ED HENNINGER has been an independent newspaper consultant since 1989 and is the Director of Henninger Consulting in Rock Hill, S.C.
During the past few years, Ed has traveled to the Ukraine, the Republic of Georgia and Armenia to offer design workshops and assist with redesigns of several daily and weekly newspapers. Last fall, he again visited Armenia, where he spent two weeks consulting with editors and publishers of regional papers throughout the country. He returned to Armenia again in March for 10 days of consultation and training.
He recently completed redesigns of the Livingston Parish News in Denham Springs, LA; the News-Herald in Lenoir City, TN; the News-Graphic in Georgetown, KY; The Compass in Green Bay, WI; and The Long Island Catholic. He is now at work with newspapers in South Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Texas.
The Western Catholic Reporter, which Ed redesigned in October, was recently named the best designed church paper in all of Canada by Canadian Church Press. The judge, Gordon Preece, art director for the Winnipeg Free Press, said The Western Catholic Reporter had “a sophisticated presentation of news through images, design and typography.”
“Every page is a surprise, interesting in its treatment, complex in design, yet easy to read.” The Western Catholic Reporter is “a paper to be proud of,” he said.
Ed’s redesign of the Business Courier in Cincinnati helped that newspaper earn recognition as one of the top five business weeklies in the United States.
The Kentucky New Era in Hopkinsville, KY, received 11 awards for design and typography. The front page won the top two awards and the sports front took first, second and third.
Ed redesigned The Southern Illinoisan in Carbondale, IL. Shortly thereafter, The Southern Illinoisan was named first in General Excellence.
Ed recently developed FasTrak, a breakthrough redesign process created exclusively for smaller dailies and weeklies. With another of Ed’s redesign programs, PowerWeek, your newspaper can be redesigned in only one business week. A third innovation Ed has developed is called SelectDesign. With this plan, Ed works with you to redesign sections, pages or elements you choose for improvement.
Major seminars and workshops at which Ed has spoken:
New York Press Assn.: Design workshop, 2006, 2008
Southern Newspaper Publishers’ Assn.: Design seminars, 2005-2008
Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Assn.: Design workshop, 2007
American Press Institute: Design for weeklies and small dailies, 1996-1999, 2006
New England Press Association: Design workshops, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008
South Carolina Press Association: Newspaper design workshops, 1995, 2002, 2007
His column on newspaper design appears regularly in Publishers’ Auxiliary, the publication of the National Newspaper Association. His column also appears in the bulletin of the Southern Newspaper Publishers Assn. as well as the newsletters of numerous press organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada. It is also distributed free worldwide to more than 1,400 subscribers.
You can contact Ed by using the form below.
Ed Henninger’s Blog 
Congratulations Ed, but does this mean you support the concept that blogs are the death knell for newspapers! I look forward to seeing the blog develop. Cheers, Kevin
Kevin:
To be absolutely clear: NOTHING can make me support the concept that blogs are the death knell for newspapers!
For me, a blog is another—and worthwhile—way to communicate, especially with subscribers.
I think community newspapers will be around for a long, long, time to come. It’s the larger newspapers that may be in trouble. But then, many of them have been shooting themselves in the foot (starting from the head and working their way down!) for years.
Dear Ed,
Blog is a great idea. Especially for us, newspapers, which are an ocean away. I have seen what magic you can do with newspapers… even with those who have no idea redesign can be clue to their further success! I know that this blog will become not only a very successful way to communicate to your subscribers, but also a very good tool to exchange ideas and learn from discussions. Congratulations! I look forward to learn from you again. Thank you.
Elene Kvanchilashvili,
Editor, The World in 2009/Georgia
Tbilisi, Georgia
Dear Ed,
blog is a very good idea for me as newspaper layout designer. You are MASTER with magic fantasy and hand. Nowadays blog is successful way to communicate; very good tool to exchange ideas.
Congratulations!!!
I look forward to learn from you again and again. Thank you.