Using a grid is one of those basic design principles. Most news designers are working with a grid someone else designed. No matter what you think about it, you need to understand how to use it.

The grid serves as an armature on which a designer can organize text and images in a rational, easy to absorb manner. The less common printing term “reference grid,” is an unrelated system ...

As designers have known for centuries, one way is to start with a grid. A grid is a structure of lines used by designers to help organise graphic elements (images and typography) on the page.