By Jim Kelly
Advertiser Executive Editor

The front page of Wednesday's paper, marking the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, was perhaps the most striking and unusual in the 146-year history of The Advertiser.

The names of the more than 3,000 people killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and aboard the hijacked plane that crashed in Penn-sylvania were printed across most of the front page, with some of the names bold-faced slightly to create a subtle outline of the Twin Towers.

Many other newspapers across the country did something special with their front pages that day, though only a handful used the entire list of names. (If you're interested in seeing what other papers did, check out poynter.org, a Web site devoted to journalism issues).

The design was among several approaches we considered at a brainstorming session the previous week. Among the other ideas was a traditional front page with several stories about the events of the day. We also considered a page that would have framed in black a large white space, devoid of type, a sort of journalistic moment of silence. The use of the famous photo showing firefighters raising the flag at Ground Zero also was discussed.

But when assistant managing editor Mark Platte suggested we try to do something using the names of the victims, several people were intrigued.

The front page, conceived and executed by our design guru, managing editor David Montesino, is respectful and understated. Yet it also is powerful and visually appealing.

We knew such a departure from our usual front page was risky and we weren't sure how readers would react. Some editors (and Circulation Department folks) worried that from a distance, the thousands of readers who buy their papers from racks would only see a mass of gray type. Some editors were afraid readers would feel cheated out of their traditional front page. And we were concerned that the names would be printed so small and light that they would be difficult to read. (We went through several prototypes and two live tests on our presses to make sure the page would be readable — our production colleagues and crews in the pressroom were a huge help).

In the end, after a lot of discussion, we decided to go with our gut feeling that the page would work.

I was still a little jittery when I picked my paper off the driveway on Wednesday morning. To be honest, I was one of those who favored a more traditional approach to the front page, and I was afraid some readers would find our treatment too jarring or in some way inappropriate.

But maybe it was a case of overthinking and second-guessing. When I looked at the paper on my kitchen table, the front page seemed to hit just the right note.

I guess I shouldn't have worried. Last week, we received dozens of calls and e-mails and many personal asides from friends and neighbors who said they appreciated what we had done. Many said they found themselves almost mesmerized, unable to stop scanning the lines and lines of names. A Kailua woman wrote that the presentation of the names was the first time she had clearly understood the scale of the human loss.

Thanks for your thoughtful calls and notes. It's nice to take a risk and know that we got it right.