More on CNN’s BIG BIG BIG Lower Thirds…

After looking at CNN’s graphics a little more, I have a few more observations to toss out…

1) Compared to both MSNBC and FNC, CNN’s new larger lower thirds are right in line from a total vertical space perspective. However, that does not automatically let CNN off the hook because FNC’s graphics are too big and MSNBC’s graphics do not eat up all of the lower thirds horizontally so they don’t look as “in your face” as CNN’s new lower thirds do. FNC may have the more headache inducing lower thirds with their over caffeinated color scheme…especially when it’s breaking news, but CNN’s look more intimidating because they are so blocky and because there is often a lot of whitespace around that black text. I’ll get to why in a moment…

2) CNN’s move to eating up more vertical space on my TV screen is not just a result of going bigger for going bigger’s sake. It has more to do with branding and blaring headlines.

The new lower thirds emphasize social media. Over in the right corner with the live bug, CNN is putting the anchors’ Twitter handle. That’s not the problem though. The problem, and the reason for the larger lower thirds eating up so much vertical space now, is how the network is flashing its reporters names and Twitter handles in the main lower third.

Traditionally, networks, when they have a reporter doing a report, will flash the reporter’s name on the lower third and then replace the name with the headline or subject themes for the segment the reporter is covering.

But starting today, CNN is trying something different. It’s keeping the headline/subject theme text on the screen all the time. It never goes away. So how do you ID the reporter now? Well, CNN decided that the solution to this artificial self-inflicted problem (since they are adamant about keeping those blaring headlines on the screen 24/7 now) is to shove the reporter’s ID and Twitter handle under the headline. But to do that CNN had to raise the vertical space of the lower third.

So this is why CNN’s lower thirds look so damn big…because the network decided to leave its headlines up 24/7 and needed more space to work in the reporter’s ID.

The problem with this approach, of course, is that CNN doesn’t keep the reporter’s/anchor’s/contributor’s ID on the screen the whole time and when it reverts the headline moves down to the center and now looks like it is surrounded by an ocean of white space and that helps make the lower thirds look too damn big.

CNN tried to re-invent the lower thirds wheel today. It got a flat in the process…