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The Chicago Tribune is letting its hair down, and Denise Joyce, previously The Trib's health and family editor, is the woman behind it. Joyce oversees "Q," a new section that
stands for "Qualities of Life."
The section appears each Sunday, with coverage of everything from health and family to style and parties to ideas and ethics. It's designed, says Loose, "to reach a broader
audience and break the Tribune mold. It's looser, a little more fun."
Aside from the increased fun quotient, "Q" also brings a distinct local flavor to the paper's coverage of fitness, family and other lifestyle topics. "This has a strong local
slant; it's something other newspapers coming into Chicago, like The New York Times, can't do," Joyce says.
So if you're looking to reach Chicago readers (1 million-strong on Sundays) with your lifestyle pitch, "Q" may just be your solution.
Content/Contacts
So far, the new section has covered issues ranging from the health impact of keeping a secret to a growing trend among Chicago restaurants without liquor licenses that allow
customers to "BYOB."
The new section offers a shorter, simpler take on lifestyle items, with only one jump off the front page of the section. Reporters cover unique local gatherings, and special
attention goes to "Traditions," personal tales of Chicago residents. Health writers report on diet and fitness, and the section also includes style and studies related to family.
Email [email protected].
Pitch Tips
Joyce prefers to receive emails: "There's a group of us working on the section, and if it comes to me and by email, it's so easy to forward it on to them." She warns, however,
that due to the volume of emails she receives, she does not respond to each individual message.
She's interested in anything related to local events, and the editors are always looking for the Chicago trends. Plus, Joyce's old beat covering health and family is still in
her blood: She looks for anything related to family issues and is interested in studies on family life and health.
Comments
Not every event can get full-fledged coverage in "Q," but a "Diary" briefings page lists quirky events going on in the Chicago region, so the editors are always on the lookout
for more interesting gatherings.
Ideally, Joyce prefers to receive information on events or any other topic of coverage about two weeks in advance. Because the section includes a variety of shorter pieces, it
means more legwork for reporters and editors, and giving them some lead time, especially on events, is always helpful.
"Q" goes to production Wednesday, and Joyce says Mondays and Tuesdays are the worst time to contact the staff.
In The Pipeline
In the coming weeks, Joyce plans to follow an organic products exposition - "There's been a huge explosion in organic products, everything from organic foods for pets to
organic cut flowers to organic clothing."
Editors also will tackle the do's and don'ts of eye contact (i.e. when flirty crosses the line to frightening), the popularity of two-way radios among Chicago residents for
shopping and other expeditions, along with the usual health trends, personality profiles and local events.