The Star-Ledger uses graphics to explain stagflation

Kevin Shinkle, the business editor at the Newark Star-Ledger, explains the decision to use a large graphic and visually appealing design on the front page of its business section Friday to explain stagflation to its readers.

“The economy and Bernanke’s testimony was the news of the day,” said Shinkle. “We tried to do something a little different, reviving our Biz 101 feature to explain all things stagflation.

“Once we decided to go with the unique explainer standalone on stagflation, it allowed us to move inside the Bernanke news story — which was almost 24 hours old by the time the paper appeared on the doorstep. Then we could put a story local interest — the auto insurance piece – in the lede position and a consumer piece on cell-phone pricing wars as the secondary. That story had not gotten a lot of play on CNBC and the Web during the day. So we accomplished getting a fresh take on the big story of the day without seeming stale.”

Mary Yanni put together the big graphic, and Pablo Colon designed the page. I’m also a fan of the “Ask the Biz Brain” feature on the left-hand side of the page, and the teaser to its Pharmalot blog on the drug industry in the bottom right-hand corner.