USA TODAY, part of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), today celebrates 40 years of impacting the media landscape with concise journalism that speaks to the nation. First published on September 15, 1982, USA TODAY introduced audiences to a full-color, vibrant publication with infographics, approachable content and expert-driven digestible journalism.
USA TODAY transformed the industry and quickly became a trusted news leader. To commemorate the occasion, an anniversary video features vignettes and interviews with USA TODAY founding leaders and executives and incorporates classic retro ads that helped define the brand throughout the decades.
“USA TODAY has evolved over the last 40 years, and we will continue to pay homage to our past while innovating new ways to report and deliver news,” said Nicole Carroll, President of News and Editor in Chief of USA TODAY. “We are and have always been the trusted, approachable news source for readers across the USA.”
USA TODAY has revamped the print publication, adding more of the most sought-after content and delivering readers a faster and more user-friendly experience. Key enhancements include:
- Dedication to serving each day’s news in an easy-to-read format with ‘To the point’ content
- The robust Friday edition is now USA TODAY WEEKEND, adding a “Week in review” and a special Friday feature and/or special sections dedicated to the topics readers care about most
- Monday editions incorporate a preview of the “Week ahead”
- Doubling the daily volume of word games and puzzles with a bonus crossword and four new puzzles
- Speed read: Quick headlines daily, making it easier to scan and stay up to speed on the news with links to updates available throughout the day – promoting newsletters, alerts and texting with easy QR codes to guide a digital experience
“For 40 years, USA TODAY has been at the forefront of an evolving media landscape, marrying impactful journalism and modern, relevant storytelling across platforms,” said Maribel Perez Wadsworth, President of Gannett Media. “It was created to be unapologetically different, intentionally accessible in its mission to serve everyday Americans, reflecting their stories and experiences, bringing the whole of the nation to life in ways no other publication had done or could do. And we’ll continue to break storytelling frontiers for generations to come.”
USA TODAY recently launched the ‘To the point’ brand campaign, underscoring the signature style of fact-driven brevity that defines USA TODAY content, helping readers get ‘To the point’ in every story. To complement the campaign, USA TODAY introduced several features to the user experience, including written and visual explainers, “What We Know” stylized stories, live blogs, listicles providing topical insight in list form and key point summaries within select content. Additionally, the USA TODAY site will be enhanced with “For You” on the front page of each section and “Follow Topics,” providing users with improved personalization to make their news more relevant based on geography, interests and usage behavior. USA TODAY will also continue to improve the native app, optimized with forward-thinking, user-friendly features and topics.
A special one-time $40 annual subscription offer is available for new customers. The USA TODAY store also has a commemorative anniversary collection with retro merchandise and special first and 40th edition covers for purchase. Reviewed, the USA TODAY Network’s consumer product review brand will join the celebration by sharing the top 40 products of the last 40 years and the Gannett Foundation is collaborating with A Community Thrives grantee, Move for Hunger, by arranging volunteer opportunities for U.S. based Gannett employees in select markets the week of USA TODAY’s 40th Anniversary to support the fight against hunger.
