Natchez &8212; When is a newspaper not just a newspaper?

When it&8217;s become an event.

Monday morning, locals turned out at the Main Street Marketplace to be among the first to see the first edition of the newly redesigned Natchez Democrat.

Coffee and beignets were snatched up quickly on the chilly fall morning &8212; and door prizes and free newspapers were grabbed as well.

Some, having heard about the upcoming redesign for weeks, said they&8217;d already rushed to the ends of their driveways before dawn Monday to get a look at the new design.

After hearing about the new design every day on the radio during her morning walk, Mary Ruth Caldwell was ready to see what it looked like.

&8220;It was well advertised, so it was eagerly anticipated,&8221; Caldwell said, calling the redesign debut &8220;an event.&8221;

Her verdict? &8220;It looks good, very professional. And it&8217;s easier to read.&8221;

Why easier to read? Fellow reader Lillie DeShields had some ideas.

&8220;The white space, plus the way it&8217;s laid out,&8221; DeShields said.

&8220;It looks nice, looks clean,&8221; said Karry Hosford, one of the early risers at the Main Street Marketplace, where Democrat staffers also gathered Monday morning.

&8220;It&8217;s not too busy,&8221; Parnell Burns said. &8220;You can concentrate on whatever you&8217;re reading and not get distracted.&8221;

The white spaces help to keep the different pieces from running together.

&8220;It&8217;s a great look,&8221; said Mike Willey. However, Willey did say that the type in which the stories are now printed seemed harder to read.

The new font, Nimrod, is in fact larger than the old Times. The perceived difference is in the space between lines.

Ed Henniger, a newspaper design consultant who helped with the switch, said the space reduction means the reader&8217;s eyes travel less, which actually makes it easier to read.

Whatever the difference, readers like DeShields think it&8217;s a look that fits well with the community the paper serves.

&8220;It&8217;s forward looking,&8221; she said. &8220;And that&8217;s where we want to go as a community.&8221;

While it might take time for some readers to get used to the new look of The Democrat, don&8217;t look for Clarene Guercio to be one of them.

&8220;Us old folks like change,&8221; she said. &8220;When you&8217;re 73 years old, you like change, that&8217;s just me.&8221;