Who says young people won’t read newspapers?

Tran Ha, associate managing editor for RedEye, Chicago’s free daily newspaper and website, says RedEye was launched eight years ago to appeal to Chicagoans in their ‘20s and ‘30s who weren’t reading the paper.

“The graphics were bold,” she noted, and copy, while brief, was informative. “We have a good array of copy,” she said during a keynote session of the 2010 NFPW Conference in Chicago.

The website says its mission is “to provide our target readers with a daily buffet of news, trends, pop culture, sports entertainment and social buzz – served with a side of sass when appropriate.”

It’s a tall order to fill especially when RedEye readers also are picking up other publications. “People approach their news habit as an ala carte sort of thing,” Ha said. Despite that, RedEye distributes 250,000 papers daily Monday through Friday along commuter lines and all over the city. A free weekend edition is available through home delivery.

The RedEye staff of 30 does a lot of everything. “Innovation is built into our DNA,” Ha said. “It’s about not being afraid to try new things and to fail sometimes.”

The formula appears to be working.