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What is the BBC’s ‘revolutionary’ new plan for boosting mobile readership?

Answer: it’s all in the font

As simple as it sounds, the BBC announced that it is turning to a new typeface for its Sport content and mobile devices, which is expected to make articles viewed on smaller screens easier to read. The British broadcaster said the switch-up was as a result of what it called “significant changes in audiences’ consumption” of online content. Though the change is not scheduled to go live throughout the entire organization, it is present on the sports website as of Aug. 3. 

“The existing fonts that the BBC uses were developed last century and work well in print - but they’re not always clear enough when they appear in small, digital spaces, and we’re all reading and watching far more on screens and mobiles these days,” the BBC said in a press release.

The organization plans to gradually roll out the easier-to-read font, named BBC Reith after company founder Lord Reith, throughout the rest of the broadcast and website line up.

Eyragon Eidam is the web editor for Government Technology magazine, after previously serving as assistant news editor and covering such topics as legislation, social media and public safety. He can be reached at eeidam@erepublic.com.