Los Angeles Times To Launch New Weekly Health Section

Posted on August 19, 1997

The Los Angeles Times, which recently recorded the largest daily circulation gain of any U.S. newspaper, is preparing to further enhance the paper with a new weekly health section, a revamped Sunday magazine and an array of new Business section features.

"We are always looking for innovative ways to make our paper compelling and indispensable to readers," said Shelby Coffey III, editor and executive vice president of The Times. "These latest enhancements give us new opportunities to engage our readers with editorial content that is both important and intriguing."

"We're taking advantage of our recent growth to invest in our editorial offerings," said Richard T. Schlosberg III, Times publisher and chief executive officer. "Our readers and advertisers have responded enthusiastically to our other recent innovations, and these changes build on those successes."

Small Business debuts Wednesday, Sept. 3, as a special version of the Wednesday Business section devoted to news, trends and advice for small companies in Southern California. Regular features include profiles of emerging, fast-growing Southern California companies; small business "make-overs" by leading consultants; a column about raising capital; and advice for people with home offices and home-based businesses.

"Southern California is the entrepreneurial capital of the world," said Bill Sing, Business editor of The Times. "Our economy is driven by small and medium-size companies," he added. "Recent downsizing in the large industries, such as aerospace, has led to a boom in the growth of small businesses, and this new section will be a great resource for both the owners and employees of such businesses."

Other Business section features that will debut in September are:

-- Marketing & Advertising (Sept. 4), two additional pages in each Thursday's Business section covering news and trends in the marketing and advertising industries;

-- Your Insurance (Sept. 16), a weekly feature in Tuesday's Wall Street, California Business section covering news, trends and advice about all types of insurance, ranging from property/casualty to worker's compensation.

A relaunched Los Angeles Times Magazine debuts Sunday, Sept. 7, 100 years after The Times published its first Sunday magazine. The magazine will have a strong Southern California focus in its coverage, an expanded "style section," a new weekly columnist and crossword puzzle and a bolder, more colorful look.

"The new magazine will give readers the best, the beautiful and the bizarre of this unique experience that is Southern California," said John Lindsay, an assistant managing editor of The Times. "Readers will also find regular weekly features, rather than rotating features, on gardening, food and decorating."

The new weekly Health section debuts Monday, Sept. 8. The section will cover all aspects of personal health and health-care issues. Features will include a column of health briefs; Q&A discussions with leading medical professionals; tips on how to get the most from health-care providers; personal diet or exercise success stories from readers; health tips for people over the age of 50; and profiles of health and fitness professionals.

"This new section will include coverage of broad, national health-care issues as well as small, personal health concerns," said Terry Schwadron, Times deputy managing editor. "We plan to set the standard for daily newspaper coverage of this important, complex and personal topic."