A reimagined Kansas City Star: More pages, more journalists and more ways to read
Readers tell me sometimes that we need to publish more good news in The Kansas City Star. Today, I have some to share.
The Star is making new investments to dramatically expand our coverage and our newsroom staff. We’re also launching new products that better serve our customers, including a new Dynamic eEdition that will provide the latest sports news in a print-style reading experience.
Two weeks ago, we surveyed readers asking how we can raise the bar with our journalism. Your responses resonated with us - and we are taking action.
“Put more pages in!” you said.
Beginning with the Sunday, Aug. 22, edition next weekend, we will be adding 16 pages a week and new features as we shift to an in-depth focus for our reimagined print editions. To start, readers will get expanded Sunday and Wednesday papers, topped with exclusive and deep local journalism that goes well beyond the news of the day.
Expanded coverage includes health, tech and travel; looks back and forward to local, national and international events of major interest; more space for Royals and Chiefs stories in Sports; and other new weekly features.
Another thing we’re excited about is our ability to connect print readers to valuable digital content through QR codes. Online, you can access new, sophisticated interactive graphics, video and audio that enhance our most ambitious journalism in print. And it’s as simple to use the QR codes as scanning the menu with your phone at a favorite restaurant.
“Hire more reporters and do more investigating.”
We are hiring nearly a dozen new journalists to complement our talented, award-winning team. As part of that expansion, we’ll nearly double the size of our current investigative team. The final tally of nine reporters and three editors will constitute the largest “I-team” in the history of The Star.
We will produce more local, regional and national investigations, dig into accountability stories that are triggered by breaking news and double down on holding the powerful to account.
We’re also building a service-oriented team of journalists who will help readers navigate daily life in Kansas City. They’ll respond to your questions and provide information that is both accessible and actionable.
“I would like to see news reported in a more timely manner. Most news is a day old at least, particularly the Royals’ scores!”
While we continue to publish all the latest news and sports stories on kansascity.com, we have a solution for readers who want a more traditional format: our Dynamic eEdition.
Beginning on Monday, Aug. 23, readers will get all the latest sports news - including the Royals! - in our Morning Sports Edition. With these improvements, you’ll not only get game coverage from pro and college sports but also late-developing local and national sports stories that don’t make print editions now.
In September, we will also debut an Evening News Edition, providing even more options to follow all the journalism we publish every day of the year - from our website to our app to newsletters to our expanded newspaper and to new and distinct versions of the eEdition.
“More coverage that does not ‘sidestep’ the issues.”
We want to hit the issues of the day head-on for our readers. We want to connect the dots on important topics of the day and provide a complete and contextual picture of life in Kansas City.
We appreciate you holding us to high standards, and our goal is to make The Star an even more essential part of the community that we have served for more than 140 years.
Please check out next Sunday’s reimagined print edition, scan the QR codes for value-added content and look for the new, timely eEdition, as well as new bylines from our newsroom. Thanks and let us know how we’re doing.
This story was originally published August 15, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
