It doesn't matter whether it's a sans or serif.
Yes, I think it does, if you want readable and newspaper.

I'd suggest you look at the Guardian faces, for instance:
http://commercialtype.com/typefaces/guardian
and Swift:
http://www.gerardunger.com/fontstore/store-swift.html

Thanks guys!

Utopia could be an option. I really like the Guardian faces, I certainly keep those in mind. Swift is a good one.

FF Nexus could also be a very good option, but I don't think it had the friendliness I'm looking for.

Although I adore the Fedra family, it includes an ampersand which … needs getting used to, in my opinion. Don’t know if there is an alternative to this et-glyph inside.

Rainer, Fedra has a crazy number of ampersands actually. Twelve I think. :-)

Edit: See here: http://www.typotheque.com/fonts/fedra_serif_b/expert_set

Is there a way to edit the comment after a certain time?

I just wanted to tell, that Stone Print has only a limited number of characters, so although it is designed for newspaper, it is maybe not the best fit for every kind of newspaper. (Foreign movies, economics?)

"I think they look more static rather than friendly."

If you don't like any of these suggestions, as good as they are, and really want friendly, how about the comfort food of fonts, Souvenir Light?

http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/adobe/itc-souvenir/

@Nina & Michiel: I was referring to the Fedra Sans Ampersand shown on identifont. As I am not owning a licence to this font, I wasn't sure about alternatives to this. Thanks for the showing.

I find Myriad to be friendly in a newspaper setting. Maybe that is a boring suggestion, but Myriad (like Utopia) tends to just work.

Myriad might work, but it's not really my idea of a newspaper font. It could work though and I might even check it out.

Thanks. I have the same problem with the links. Don't know why.

When using the link format Igor just demonstrated, there is a bug in the forum software that prevents it from working properly at the very start of a comment. You can work around this by adding a leading space. Or just use html <a> tag.

Nick, I completely agree with you. But as Michiel rejected some true newspapers fonts and is interested in Expo Serif and Novel, maybe his layout demands something which is actually not a propoer newspaper font.

Michiel, if you add further info about your newspaper project our comments would be more precise.

It's a small newspaper about christian news. Its a weekly newspaper with pretty much only old people reading it. The idea is to make it more of a church magazine for every church who want to participate. But it will still be printed as a newspaper.

I always liked Gulliver as a newspaper font. It looks smooth and friendly when printed. I also like Swift. In comparison with that the old serif fonts look static and journalistic. I wouldn't like that to be the style. But it also has to look good printed.

There is a local liberal city newspaper here where I live, which ironically uses a font developed for body text in a bible. I think it is a neat font and can recommend it, as I am a reader of this weekly paper. The thin paper and hard printing conditions typical for bible printing results in a need for a more solid design. This is a similar brief as it would be for a newspaper font, so no wonder a paper actually picked it up. It is unique enough to stand out, but still very legible, although in this sample paper I wouldn't mind a tad more leading. As you have a christian newspaper in planing, this font might actually just a very good pick.

ITC Weidemann

Samlple A

Sample B

Sample C

Why does news ... require styles which are dispassionate and authoritative, Nick?

Otherwise, it would just be gossip.

Isn't "dispassionate and authoritative" a personality?

It fits the sharp and slabby Scala, which sure ain't no soft 'n' fuzzy friendly face.
Nothing off the arris there.

It might help if you post a scan or PDF of the current newspaper. What's the size, is it a broadsheet or tabloid? Do you need to cram a lot of text onto each page, or is this more of a magazine-style layout with lots of white space? You mentioned Gulliver and Swift, these fonts have short ascenders and descenders which allow you to maxmize lines per column. Most newspaper fonts are designed this way. But if space isn't an issue, you can choose something more traditional.

Also, the point size of the text and leading make a huge difference when it comes to readability, especially for "old people" as you say. They would probably appreciate something solid like Poynter from Font Bureau.

>especially for "old people" as you say. They would probably appreciate something solid like Poynter from Font Bureau.

Which is not actually why we call it Poynter Old Style. ;)

Cheers!

Thank you all for the suggestions. I think I have more than enough for now.

I really like the Tasman font.

>I really like the Tasman font.
Wow, so i do.

After a litte googling: try here: http://danmilne.fastmail.fm/

No idea if it still is an up to date address, as the website seems pretty dead

Dan — Very impressed with this design. Thanks for sharing the more elaborate PDF specimen.

I'd be wary of Tasman for news text.
It has low contrast and a tight fit, which, when substantial press gain is considered, and the effect of news printing being grey on grey, will produce a dull and heavy effect (see below). Also, the consistent widths of the lower case letters, the squarishness of the curves, and the narrow space character, further contribute to a lack of sparkle. The soft and nuanced finish which imparts friendliness when the face is inspected closely is a display quality, and will be problematic in text practice, especially for your particular audience.

However, the short capitals and old style figures add interest, and it could be an OK magazine face, if the fit is opened up here and there.

Think of your readers. What's friendly for them will be something familiar. Resist the temptation to experiment with faces that are not proven in newspapers.

My company has chosen for Gill Sans eventually. There had been research with our audience and this typeface was the considered most readable. We stick with the old.

However, for headlines, introductions and suchlike they've agreed to use Yoga Serif. A good choice in my opinion.