The Independent today runs a story about The Guardian's impending switch to the Berliner format. Tragically, the story begins thusly:

Most of those on the receiving end agree that size isn't everything. Although there are areas still where a good big 'un will beat a good little 'un, small - while not necessarily uniformly beautiful - tends these days to give greater satisfaction.

We're talking about newspapers here, of course. ...

Anyway, as far as actual content, the story quotes a Times of London exec who supposedly has seen a Guardian prototype.

"I thought it was design conceit rather than an exercise in reality - it had a very subtle splash headline and a clever photograph of the kind that comes along only about once a month. Well, readers don't want subtle. They want a headline that sells the story and they want immediacy. There's a problem, too, in that Berliner folded to fit into a supermarket or petrol station sales box will still show only half of the front page, which means it can't have the impact of the Indy or The Times. And I'm not sure they have yet realised that changing the format means more than simply moving a lot of furniture around the house."