The Journal of Business has a new look, starting with this, the third issue of our 33rd year.

The makeover gives the editorial team an opportunity to tell stories with art and graphics better, complementing the written word in ways we haven’t explored before.

But before going into detail about the differences, it’s important to emphasize what has remained the same. Our mission is be the primary source of business news in the Inland Northwest. Community leaders often tell us that they read the Journal to find out what’s going on in Spokane, and we will continue to endeavor to report everything that’s happening in the business communities we cover. Hard news remains our focus, as does delivering on the promises referred above.

Some regular features, however, have been reorganized and rebranded.

The In The News feature has appeared on page two and has provided a brief synopsis of news that’s occurred during the two weeks between publications. Typically, it’s news that has appeared in the Morning Edition email newsletter that’s sent out on weekdays. That feature has been renamed Top Stories and now appears on page eight.

The Opinion page has been located on page eight for years, amidst news pages. It now will be located on the last interior page of the paper—page 39 in a 40-page paper. If the Journal is published in two sections, it will be on the last interior page of the A section. This move accomplishes two things: It makes the Opinion page easier to find for readers who seek it, and it provides a greater separation between opinion and the objective reporting that appears in the rest of the newspaper.

The Real Estate page has appeared deep in the local section in issues in which the Journal doesn’t publish a Real Estate & Construction Special Report. Now, that page is called Around Town and will be published on page six in every edition. It will focus on real estate transactions and other business moves, with maps showing where those moves and openings have occurred.

The Small Business Watch page has been replaced with a Restaurants & Retail page, which will focus on news about companies that operate in business-to-consumer sectors. So much else of what we write about is in the business-to-business world, so Restaurants & Retail is a great way to spotlight those industries. That feature will be on page nine, typically.

The rest of the Journal remains the same in function, though the look and feel changes, to varying degrees. Once acclimated to the change, our hope is that you find the Journal more engaging and enjoyable, while being as informative as ever.