It was a weird moment when our media group CEO Chris Keating suggested that we take a break to regroup and rebrand. When you hear words like that you begin to think the worst, especially in the media with a paper that’s spent a lot of years struggling while still trying to bring news and events to our community. There was a lot of frustration and tears in the last year trying to help LEO survive, because for us, it matters and we definitely think it matters to you, Louisville.
Back in the late summer, I wrote a long proposal and hoped that we’d go in that direction instead of being made something that we very much are not. With that idea in mind, and being asked to slow down when we were already crawling, was a scary, scary prospect. Thankfully the proposal, and what Chris had in mind were very much in sync.
We decided as a team to trust the vision — which isn’t fully realized yet, but visible — and to take a step back, make some tough decisions, and look toward the LEO that could be. We know there is life in this paper and in our community to protect one of its greatest assets and institutions.
Now, we’re all seeing the benefits of that trust and the vision of our team. Y’all, it really has been a labor of love, full of real blood, sweat, and tears.
Bottom line, we love LEO and our media group sees that there is potential for the paper, and for Louisville.
Thank whatever deity you believe in.
Our relaunch has been happening in stages. We got a new logo, designed by our production team in Detroit. With the launch of the new logo we discovered that a local rapper, also named Leo, shared our love for the same simple clean font. It was the weirdest of coincidences but one that gave both of our new logos some pretty hilarious attention.
We’ve launched a new web experience. Certainly, new websites come with kinks and minor issues, so when you see something, let us know so that we can smooth out the wrinkles. Regardless, what we’re getting with the new site is improved graphics, load time, and a really clean space to present the work of our new team which includes, a lot of freelancers, the same grumpy Editor-In-Chief — me — and (so far) our Digital Media Editor (and data dynamo) Sydney Catinna and AE/Culture Writer Aria Baci, who will be exploring so much of the local landscape with a finely tuned lens to unseen and underseen stories. We are in the process of interviewing and finding a news writer to shine a spotlight on important local issues like government, policing and housing. The news writer will give LEO the final piece of a basic foundation upon which we intend continuing to rebuild our house.
With our new print edition in your hands, you’ll notice that the new logo also comes on the cover of a fully redesigned book. Sexy, ain’t it?
There is more to come with our regular events, new events and other initiatives to grow your LEO Weekly into the paper our community deserves and needs.
You’ve hung with us this long, Louisville. Keep us in your hearts, visit the new site, grab the new paper (oh wait, you’re already holding it!), and get ready for some good times ahead.
