Journal community publications reorganized into seven zones

As part of a reorganization, the weekly publications of Journal Community Publishing Group will be consolidated to seven zones from 13 local areas and appear inside the print editions of the Wednesday Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

In addition, the internet sites of the newly configured Now publications — including Lake Country Reporter, Mukwonago Chief and Oconomowoc Focus — will move to the Journal Sentinel’s JSOnline.com website.

The changes take effect Aug. 30.

Scott Peterson, editor of Journal Community Publishing Group, said the company has “retooled our newsroom for greater efficiencies in a changing industry.”

“It’s also meant we are marshaling a greater percentage of our resources for reporting, which is helping us focus on the content readers want more,” Peterson said. “These changes also will help us beef up our efforts online, in mobile and in social media, where our audience continues to grow.”

For simplicity, all of the community newspapers will use the “Now” name, both in print and online.

The new publication zones will be Lake Country Now (northern and western Waukesha County); Waukesha County Now (southern Waukesha County); West Now (Brookfield, Elm Grove, Wauwatosa); Northwest Now (Germantown, Menomonee Falls, Sussex); North Shore Now (Ozaukee County and North Shore suburbs); South Now (Cudahy, Franklin, Oak Creek, St. Francis, South Milwaukee); and Southwest Now (West Allis, Greenfield, Greendale, Hales Corners).

By including those sections in the Wednesday Journal Sentinel newspaper, the community news will go to more readers because that day has higher circulation than all other days except Sunday. Lake Country readers also will receive community news on Sunday. Most Now publications currently come with the Journal Sentinel on Thursdays.

The Now sites and publications are adding more entertainment and "things to do" stories, in response to reader surveys.

Information on local police reports will continue and be expanded to every zone of the Now papers, featuring reorganized maps. That information will be online, too.

New continually updated coverage will look at which shops and businesses are opening and closing, the status of road construction projects and so on.

There will be greater focus in high school sports on regional coverage and big-picture features, such as listings of the best running backs in the region and roundups of athletes in the hunt for scholarships. Weekly coverage will shift more toward stories on inspirational athletes and coverage of big games, and less on routine sports and game stories, which draw less engagement from readers, Peterson said.