The Wall Street Journal will unveil its updated look on Jan. 2. Expect a narrower paper and smaller newshole.

An excerpt from the AP story on TheStar.com:

The smaller size will result in about 10 percent less space inside the paper for news, but about half of that reduction will be offset by moving several statistical tables to the paper's Web site, Paul Steiger, the managing editor, said at the news conference.

In addition to the visual changes, Steiger said the newspaper would also focus more on exclusive and interpretive news, versus accounts of what happened the day before. The Journal has been making greater use of its online outlets like it Web site for breaking big news, he said, a trend that would continue.

"We are not agnostic about which channels readers use,'' Steiger said, referring to the Journal's print and online editions. ``We want them to use both.'' ...

The smaller size — which will reduce the width of the paper to 12 inches from 15 — is in line with a widely used industry standard and will allow the paper to be printed in more locations, making it easier to produce and deliver to remote locations.

Other major newspapers have cut their width in recent years, including Tribune Co.'s Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and Gannett Co.'s USA Today. The New York Times is planning to reduce its width in 2008.

Years ago, many major U.S. newspapers were printed in a size similar to the Journal's, but most have since cut back, said Michael Grady, director of production operations at the Newspaper Association of America.