgence, a subject that features on the cover of our forthcoming edition, you’ll find the depth and scope of the Weekly’s reporting on the major issues every bit as serious and measured as you would expect. But in a crowded news market, it would also be great if the paper could catch the eye of newer readers as well as our loyal ones.
It may not be a creative road we opt to go down every week – the fact is, some stories fit this approach much better than others – but I’d love to know what you think in general: do punchier covers on the Weekly delight or distract? Feel free to drop me an email and let me know.
Inside the paper, our news coverage briefs you on political trends from Catalonia to Cambodia, uncovers deforestation in Ivory Coast caused by the cocoa industry, and exposes a food-quality scandal in eastern Europe. You’ll find election scene-setters from Germany and New Zealand, including an interview with the Labour leader Jacinda Ardern. And that’s only scratching the surface!
I suspect more than a few readers will find this week’s Weekly Review lead to be of interest: a thoughtful and wide-ranging essay by regular columnist George Monbiot on how we need to rewrite the existing dominant political narrative if we truly want a better world. We often receive emails telling us how much you enjoy George’s writing, something he was delighted to hear when he paid a visit to our London offices recently.
There’s a look at some of SpaceX entrepreneur Elon Musk’s futuristic public transport schemes, which could be moving towards fruition in the US. Also on the future theme, Discovery looks at how electrical implants could one day supersede drugs in the world of medicinal treatment.
If that’s enough forward thinking for your tastes, the Book reviews will take you back to the start with a reappraisal of the book of Genesis. Culture has an interview with the architect Richard Rogers and a fond tribute to Peter Hall, a true legend of British theatre and founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company, who died earlier this month.
The Sports pages go slightly off-piste this week, profiling the sometimes euphoric, occasionally calamitous life of a professional sports gambler. (I won’t give too much away but fans of the All Blacks rugby team should look out for one anecdote in particular …)
As I reflect upon another Guardian Weekly winging its way towards our print sites in London, Sydney and New Jersey, I think we’ve produced an edition with something for everyone. I hope you agree! Thank you for subscribing and do feel free to email me your thoughts on the Weekly.
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