eric hegedus
Eric Hegedus
page designer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Why
did you become
a journalist?
I knew in high school that I wanted to become a journalist,
notably one for newspapers. I was already a news junkie and simply fascinated
by how newspapers are put together.
I understood the importance of the public dissemination of information and enjoyed
being a part of that process.
What’s the most interesting part of your job?
I’d like to answer this question in two parts. First, in my current job
as a page designer, I think it’s the creative process involved in features
page design. On those pages, you have a lot of visual range for presenting
stories. Planning and ultimately creating the best, most accurate way to do
so is very satisfying. There’s nothing like picking up the newspaper,
seeing your work, and realizing that you effectively presented the information
to the readers. Second, in my prior work as a photojournalist, I most enjoyed
meeting different people, day in and day out. That was fascinating. In my job,
I had the chance to meet anywhere between three to 10 new people, sometimes
more, every day. These are individuals I would not have the opportunity to
talk with in most other professions. I can’t even begin to calculate
how many people I have met because of my job as a journalist, and especially
my years as a photojournalist. I learned about other people’s lives,
their work, their social concerns, their families, their ideologies – all
by meeting and talking with them face-to-face, day in and day out. It was always
educational – I was directly learning about other peoples’ worlds – and
there really aren’t many other jobs that offer an equal experience.
Do you work on most of your pages on deadline, or do you have more time to
think through a page?
For features sections you do – for the most part – have more time
to work on pages, although it depends on which sections. However, there are
always deadlines looming on the horizon no matter what pages you’re creating.
For instance, the designer who puts together the daily Magazine cover has only
a few hours to complete the process, while the Sunday Arts & Entertainment
section front can usually be crafted over a three-day period. But, again, there’s
always an impending deadline – and, really, I think deadlines can add
a certain fun challenge to the job.
How do you handle conflict when you think a page should be designed a certain
way and an editor has something else in mind?
It’s simple: you talk it out. Sometimes you both
compromise and discover other options; other times either the designer or the
editor
will feel more
strongly than the other. But, again, it really is about communicating, talk
about concerns and the most effective ways to present the information to
the public.
Can you share a few pointers on basic page design for an 11x17 page and an
8.5x11 page?
There’s a cliché that actually has purpose and can be the most
important message to a designer: Less is more. A tendency exists for designers,
me included, to over-design – too many elements, mixing too many typefaces
and fonts, too many photos (all played small or the same size). When you’re
working on a smaller format, especially 8.5x11, don’t try to squeeze
a whole bunch of visually disparate elements onto a page. So often, they’ll
just compete with each other and create a sort of unintended chaotic feel,
one that detracts from the message or messages of the stories themselves.
When in doubt, keep it clean, simple, and elegant.
Which newspapers (or publications) do you look to for design inspiration?
One of my favorite websites to check out is newsdesigner.org, where designers post pages they have created, along with thoughts about the
process they
went through. It’s interesting to sift through the layouts and note
what you, personally, think does and doesn’t work, and why. It gives
you a lot of food for thought about your own work. One of the other things
I like to do, believe it or not, is to look at advertising, especially magazine
advertising. I flip through magazines – Entertainment Weekly, GQ, Vogue,
Esquire, InStyle, Gourmet, Newsweek, you name it – and examine the
ads. There is some cutting-edge design work being done in that field, and
it can be very inspiring to consider some of the techniques relative to
news design.
Any advice for aspiring journalists?
Journalism has gone through some hard knocks over the past
few years – a
variety of high-profile reporting scandals have unfortunately helped to erode
the public’s trust in the news media. But journalism is and always will
be an admirable and necessary profession. The First Amendment is so important
to everyone in this country, and a free press is such a big part of that. If
you’re interested in journalism, study the profession – what jobs
exist, what ethical situations we face day-to-day, the history of journalism
and mass communication. It’s very absorbing to see how the profession
has evolved, and it’s important to see how’s it’s changed
and will continue to do so. And don’t limit yourself. Learn about the
variety in communications – print, online, broadcast – even if
you’re quite certain you ultimately want to work in one form of media
rather than another. A breadth of industry knowledge can be useful.
Tell us about the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and why
you became involved.
The NLGJA started in 1990 with the mission of fostering
fair and accurate coverage of the Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender community,
and we’ve been seeing
coverage improvements ever since. We offer reporting resources to news organizations;
monitor coverage on a daily basis; and provide support and professional development
opportunities for LGBT journalists who join. I myself found out about NLGJA
in its early years. I was working for a Gannett newspaper in upstate New York
at the time, and remember seeing a story about this upstart organization for
gay and lesbian journalists. As a journalist who was gay, I was intrigued.
I worked with several gay and lesbian journalists in my newsroom, but really
hadn’t considered that there were, obviously, many other LGBT journalists
across the country. I found contacts within Gannett who knew more about NLGJA,
and I joined.
The NLGJA has changed my life in ways I
could not have imagined. At first, it mostly was a networking and social venue
for me; I realized
that I wasn’t
as isolated as a gay person working in the news industry. When I went to my
first NLGJA convention – in New York City, 1993 – I was both overwhelmed
and motivated at the same time. The sense of camaraderie and purpose is one
that still amazes me more than 10 years later. A huge impact for me is that
I interviewed with The Philadelphia Inquirer at the 1993 convention’s
job fair, and was hired three years later because of that initial contact.
The NLGJA was the vehicle for getting my current job; I can’t possibly
express what that means to me. Additionally, through the organization, my awareness
has significantly grown regarding coverage concerns. And from that awareness,
I have become more and more active as a leader. Of course, if someone had told
me even five years ago that I would one day be the organization’s national
president, there’s no way I would have believed them! But my passion
about NLGJA’s mission, about its scope and the need for our work, has
pushed me to help guide the organization, starting as a chapter leader and
then as a national board member. I’m thankful for all of the professional
benefits I’ve acquired and personal contacts I’ve made, and I will
in turn do everything I can to continue helping the organization to evolve
and make a difference. I fully believe in NLGJA’s key purpose – the
pursuit of good journalism.
