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A Daily

Miracle
A student
guide to
journalism
and the The Newspaper
A Daily
newspaper Miracle
business
A DAILY Miracle
Key Newspaper Terms
Flag
Glossary The newspaper’s name
(also called a
Box nameplate) on page
A sidebar or a design feature one.
DY7 – A
24

contained within four


perpendicular rules HI
L OULOW 5
CH 70
G
, Your Daily Newspaper FINAL
Folio
The line with a
Broadsheet Ear www.washingtontimes.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2005 
SUBSCRIBER SERVICE: (202) 636-3333
PRICES MAY VARY OUTSIDE METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON AREA 25 cents
newspaper’s name, date
The space in the upper of publication, and page
A full-sized newspaper page,
usually around 21-23 inches right or left corner of the
front page.
Frist to take on border bill first number.
high x 12 – 14 inches wide. By Stephen Dinan
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Immigration reform will come later
that it can enforce immigration
laws before Congress turns to a
guest-worker plan.
Senate Majority Leader Bill “I think what I’m saying is
Frist said yesterday that the diate issue, it needs to be ad- the Senate will pass a bill before But it puts him at odds with probably parallel to that,” Mr.

Budget Senate will tackle border secu-


rity and interior immigration
enforcement before turning to
dressed more aggressively, we
need to do that.”
Speaking with The Washing-
adjourning next year.
He said the next immigration
bill should address border se-
President Bush and immigra-
tion rights advocates, who have
said they want action on a
Frist said. “The understanding
of immigration issues will be
accelerated by the condition of

The articles proposed to fill that Mugshot United Press International


the broader question of immi-
gration reforms and a guest-
worker program.
ton Times by telephone after a
helicopter tour yesterday of 300
miles of the U.S.-Mexico border
curity and could cover interior
enforcement as well.
As majority leader, he con-
broader guest-worker program
this year.
His position on tackling en-
understanding what border se-
curity is about, what internal

see FRIST, page A14


day’s news hole A firsthand look: Senate
Majority Leader Bill Frist took a
“It is a separate issue, but it’s
one that people understand,” the
in Texas, Mr. Frist said he does
not know whether an immigra-
trols the floor schedule of the
Senate, and his decision will
forcement first is similar to for-
mer House Majority Leader

Small photograph of a helicopter tour of the Texas-


Mexico border yesterday.
Tennessee Republican said of
border security. “It’s an imme-
tion bill can pass this year be-
cause of a heavy workload, but
please many conservatives, who
are calling for enforcement first.
Tom DeLay, who says the gov-
ernment must prove to voters
● Texas sheriff criticizes lax
federal border security. A11

Circulation person’s face, often a file


The number of newspapers sold photo. Iraqi ploy foils terrorist attack District
or distributed; the newspaper expands
department responsible for
selling and delivering Headline camera Subhed
newspapers (Also hed) A large-type program (Also subhead, drop
summary at the top of a Foes see move head or deck) Smaller
Classified ads story. to raise cash type headline under
An (inexpensive) ad offering or By Tarron Lively
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
main hed.
seeking merchandise or D.C. officials this weekend
will expand their automated
traffic-enforcement program,
services such as automobiles, even though a record-low per-
centage of motorists are speed-
ing through the District.
housing, or jobs Critics of the program at-
tacked the expansion as the Dis-
trict’s latest effort to reap more
revenue from traffic cameras,
which have generated about

Copy $117 million in fines since the


program began in 1999.
Two new photo-radar cam-

Words in a newspaper eras will begin issuing tickets to-


morrow. The cameras will snap
pictures of speeders in the 600
block of New York Avenue
Northeast and in the 3400 block
of Benning Road Northeast.

Copy desk In addition, a new red-light


camera will target traffic at

The editors who check for Cutline Photographs by Maya Alleruzzo/The Washington Times
Florida and New York avenues
in Northeast tomorrow.
During the 30-day warning

accuracy, style, grammar, etc., The identification and/or


Firefight: Lt. Hayder (left) and Capt. Furat, both of the Iraqi army, fired machine guns at assailants who attacked their convoy in Baqouba, Iraq, yesterday. period, more than 25,000 vehi-
cles were caught speeding by
the two radar cameras. The red-
light camera caught 546 viola-
Jumpline
and write headlines and cutlines explanation of a tors.
According to the most recent
statistics from the Metropolitan
Direction to continue the
photograph. Police Department, 3 percent of

see CAMERAS, page A14


story on another page
Dateline (e.g., "See BUSH, Page
Where (and sometimes when) a Iranian B8").
picture or story originated
Chopper cover: Iraqi army soldiers escorted a decoy Taking aim: Capt. Furat fired at terrorists hiding in a Casualties: One Iraqi soldier and two Iraqi election
militants
Display ads convoy of trucks containing no election ballots from
Baqouba. The real convoy arrived safely in Muqtadiya.
palm grove who tried to ambush the decoy convoy.
Thirty Iraqi soldiers participated in the operation.
workers were wounded in the attack on the decoy
convoy, but they were expected to recover. in power
Ads including both copy and By Maya Alleruzzo
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Decoy draws fire as ballots reach their destination bone-jarring explosion of a
roadside bomb followed by a stir fears
graphics, designed to attract BAQOUBA, Iraq — Joint
Iraqi and U.S. security forces
foiled an attempt by terrorists to
lots from the Iraqi Electoral
Commission and heavily armed
with Iraqi forces — drew fire
drive away.
Thirty Iraqi soldiers, accom-
panied by a reporter-photogra-
most merciful,” said Iraqi army
Lt. Hayder, who, like other Iraqi
soldiers, goes only by one name
barrage of rocket-propelled
grenades and rifle fire.
Within seconds, Iraqi soldiers
By Bill Gertz
readers’ attention. Unlike ambush a truck delivering bal-
lots to the nearby city of Muq-
tadiya yesterday, one in a series
from terrorists hiding in a palm
grove outside of Baqouba at
midday.
pher for The Washington Times,
were assigned to the dummy
convoy. It was an all-Iraqi oper-
to protect his family from being
targeted by terrorists.
“This mission is dangerous.
responded with a wall of auto-
matic-weapons fire. The terror-
ists ran.
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

The rise of militants to power

classified ads, they are placed of attacks ahead of tomorrow’s


vote on a permanent constitu-
Unknown to the enemy, three
ordinary pickup trucks carry-
ation. No U.S. soldiers were
present.
Any civilian car moving be-
tween our cars should be seen as see IRAQ, page A16
positions in Iran is raising new
worries about Iranian military

throughout the newspaper Rule tion.


A decoy convoy — disguised
to look like it was carrying bal-
ing the real ballots already were
delivering the precious cargo to
the city of Muqtadiya, an hour’s
The Iraqis were ready for a
fight.
“By the name of Allah, the
a threat,” Lt. Hayder said before
the mission got under way.
The attack began with the
● President Bush praises Iraqi
efforts to draft constitution. A4
forces’ deploying new weapons
that threaten oil supplies or fu-
ture long-range nuclear or
chemical missile strikes.
Straight line on a page. Military specialists say the
Islamist regime in Tehran has

Conservatives call INSIDE


Friday, October 14, 2005

Editorial Volume 24, Number 287, 7 Sections, 110 pages


Grape expectations not invested heavily in the past
decade in new tanks, armored
vehicles or warplanes, but in-
Nation
An essay that gives the to withdraw Miers Show  Tuning In / D2
 Creating ‘Wallace & Gromit’ / D4
 Moore the real ‘Winner’ / D4 DEATHS PROBED — The drive wine group stead focused defense spending
on “asymmetric” warfare capa-

Byline
 TV listings / D5
 Movie listings / D6
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2005
 Music of Wonder / D2
SECTION D
Louisiana attorney general’s bilities.
office investigates deaths related These include Iran’s covert

newspaper’s official position on ‘Stupid mistake’ slammed D


omino Harvey was my cousin.
I did not know Domino — mythologized
as a dangerous and seductive thrill-
seeking bounty hunter in the new film
“Domino” (reviewed below) — when
she was growing up in England. I first
com-
Keira Knightley
portrays Domino
Harvey in “Domino.” to Hurricane Katrina at more than
20 medical facilities, including Terrain, climate stressed nuclear program and new Sha-
hab-3 and older Scud missiles

The name of the person


muni-
Reminiscence
charges of euthanasia at a New that could deliver nuclear,
cated with her in
1997, when she
was 28 years old. Joshua Sinai
At the time, she
lived in Los An-
geles, and I lived (and still do) in the Washington

an issue, which regularly


area.

Orleans hospital. A3 chemical and biological


Her father, the famous screen and stage star
Laurence (Larry) Harvey, was my father’s
younger brother (our original family name was

By Charles Hurt By Jen Haberkorn


Splash News
Laurence Harvey and Paulene Stone are pictured with see COUSIN, page D3
their daughter Domino Harvey.

weapons hundreds of miles


THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Bad choices World THE WASHINGTON TIMES

appears on an "editorial page" who wrote the article. The nomination of Harriet Miers to the
Supreme Court has splintered President Bush’s aving assaulted at age 35. She
DOZENS KILLED — Street
battles between Islamic militants
For the wine industry, location is the toast of the
town.
away.
Iran’s military power is under
scrutiny after new Iranian Pres-
base and triggered a growing demand from his
H and security forces kill dozens of The European Union and two wine trade ident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
the public with was awaiting trial
“Man on Fire,” on a federal nar-
which unleashed cotics rap.
Denzel Washing- Portrayed by a willowy,
ton as a body- surly and pretty much en-
guard at war gulfed-and-devoured Keira

that is separate from the news


with the Mexi- Knightley, Domino was the

own supporters to withdraw her nomination. people in the southern Russian groups have created a new group to help educate recently placed the country’s
can underworld, daughter of actor Laurence Har-
director Tony
Scott now perpe-
trates, with
“Domino,” a distaff variation that
Movies
might as well be called “Baby Gary Arnold
Doll Ablaze.” 

“What a stupid, stupid mistake,” said Mark W. city of Nalchik. A17 American consumers about where their bubbly nuclear arms program under
Confined mostly to a depraved
Los Angeles-Las Vegas corridor,
this hellbent criminal spectacle vey, who died in 1973 when he
purports to memorialize the mis- was 45 and Domino was 4 — or 8,
spent life of a prodigal, Domino according to one of the minor ex-
Harvey. The subject died of a
drug overdose a few months ago see DOMINO, page D3

Smith, a member of the conservative Federalist and other wines come from. the control of the Islamic Revo-

pages. Index
Society who has actively supported Mr. Bush but
wants to see the nomination withdrawn. “You
cannot fix this for 25 years.”
DOMINO’S LIFE — Model-
turned-bounty hunter Domino
Harvey, the subject of a film
AutoWeek / G1-8
Beltway / A5
Business / C9-14
Ring / A6
Metro / B1-6
Movies / D6-7
The Center for Wine Origins, which opened in
the District last month, has started a three-year
campaign targeting consumers, retailers and law-
lutionary Guards Corps, which
are charged with protecting the
regime.
Conservatives have stuck with Mr. Bush opening today, is fondly recalled Classified / E1-5 Nation / A3-10 makers stressing the importance terrain and cli- Iranian forces also have pur-
through the bloodiest and gloomiest days of the by her cousin, Washington writer mate have in giving wine grapes a specific taste. chased and built large coastal

Feature A list of sections and war in Iraq, held firm as administration officials
are investigated for revealing a CIA operative’s
identity and given him a pass on the galloping fed-
Joshua Sinai. D1
Comics / E6
Commentary / A20
Culture / A2
Politics / A7
Pruden / A4
Sports / C1-8
“We want to educate American consumers on
the broader issue of the importance of location,”
said Miranda Duncan, a spokeswoman for the
forces equipped with high-
speed, anti-ship cruise missiles
that could be used to disrupt

An article or item that is not features and their page eral spending. But blowing the historic opportu-

see MIERS, page A16 7 02803 87040 7


Daybook / A10
Editorials / A22
Home Guide/ F1-44
Stocks / 10-11
Television / D5
World / A17-19
center.

see WINE, page A14


strategic oil supplies throughout

see IRAN, page A16

news: comics, advice columns, numbers.


art, theater reviews, human
interest stories, etc.
Graphics
Charts, graphs, or other News hole ed" pages (for "opposite the Rule Tabloid
illustrations that enhance the The space for which news and editorial" page) A straight line in newspaper A newspaper half the size of a
look or aid in understanding a features are budgeted after ads design, usually described by broadsheet
newspaper story or article. are inserted, or laid out Paginate width (e.g., a one-point rule)
To design or lay out pages on a Thumbnail
Half-tone Offset press computer Slot editor Smaller version of mugshot.
Pictures made up of dots of A printing press in which a plate The senior copy editor who does
different sizes makes impressions on a Political cartoon the final reading or review of Web press
rubberized blanket, which A cartoon that uses satire or copy An offset press that prints
Layout transfers the image to newsprint caricature to comment on simultaneously on both sides of
To design and arrange the current events or issues (also Syndicate a roll of newsprint
elements of a page Opinion pages known as an editorial cartoon) As a noun, an agency or service
That section of a newspaper that that provides articles, Wire Service
Letters to the Editor presents columns by writers who Rim editor photographs or features An agency that collects and
Usually appearing on the editorial can be syndicated, regular One of the copy editors who simultaneously to multiple electronically syndicates
PAGE 2

page, the letters provide readers contributors, one-time does the first reading of final publications; as a verb, to do so. (distributes) news and
with the means to respond to contributors, or newspaper staff copy photographs to newspapers for
what they read in the newspaper. members; also called the "op- a fee.
A DAILY Miracle
The value of newspapers
What if you had to deliver a major report every day
in your class. Your presentation has to be in
writing, accurate, well organized and visually
appealing, for your teacher and classmates.
What a huge job!

AN "A+" think you will appreciate what


men and women at newspapers
Boston postmaster John Camp-
bell published the Boston
WHAT IS NEWS? tional newspaper.
If the production assistant to
EVERY DAY go through. If they were re-
porting every day to their
News-Letter on a single page
printed front and back. Camp-
To answer, "What is news?" filmmaker George Lucas is
thrown from her horse and breaks
you have to know about the
For sure, many of you are in- teachers, we think they would bell’s weekly publication lived needs and interests of your her leg, it is not news. But if it hap-
terested in the world around you. earn an A+. longer than Publick Occur- pens to George Lucas, it is defi-
You want to know how well the After you learn from reading rences – until 1776. By the end
audience. Did your younger nitely Hollywood news and may
country is being run and how A Daily Miracle, perhaps you of the Revolutionary War, the sister lose a tooth today? Most show up as a short item in general
your local government officials will find some aspect of newspa- colonies had 43 newspapers in newspaper readers couldn’t care interest newspapers nationwide.
are doing. per and "new media" work inter- print. less. Imagine opening up your John Bogart, an editor of the
To stay current, you could read esting as a career. Take a mo- Look at a copy of your local daily newspaper and reading: New York Sun in the late 19th cen-
the Congressional Record – the ment to give this some thought. newspaper. It’s clear to see that Seven-year-old girl loses an- tury, has said, famously: "When a
complete and official proceed- It’s exciting to be part of today’s newspapers have come a long other tooth dog bites a man, that is not news
ings of the U.S. Congress. You world of communications. way in the last 250 to 300 years. "Susie Smith lost her right because it happens so often. But
would also want to study the an- Newspapers were the dominant front cuspid today," according to if a man bites a dog, it’s news."
nual budget presented to Con- source of news until sometime Charlie Smith, her 14-year-old Most media try to present a
gress by the Executive Branch.
You would also want to talk to a
THE NEED TO after the emergence of televi-
sion in the middle of the 20th
brother. "It was really bloody,"
said Charlie.
mix of "hard" news and "soft"
news. "Hard news events," write
lot of people so you could under-
stand what people are thinking.
COMMUNICATE century.
Now the Internet – the "new
Susie explained that she will
put the tooth under her pillow
Bruce Itule and Douglas Ander-
son in News Writing and Report-
Do you think you could stay People have always felt the media" – provides a huge and tonight. "I hope the tooth fairy ing, "such as killings, city council
knowledgeable in this way and need to communicate and to varied amount of news content brings me a dollar," she said. meetings and speeches by lead-
still have enough time for school record the events of their lives, 24 hours a day. The newspaper "This is the fourth one I’ve lost." ing government officials, are
work, activities, family and whether by cave drawings, clay industry at first puzzled over timely and are reported almost
friends? tablets, hieroglyphics – or what to do about news being de- This news may be of interest automatically by the media. Soft
One person can’t keep up all today’s newspapers. livered over the Internet, and to you, your parents, a few of news events, such as a lunch to
by himself. That’s where news- then embraced it. Newspapers your sister’s friends, and her honor a retiring school custodian
papers come in. They provide a On the American continent, are now expanding into the dig- dentist – but no one else. or a car wash by fourth-graders
service by employing journal- Benjamin Harris published the ital world and becoming "infor- Consider some other exam- to raise money for a classmate
ists who conduct research and first newspaper in 1690. Publick mation companies." ples: with cancer, are not usually con-
then report, write and edit so Occurrences was four pages Many newspapers use the In- The story about a National sidered immediately important
that it is clear, concise, accurate long, with two columns on each ternet and streaming video to Guard unit being called to ac- or timely to a wide audience.
and interesting. page. But it didn’t last long. The distribute their news content tive duty will be a top story in These events still contain ele-
When you see how much co- colonial government shut it while maintaining the newspa- the community affected, but ments of news, however, and the
ordinated effort is required to down after the first issue. per as the core product. would not be covered in the media often report them."
publish a daily newspaper, we Fourteen years later, in 1704, same manner, if at all, in a na-

Chronology: A brief history of mass communications


75,000BC 2,000BC 1200 1400
75,000 BC: 3,500 BC: 3,000 BC: 2,000 BC: 59 BC: In 740 AD: First 1234: Koreans 1276: First 1450: 1474: In
Cave drawings Pictographs in Cuneiform Introduction of Rome, Julius printed use moveable newspaper Gutenberg Bruges,
in South Africa Sumeria writing papyrus Caesar orders newspaper, in type to print published in introduces Belgium,
develops in Acta Diurna to China books (Fabriano) Italy printing press William Caxton
Sumeria; be posted daily with moveable prints and
hieroglyphics in type publishes the
Egypt first English
language book
PAGE 3
A DAILY Miracle
Responsibility and Integrity

Great traditions are established with difficulty and only maintained with constant
vigilance. Journalism in America is no different. "Freedom of the Press" is a
First Amendment right of American citizens. The responsibility of the
press as an institution must not be taken for granted.

FREEDOM OF since 2000, according to an


annual Gallup survey on public
voice to the media consensus that
is often formed by pack
and editors do so as a routine
matter of journalistic principle.
Let’s even say that the demon-
strators were strongly encour-
THE PRESS confidence in major institutions.
The confidence level for
journalism. Approximately one-fourth of
the editors of more than 150
aged to appear at the political
rally by their employers, and
How important are newspapers television news was also at 28%. daily newspapers in the U.S. that they were paid for their time
and other media to this country? BIAS IN THE MEDIA listed fairness and objectivity
as the most pressing ethical is-
off from work. Then, is that the
most important story?
Look at the U.S. Constitution. A journalist is a person just
This diminishing confidence sues facing journalists today. There are always choices. De-
There is only one business in the media is partly due to what like you, with his or her own cisions made moment-to-mo-
mentioned. That is the "press." is referred to as "pack" journal-
ism. You all know that it is easy
unique experiences and AN EXAMPLE OF ment are often dictated by a
newspaper’s resources and the
background. How can journalists
The First Amendment reads: to follow the crowd – or "pack." report the news objectively? NEWS JUDGMENT pressure of deadlines.
"Congress shall make no law re- Everybody wants to be liked and
specting an establishment of re- have friends. It’s no different The decision about what
ligion, or prohibiting the free ex-
ercise thereof; or abridging the
among journalists. It’s more
comfortable to play follow-the-
Editors often assign reporters
to cover a story, and sometimes
photographs to take and which
ones to publish doesn’t happen
BUSINESS
freedom of speech, or of the
press, or the right of the people
leader. It also means less work.
However, citizens are poorly
say what angle they want cov-
ered. How can editors keep their
by accident. It requires news CONGLOMERATES
judgments.
peaceably to assemble, and to served when a dominant news personal viewpoints from slant- AND THE NEWS
petition the government for a re- operation first defines the mean- ing news coverage?
dress of grievances." ing of an event and other re- If a newspaper has a point of Someone assigns a photogra- Former TV anchorman Dan
The Founding Fathers knew porters just fall in line. view, does this mean that its news pher. The photographer decides Rather said at a speech at
that there could be no freedom if Good editors and reporters coverage is biased? What kinds when to take pictures and what Fordham University that the
the government was allowed to work hard. They look beyond the of points of views could a news- to include – whether to include business conglomerates that own
control information. surface. Is there a story behind paper have? Newspaper are con- protesters waving signs, for in- the broadcast networks are
Freedom of the press does not the apparent story? Is someone stantly making choices about stance, or to zoom in on the damaging to the practice of good
mean that journalists can break trying to manipulate informa- what stories to cover, and where speaker’s face. Here, ethical journalism.
laws that apply to everybody tion in their self-interest? Who’s to place them in the paper? questions can arise.
else. For example, a journalist lying? Who’s telling the truth? We all have biases based on If the photographer takes a He decried a "new journalism
can’t go onto someone’s private What’s the evidence? our life’s circumstances. Just as tight shot of the speaker’s face order" where news executives
property to conduct an interview A bold, enterprising reporter there is no such thing as a com- to capture the speaker’s ex- and editors can lose their jobs if
without permission, and a jour- can attract slings and arrows. pletely "unbiased" person, an "un- pression, this may be good news they fail to deliver profits to
nalist who reports falsely and But if a newspaper is not willing biased" newspaper or news judgment. But if demonstrators shareholders and get on the
harms someone’s reputation may to pursue the facts wherever they broadcast may be a noble ideal, are not included because the wrong side of powerful political
be sued for libel. lead, think independently and but in reality, it is a fiction. photographer or editor wants to interests. He said this leads to
report what is learned, then why This being said, it is critically help the candidate, this is bad fear in the newsroom.
even be here? important that reporters do their journalism intended to manipu- This "New Journalism Order"
PACK JOURNALISM Newspapers, reporters and
editors are serious about the
very best to keep their biases
out of their news coverage. Oth-
late the reader.
What if the photographer in-
is not confined to broadcast cor-
porations. "The media are spi-
Americans are losing public responsibility involved in erwise the reporter and news cludes the protesters because raling toward a concentration of
confidence in their traditional reporting and interpreting the organization will damage them- he agrees with them, even if ownership in fewer and fewer
sources of news—whether print news. For this reason, in the na- selves and the people they are there are only 20 noisy, placard- large corporations," writes
or broadcast. Those having tion and worldwide, newspapers covering. waving demonstrators at a po- Melvin Mencher in News Re-
strong confidence in newspapers provide students and all other One important way to report litical speech as compared to porting and Writing.
have declined from 37% to 28% citizens who wish to be well-in- fairly is to include opposing 3,000 people there who support
formed with a leading, respected points of view. Good reporters a candidate?

1500 1600 1700


1476: Caxton 1477: Monte 1536: The first 1539: Juan 1605: 1640: Puritans 1690: 1702: The 1704: Boston 1719: William
prints and Sancto di Dio, newspaper in Pablus Antwerp’s in Cambridge, Benjamin Harris Daily Courant, postmaster Brooker
publishes the the first book Europe, the introduces Nieuwe Massachusetts, publishes the first daily John Campbell launches the
first book in with intaglio Gazetta, is printing to Tijdingen, the print and Publick newspaper in publishes The Boston Gazette
England illustration, is published in Mexico and the first weekly publish the first Occurrences, the English Boston News- to compete with
published in Venice, Italy New World newspaper in book in the the first language, is Letter The Boston
Florence, Italy Europe, is colonies newspaper on published in News-Letter
introduced the American England
continent, which
was shut down
after the first
issue
PAGE 4
A DAILY Miracle
Responsibility and Integrity

HOW MEDIA entering an almost-feudal period


where there will be many more
DIFFER centers of power and influence."
(Business Week, January 17,
Some say the evolution of 2005)
television and the Internet spells
the end of printed news. What
do you think?
Each distribution channel for
What is
news has its strengths and weak-
nesses. As a print medium,
newsworthy?
newspapers focus on the read- Melvin Mencher of
ability of the news and informa- Columbia University lists and
tion while television and cable describes eight factors that
are providing their "product" determine what is
through an audio-visual newsworthy in the tenth
medium. The cost of a print jour-
nalist covering a story is less edition of his book, News
than that of TV, which needs ad- Reporting and Writing
ditional personnel such as a (McGraw Hill 2005).
cameraman. 1. Timeliness – events that
Radio and television news- are immediate
casters often rely on newspa- 2. Impact – events that are
pers and the wire services (As- likely to affect many people
sociated Press, UPI, Reuters,
Agence France Presse) for 3. Prominence – events
their information. Notice how involving well-known people
frequently broadcasters refer or institutions
to articles in that day’s news- 4. Proximity – events Seven-year-old Dean supporter Samuel Wood of Fort Dodge, Iowa yawns as Democratic presidential
paper. geographically or hopeful Howard Dean speaks at a pancake breakfast in Fort Dodge to rally support leading up to the
Television has a one-size-fits- emotionally close to people Iowa caucuses Thursday, January 15, 2004.
all approach to the news, and 5. Conflict – strife,
delivers it at a modest intellec-
antagonism, warfare,
tual level, often, with strong vi-
sual impact. challenges The photographer decides
Information over the Internet
is delivered more quickly than
6. The Unusual – things
that are truly different,
when to take pictures and
by newspapers. Internet viewers
can choose what news they want
bizarre, strange, wondrous what to include – whether to
7. Currency – an idea
and how deeply they want to go
into a subject. They can interact
whose time has come include a young supporter
online with people who have the
8. Necessity – the
journalist has discovered
yawning, for instance, or to
same interests.
However, credibility on the something he or she feels is zoom in on the speaker’s face.
Internet can be an issue. An ar- necessary to disclose
ticle in a newspaper is edited by "These eight news values Here, ethical questions can
two or three people, who check
accuracy, grammar, consis-
do not exist in a vacuum,"
Mencher writes. "Their
arise for the photographer and
tency in style, and readability.
"Bloggers" range from rep-
application depends on editors.
utable writers with reasoned those who are deciding what
and documented arguments to is news, where the event and
people writing with total disre- the news medium is located,
gard for facts. the tradition of the
"The Roman Empire that was newspaper or station, its
mass media is breaking up," says audience and a host of other
Orville Schell, dean of the Uni- factors."
versity of California at Berkeley's
journalism school, "and we are

1750
1721: Ben 1729: Ben 1732 – 1758: 1733: John 1752: The first 1754: Ben 1768-69: 1776: Boston’s 1783: The 1788: The
Franklin takes Franklin’s Ben Franklin Peter Zenger, newspaper in Franklin prints Samuel Adams Massachusetts Pennsylvania London Times
over publishing Pennsylvania publishes Poor publisher of the Canada, The the first editorial and the Sons of Spy publishes Evening Post is launched
the New Gazette is the Richard’s New York Halifax Gazette, cartoon: “Join, Liberty publish an eyewitness becomes the
England most prominent Almanack Weekly Journal, is launched or die” their “Journal of account of the first daily
Courant when newspaper in is found not Occurrences” in Battle of newspaper in
his brother the colonies guilty of newspapers Lexington and America
James is “seditious libel” the “shot heard
arrested round the world”
PAGE 5
A DAILY Miracle
Who works at a newspaper?
There are many important jobs in the business and editorial operations of a newspaper
company. A career in the newspaper business is very interesting, whether in editorial,
production, circulation, advertising sales, marketing, computer services, or accounting.
word usage, sentence structure and
In editorial operations, re- secretaries, and shuttle drivers eral interest newspapers, business side of the news section and as-
porters and editors become criti- for vans that transport employees. papers, and sports papers. There sistant managing editors for such
conformity to the paper's stated
cal thinkers and well-informed, There are pressmen (male and fe- are also papers for a particular functions as production, special style.
good listeners who can organize male); newspaper carriers and ethnic group, such as Hispanic, projects, features, and design. Some mistakes caught by the
their thoughts and communicate their supervisors; marketing, ad- Afro-American, Korean or Chi- Each section or desk also has an copy desk can be funny - but only
information quickly and clearly in vertising, circulation and facili- nese, and there are papers for an editor. For example, there is a met- if they're corrected before publi-
writing. Photographers, illustra- ties departments; accountants; urban audience and papers for a ropolitan editor, national editor, cation. A recent story called folk
tors and other graphic artists get truck drivers; salesmen; and ad- suburban audience. The publisher foreign editor, business editor, dancers "rhythmic, jubilant and
to use their imaginations and have vertising department artists. also decides whether a newspaper and sports editor. Many of them infectious." They weren't, in fact,
the satisfaction of seeing their Hundreds of people must work will be a daily, or a weekly, or pub- have deputy editors, as well. (The infectious, but their energy was.
work enjoyed by hundreds of thou- together to produce the paper lish, say, five or six days a week. copy desk is run by a copy “chief” A misplaced modifier turned a
sands of people each day. every day. Hundreds more pro- The publisher typically dele- because everyone on that desk is novel into a teacher: "A former
There are so many different vide the services necessary to run gates responsibility to a general a copy editor.) teacher, Mr. Fowles' first novel . . .
kinds of jobs on the business side the buildings and other facilities manager for the business opera- Opinion editors are separate became a best-seller." Weak writ-
of a newspaper. One thing is for on a newspaper campus. tions of the paper and to the edi- and distinct from the news editors. ing led to descriptions of a "new
sure. Life at a daily newspaper is tor in chief for management of the The editorial page editor has re- innovation" and "enormous giants,"
lively, and no two days are ever the editorial contents. sponsibility for the editorials and as if an innovation could be old or
same. EXECUTIVE Newspaper owners have tradi-
tionally given their opinions on
letters to the editor, while the com-
mentary page editor has respon-
a giant small.
Such errors can make a copy
MANAGEMENT the issues of the day in editorials. sibility for the opinion columns editor smile, but others, including
STAFF There’s a distinction among
In most large newspapers today,
this important function is dele-
whether they are syndicated, writ-
ten in-house, or arrive at the news-
factual errors, could embarrass
the paper and damage its credi-
Most people assume that if younewspaper executives between the gated by the owner to the editorial paper unsolicited "over-the-tran- bility. It's the copy desk's job to see
work for a newspaper you are an owners (shareholders), the page editor and editor in chief som." that they don't get into print.
editor, reporter or photographer.president, the publisher, the general based on trust and understanding. Photographs are important to a A copy editor must have a
Yet these aren’t the only jobs. manager and the top editor. The newspaper, and a photography ed- strong grasp of correct English
ownership of a newspaper is itor handles this part of the paper. and pay close attention to details
Reporters are the heart of a ultimately responsible for the EDITORIAL Photographs add information to but also must be knowledgeable
newspaper. Editors plan the cov- company’s well-being. the stories and improve the about such subjects as politics,
erage, provide assignments, su- MANAGEMENT paper’s look. A newspaper without economics, history and popular
pervise, and have ultimate re- When The Washington Star the work of outstanding photog- culture.
sponsibility for the work of the began losing money, the owners The editor in chief runs the raphers looks dreary. Graphic de- The copy editor's "tools" include
reporters. decided to close the doors. When editorial operation of the signers design a newspaper every a general usage stylebook, the
Some small weeklies might the Gannett Corporation launched newspaper. With senior editors, the day. This is a daunting task. newspaper's individualized style
have three people collectively fill- USA Today in 1982 as a national editor in chief decides what will be Graphics can take many forms: manual, a dictionary, the Internet
ing the roles of editor, reporter, newspaper, this was a decision of covered on the front page and photographs, drawings, charts, and the newspaper's reference li-
photographer, layout artist, the owners. Likewise, staff cuts an- establishes the general policies for graphs or any visual representa- brary. Most newspapers use the
printer, ad salesman, and ac- nounced by the New York Times newsroom operations, editorial tion that helps you to interpret in- Associated Press stylebook and
countant. On the other hand, some in 2005 were a decision ultimately content, opinion pieces, and news formation. At a newspaper or complement this with their own
large dailies have so many editors made at the ownership level. photography. magazine, photographs are usu- style rules. The Chicago Manual of
that even some newsroom re- Owners of medium-sized and ally considered as distinct from Style is used by some newspa-
porters aren’t sure what they all large newspapers typically dele- The managing editor coordi- graphics. If the pictures are ma- pers.
do. gate responsibility to the presi- nates news coverage day to day. nipulated in some way, we call The Internet has made it easier
There are other jobs at a news- dent or publisher. The person at You will often see the managing them photo illustrations. to double-check information, but
paper. For example, windows and the top of some newspapers has editor on the floor of the news- editors must be careful about the
doors need cleaning and polishing. both titles; at others, he or she has room, talking with reporters and source of online information to be
The parking lots require snow re-
moval in the winter and the build-
one title or the other.
The president or publisher im-
other editors. Most days, the man-
aging editor leads the news meet-
COPY DESK AND sure it is accurate. In addition to
performing the final editing, copy
ings need trash removal every day. plements the guiding concept and ings. During these meetings, edi- COPY EDITING editors write the headlines for sto-
There are computers requiring direction for the newspaper en- tors talk about the stories their ries and the captions for photo-
maintenance and a Web site that terprise and is responsible for all sections are working on and the The copy desk is a story's last graphs, making them conform to
must be updated. The cafeteria aspects of the entire operation. As photography editor takes notes stop on the way to publication. the page designer's specifications
needs employees to prepare the the owner’s representative, the about which stories can be illus- Copy editors look at both the "big for length.
food, run the cash registers, and publisher decides what kinds of trated with good photographs. picture" - the information a story
replenish buffet tables. readers the newspaper will "tar- A deputy managing editor is re- conveys - and the "little picture" -
There are also security guards, get." For example, there are gen- sponsible for the administrative punctuation, spelling, grammar,

1800
1791: The U.S. 1800: Iron 1808: El 1813: The 1827: 1828: 1831: William 1835: The 1841: In 1847:
Congress presses enable Misisipi is Troy, New York Freedom’s Cherokee Lloyd Garrison New York London, the first Frederick
passes the First printing on published in Post introduces Journal, the first Phoenix is begins Herald type-composing Douglass and
Amendment, larger sheets of New Orleans, the term, “Uncle newspaper in published, as publishing introduces machine is Martin Delaney
guaranteeing paper as the first Sam” the U.S. for the first Liberator, an dedicated introduced begin publishing
freedom of the Spanish- African- newspaper for abolitionist sections in the The North Star
press language paper Americans, is Native newspaper newspaper
in the U.S. published by Americans (business,
John metropolitan,
Russwurm and national)
Samuel Cornish
PAGE 6
A DAILY Miracle
Who works at a newspaper?

Newspaper
Organizational Chart PRESIDENT / PUBLISHER

All newspapers are different. This is a


general example of how a newspaper
company can be organized. GENERAL EDITOR
CONTROLLER
MANAGER IN CHIEF

MANAGING EDITORIAL OPINION


EDITOR (ME) PAGE EDITOR PAGE EDITOR
ACCOUNTS ACCOUNTS CREDIT/ GENERAL PURCHASING
RECEIVABLE PAYABLE COLLECTIONS LEDGER DEPUTY ME

ADVERTISING CIRCULATION MARKETING PRODUCTION SUPPORT ASSTISTANT


DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DIRECTORS MANAGING
(FACILITIES, HUMAN EDITORS
RESOURCES, COMPUTER
RETAIL CLASSIFIED NATIONAL SERVICES, ETC.)

SALES SERVICE PRE-PRESS PRESS DISTRIBUTION

COMMUNITY PROMOTIONS
RELATIONS RESEARCH ARTISTS

GRAPHICS PHOTOGRAPHY LOCAL / CITY STATE NATIONAL FOREIGN FEATURES

1850 1900
1848: 1851: Paul 1856: The 1865: 1880: The 1892: The weekly 1896: 1905: Robert 1907: UPI was 1982: USA
Representatives Julius Reuter New Orleans Reporters first half-tone Afro-American The first Abbot begins founded in 1907 Today is
of six New York founds the Daily Creole, during the Civil photo newspaper is newspaper publishing The by E.W. Scripps launched
newspaper news agency the first War develop the (Shantytown) founded by former comic, “The Defender, in as the United and leads a
publishers form that becomes African- “inverted is published slave John H. Yellow Kid,” Chicago, which Press (UP), and in change in
a news pool Reuters wire American pyramid” style in the New Murphy, Sr., in the appears in gained circulation 1958 merged with the look of
which becomes service daily, is that puts the York Daily Baltimore- the New York over 100,000 and in the International newspapers
the Associated published in most important Graphic Washington area; the American 1956 became the News Service with their
Press English and facts at the top Afro-American now Chicago Daily (founded by extensive use
in French of the story they has an announced Defender, the William Randolph of color
were readership of largest black-owned Hearst) and
telegraphing 120,000 daily in the world became UPI
PAGE 7
A DAILY Miracle
Analyzing EDITORIAL
editorial CARTOONS
cartoons The word "cartoon" might make
us think of the antics of Daffy
Duck or the Road Runner, both of
Looking at a which contain elements of satire;
political cartoon, they use humor to make a serious
ask yourself:
1. Who is
point. The Simpsons is a cartoon
pictured? of social commentary, although it
2. What are they is veiled by absurd situations and
doing? caricatures.
3. What are they While it is generally true that
saying? reading requires more involve-
4. What do you ment from the reader than televi-
have to know about sion or movies require from view-
history and current ers, political cartoons (also called
events to editorial cartoons) require a
understand what reader’s added attention. To un-
the cartoon means? derstand an editorial cartoon, the
5. What does the reader must:
cartoon mean? 1. Understand what is happen-
6. What makes it ing in the news;
work? 2. Make the connection between
7. How does your the cartoon and one or more cur-
philosophical or rent events and situations, and;
political alignment 3. Appreciate the irony that the
influence whether cartoon suggests.
you consider it As an example, note the famous
funny? Or does it cartoon below from American his-
get you steamed? tory. Ben Franklin’s "Join or Die"
cartoon in his own Pennsylvania
Gazette was the first editorial car-
toon in an American newspaper.
To appreciate this cartoon, a
reader must know that Franklin
had developed a plan called the
"Albany Plan" to unite the colonies
for their mutual protection and
security. Franklin asserted that
one of the factors that had led to a
recent French attack on Virginia
had been the lack of unity among
the colonies. He therefore showed
a snake with severed sections.

His caption (cutline) suggested


that the whole serpent would be
threatening to a potential enemy
whereas the severed parts invited
an enemy to divide and conquer.
If you understand political car-
toons, you are probably well-
versed in history and current
events. If they make you angry —
or smug — you probably hold
strong opinions and values.
Many political cartoonists have
long and distinguished careers.
They runs ideas past their editor
and then polishes the one or two
top political cartoon ideas for his
review.
Not all cartoons are done in-
house at the paper. For the Com-
mentary page, editors look for
syndicated cartoons that best il-
lustrate an issue that columnists
address in that day’s paper.
PAGE 8
ADAILYMiracle
A day in the life of a newspaper
When we consider "A Day in the Life of A
Newspaper," our first inclination may be to think of
reporters and editors and that’s understandable.
However, the organization of a newspaper is
multifaceted and it’s a business. So, there are
accountants, customer service representatives, sales
people, computer service technicians, human
resource professionals and people to maintain the
buildings and grounds – to name just a few of the
many skills required to operate the company. All of
them will be represented in this snapshot of a
representative day at a newspaper.
First, we present a broad the Web and television. In many overseas are reporting, writing
overview of those in the news cases, editors are making as- and filing stories while the rest of
department because they are the signments by phone and e-mail us are asleep. Local reporters
ones we most likely associate before they even come into the are often called out early by
with the newspaper. Their rep- newsroom. Remember, the 9/11 breaking news events, break-
resentative day can be lively, in- attack came as reporters and ed- fasts with newsmakers and the
teresting, and unpredictable. Ed- itors were still getting dressed for like.
itors and reporters are at it from work. You can set your watch by five
the moment they wake up, check- At any given moment, a re- key times in the newsroom each
ing their own paper at home and porter is probably working some day. (Note: Actual times vary by
monitoring the competition via place in the world. Reporters newspaper) These are the:

11 a.m. news meeting chaired by the managing editor where news editors
brainstorm about coverage of the day's developments

4 p.m. news meeting chaired by the editor-in-chief and the managing editor
where the desk editors pitch their best stories for page one

5:30 p.m. page one meeting in the editor-in-chief's office where the seven
page-one stories and accompanying photos are selected, immediately
followed by the front-page design meeting

10:30 p.m. deadline for the first edition

12:30 a.m. deadline for the final edition.

Not included in this list are the The dayside copy desk editors selected in the evening, each of In most jobs, the day gets eas- tuning any stories they feel need
series of deadlines for copy that work throughout the day on copy the desk editors completes the ier as it goes on; in the newsroom improvement.
is edited throughout the day for for advanced sections and for planning of their respective sec- the pace picks up as the day goes So, for those working out of the
the non-news sections of the the feature sections of the daily tions, adding or eliminating sto- on and we move closer and newsroom, "fluid" is the best term
paper, for setting the color for in- paper that are less likely to be ries depending on the amount of closer to deadline. Being a to describe any given day. For the
dividual pages and for ensuring impacted by breaking news space available to them. They newsman is also a 24-hour-a-day, entire newspaper company
that copy flows at a steady pace events (for example, arts pages, are also working with the news 7-day-a-week job because you when does the day begin? Well, it
from the news department to the letters to the editor). desk on the layout and design of just never know when big news can begin at any time because it’s
production department all day Reporters are in and out of the the pages. The night editors on is going to happen. continual. So, let’s be arbitrary in
and up until the final deadlines. newsroom all day long on as- each desk are then charged with Desk editors begin planning looking at the newspaper as a
Desk editors or their deputies signment, meeting sources and bringing the whole thing to- for the next day before they leave whole and start at 8:30 a.m. with
are at their desks in the news- covering news events. They rou- gether on deadline. The assistant in the evening, looking over the the understanding that we can
room by 9:30 a.m., fielding calls tinely update their desk editors managing editor for production schedule of events in the day- present only snapshot examples
from reporters and checking on big news developments. The and the news editor are the key book and talking to reporters of what a day might look like for
the news wire services that managing editor and other sen- players from here on out. They about their coverage plans. those employees who help make
come into the company com- ior editors, meanwhile, are in- routinely check in with the edi- The editor in chief and the possible the daily miracle that
PAGE 9

puter system. They also con- teracting with desk editors, re- tor in chief or the managing ed- managing editor routinely check best describes the process of
tinue to monitor television news porters, graphics artists, itor in the event of big breaking in from home via computer, sign- turning blank pages into a news-
reporting and Web sites photographers and copy editors. news, particularly if it requires ing off on the front page after paper each day of the week.
throughout the day. After the page one stories are changes in the front page. changing any headlines and fine-
The DAILY Miracle
Design of a newspaper

A reader’s first impression of a newspaper


comes from its design. Here are examples of
the front page of four different newspapers
from the same day. As you can see, the visual
look of newspapers can vary greatly.
PAGE 10
The DAILY Miracle
Design of a newspaper

GRAPHIC DESIGN In feature sections, graphics clude the size and style of fonts Within a newspaper, the de-
might be used to clarify infor- that will be used throughout the sign of the news section is dif-
Newspapers use graphics mation, but they also might be newspaper, the length of stories, ferent from the design of the en-
carefully. When used with news used to entertain or to make a use of boxes and rules, and spac- tertainment section. The size
articles, they are included to point. Caricatures, collages, and ing between elements. It is the and weight of headlines will dif-
make information more the size and style of type fonts overall design that establishes fer; usually, photos and other
comprehensible. Charts and are designed to convey informa- the feeling of the newspaper and graphics will be more promi-
graphs provide a quick and clean tion to readers. allows us to distinguish between nent in the paper’s entertain-
way to visualize what a story is In a larger sense, the graphics The Washington Times, the Wall ment section. The design of each
PAGE 11

trying to convey and they can department is responsible for a Street Journal, USA Today, the section should be appropriate to
reader’s first impression of the Washington Post, and other its content.
add detail and context. newspaper. Design choices in- newspapers.
The DAILY Miracle
A day in the life of a newspaper
Let’s now take a look at what’s going on in the rest of
the newspaper, and how that connects with the
activities of the newsroom. We’ll present this as a
representative schedule.

5:15 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.:


Deadlines for electronic
transmission of various sections
Editors discuss how to cover the day’s news. Editors at computer work stations prepare the pages and edit copy. from News to Pre-Press:
5:15 p.m. Commentary, editorial
1:00 and comics
p.m.: 7:15 p.m. Features and movies
A newsmaker 9:45 p.m. Business
arrives at the 10:00 p.m. Metro
paper for a 10:15 p.m. News
meeting with the 10:30 p.m. Sports
editorial board. 1:40 p.m.: 2:15 p.m.:
11:00 a.m.: The meeting The manager of The advertising Pre-press paginates the
The managing yields news that the Newspaper director reviews newspaper, placing each page in
8:30 – 9:00 editor (ME) is considered 1:30 p.m.: in Education special section 2:45 p.m.: the order in which it will be printed.
a.m.: 10:00 a.m.: A begins the worthy of front Early press run program (NIE) proposals that The newspaper The negatives are sent to the Plate
Employees in high school morning news page treatment page counts are receives a call will be hosts a visit Room where information from the
business class arrives for meeting with in the next day’s locked in and from a local submitted to organized for negatives will be burned onto
operations a tour of a editors and key newspaper. presses made high school prospective foreign aluminum plates, to be placed on
arrive for work. newspaper. reporters. ready. teacher. advertisers. journalists. the presses.

8:30 9:30 10:30 11:30 12:30 1:30 2:30 3:30 4:30 5:30 6:30 7:30

9:30 a.m.: 10:45 a.m.: 11:20 a.m.: 1:30 p.m.: The 1:32 p.m.: The 2:00 p.m.: 2:30 p.m.: 4:00 p.m.: In 4:00 p.m.: 5:30 p.m.: The
A reporter The general The building desk editor for copy editor A photographer Human the regular Final page editor in chief
receives a press manager that houses the features reads retrieves and in Iraq sends Resources afternoon news counts for the chairs the page
release along reviews a printing presses her reporter’s edits the story great photos to processes meeting, a main edition are one meeting,
with a 25-page proposal on experiences a story on on Adoption the photo editor, health benefits dozen stories decided and where the page
study from the how to increase 10-second loss adoptions, Day and writes who brings for three new are selected for locked in. one stories and
National the page views of power. makes a couple a headline: them to the employees. the front page, accompanying
Adoption Day and unique Emergency of changes “More women foreign news Buildings and out of 20 or more photos are
Coalition. She visitors to the generators are which she want to adopt; editor and the grounds staff presented for selected,
and her editor newspaper’s activated discusses with few do.” managing prepare for a consideration. immediately
decide to cover web site. automatically. the reporter, editor. weekend followed by the
the story. then places the cleaning the front-page
story in a folder floor-to-ceiling design meeting.
on the computer newsroom
network. windows.

Photographers
and a reporter
cover the news.
PAGE 12
The DAILY Miracle
A day in the life of a newspaper
Newspapers are printed
(left) and stacked in
bundles for delivery
vehicles.

10:10 p.m. –
12:40 a.m.:
Negatives are
sent from Pre-
Press to the
Plate Room. 12:00 a.m.: One or more presses
Deadlines for are rolling, and an extra press is
negatives of kept in reserve in case one goes
Final Edition down. 40,000 newspapers an hour
copy to be sent fly off the presses – in color! The
to the Plate 11:00 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.: The continuous sheet of newsprint
Room: one-star editions are printed. At passes through the presses faster 1:30 - 3:30
12:00 a.m. first, the presses run slowly so than the eye can see, across a.m.: The 2-
Metro Section pressmen can pull papers from the rubber rollers onto which images star Final
12:15 a.m. production line and check them to have been transferred from Edition
News Section be certain the colors are clear and aluminum plates. Each roller is newspapers roll
12:30 a.m. that print material, photos and inked with one of 4 colors – cyan, off the presses In the early morning hours,
Sports Section graphics are in alignment. They magenta, yellow, and black. Each and are loaded newspapers are delivered to 8:30 a.m.:
1:00 a.m. tweak the computers that control color is transferred to the newsprint onto trucks for customers at their homes Another day,
Final negatives the density of each color as each from the rollers in correct delivery to local and through coin boxes. another Daily
shipped. is applied to the newsprint. proportions. communities. Miracle .

8:30 9:30 10:30 11:30 12:30 1:30 2:30 3:30 4:30 5:30 6:30 7:30 8:30

10:30 p.m.: 11:45 p.m.: 12:30 a.m.: 12:56 - 2:36 a.m.: Copies of the 4:00 a.m.: The circulation director meets with news
Deadline for Trucks are Deadline for one-star edition are being trucked carriers in the field to thank them for having delivered
stories for the loaded with stories in the to distributors for delivery to home newspapers to homes and stores in the midst of
first edition. one-star final edition. subscribers. inclement weather.
editions for
delivery to
carriers and
distributors in
outlying areas.

PAGE 13

The press room is where the final newspaper product comes to life.
A DAILY Miracle
Design of a newspaper

Different sections of the newspaper use photos and


graphics in different ways. Compare the use of
photographs and illustrations in the news, sports,
and feature sections.

Inside news pages use photos and graphics to Sports pages make dramatic use of action photography Feature pages use photography and illustrations to pull
communicate information in the most accessible manner. and statistical graphics to tell stories in a style that the reader into softer, more entertaining content.
Timelines, maps and charts are some of the graphic reflects the content, which is a combination of news and
tools used to communicate effectively with the reader. entertainment.

Photography by "cutlines" – a few words of


explanation. As photography could be very creative about how scanned as pixels and read as may reach for a simple portrait
developed, the newspaper they got their film back to their digital zeroes and ones. With to show how the subject of an in-
There have been dramatic editors on deadline. They hired little more than a high-resolu- terview appears, but more and
changes in the way photographs industry began using halftonehorses; they sent their materials tion camera, a laptop and a cell more often they require pictures
are obtained and how they are photographs. All the shades of
by boat and trains. They even phone, the photographer can to convey the essential actions
used in a daily newspaper. A gray in a picture were translated
converted airplanes into flying instantly transmit pictures to and emotions that fit the story.
hundred years ago, editors hired into tiny black dots of varying
darkroom laboratories. Newspa- and from almost every corner There are different kinds of
artists to trace newsworthy sizes. The first newspaper pers used datelines to tell read- of the world. photographs in a newspaper.
PAGE 14

photographs by hand onto slabs photograph appeared in the New


ers where and when a story or The most important change Compare the photographs ac-
of wood. These carvings, or York Daily Graphic in 1880. picture originated. for newspaper readers, however, companying news articles to
"woodcuts," were accompanied For the last 20 years, news- is the way that pictures are used photographs accompanying fea-
In the past, photographers paper photographs have been to convey information. Editors ture articles and sports events.
The DAILY Miracle
Opinion matters Celebrated editorial writer
Price Day is another celebrated newspaper editorial writer. Previously a poet,
essayist, war correspondent in World War II and Pulitzer Prize winning reporter, Day
EDITORIALS AND Some newspapers believe that of-
fering a diversity of opinions is a
torial writing and former presi-
dent of NBC News, lists his 4
became editor in chief of the Baltimore Sun in the mid-1960s and wrote about issues
great and small. He responded to a reader’s Letter to the Editor:
COMMENTARY good idea, so that readers can be
given opposing views. Other
greatest editorial writers from
difference eras. These are: Dear Editor: I am married to a writer. What can I do?
newspapers choose to have opin-  Horace Greeley, who in- UTTER DESPAIR
Until the end of the 19th
century, most newspaper ion columns predominantly re- vented editorial writing Dear Utter Despair: Your problem is essentially insoluble. Certain ameliorative
publishers made little effort to flect their editorial positions.  Henry Watterson, who measures may help.
There is a "Letters to the Edi- coined the phrase during World 1. Keep his pencils sharpened, if he writes with pencils.
separate news reporting from tor" section, which gives an op- War I, "To Hell with the Haps-
opinion. Newspapers were often 2. If he writes on a typewriter, keep the typewriter sharpened. If he carves his stuff
portunity for informed readers burgs and the Hophenzollerns" on large slabs of stone, keep his chisels sharpened.
founded for politically partisan with strong opinions to express  William Allen White, the 3. Don’t bother him about money. He lives on another plane.
reasons. As time went on, their views, often in support of or "Sage of Emporia" 4. Do not argue with him about politics.
newspapers began to distinguish in disagreement with a newspa-  Vermont Royster of the Wall 5. Do not argue with him about anything not politics.
between objective news reporting per’s editorial opinion, or an ar- Street Journal, awarded a Presi- 6. Do not ever, either in public or in private, correct your husband’s spoken
and statements of opinions. ticle in the paper. dential Medal of Freedom by
grammar.
A newspaper’s editorial-page President Reagan.
The American journalistic tra- staff consists of the men and They all had in common pas- 7. Remember that writers are always working, whether they seem to be or not. Do
dition is now to keep news and women who write the unsigned sion, knowledge and great re- not jar or jiggle his meditations
opinion separate and to clearly editorials that represent the porting skills. 8. If the writing your husband does happens to be for a newspaper, it is required
alert the reader when opinion newspaper’s official position on Gartner believes the most in- that he receive with his tea a copy of the morning paper, carefully folded to display
rather than news is being pre- issues. Editorial writers must fluential editorial ever written most prominently his own work. The proper thing to say at this moment is, "That’s
sented. stay informed through meeting was by Horace Greeley criticiz- a wonderful piece of yours in the paper this morning." You need not have read the
News is to be reported objec- with sources in much the same ing Lincoln for not freeing slaves. piece.
tively, accurately, and honestly. way as reporters. Their opinions Lincoln responded that his object
Opinions are placed in the edito- must be well-informed, or no- was to save the Union, not to abol-
rial and commentary pages.
Opinion columns can represent
body will read them.
Michael Gartner, a Pulitzer
ish slavery. Yet six months later,
Lincoln issued the Emancipation
Information technology Wire services
many different points of view. Prize winning journalist for edi- Proclamation. at work No newspaper can afford to
have a reporter or photographer in
Every year, information every city around the world, so they
technology plays a more important rely on stringers and wire services
Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus role in our lives and in the ways the or news agencies. In 1848,
newspaper industry operates. representatives of six New York
"Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus," is the most frequently-quoted line from a Reporters and editors rely newspapers formed the
newspaper editorial. Francis Church wrote the editorial in the New York Sun on heavily on computers and the Associated Press (AP) to pool
Internet for newsgathering, international news instead of
September 21, 1897, in response to a letter from an 8-year-old child. research and for transmission of separately bearing the financial
graphics and written information. cost of trying to "scoop" each
This trend started in the 1990s with other. (In your mind’s eye, can you
We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, ex- larger newspapers leading the way. imagine competitive reporters in
pressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered Today, this reliance on information rowboats trying to be the first to
among the friends of The Sun: technology has carried over to the get the news from ships arriving in
newspaper’s printing function and ports from Europe? What a sight
administrative activities. that must have been.)
I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, At many newspapers copy is In 1851, Paul Julius Reuter
"If you see it in The Sun, it’s so." Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus? transmitted from the newsroom to founded a news agency that
Virginia O’Hanlon the printing presses electronically. became Reuters Wire Service. E.W.
The printing plant uses computers Scripps founded the United Press
Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism to determine the amount of ink that in 1907. Following a merger in 1958
of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing gets placed on the presses and the with the International News
can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, order in which the newspaper’s Service, founded by William
whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a delivery trucks are loaded when Randolph Hearst, the wire service
mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, papers come off the presses and became United Press International
are bundled. (UPI).
as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowl-
Technology enables newspapers The AP wire service sends
edge. to have an international presence.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. stories and pictures to more than
Newspapers also have their own 15,000 news outlets in more than
He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that electronic editions. Many
they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would 100 countries. A newspaper can
newspapers are available each day also obtain photographs via the
be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no on www.NewsStand.com as an Internet from Reuters, Agence
Virginia's. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tol- exact electronic reproduction of France-Presse and Xinhau wire
erable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The each printed page of the paper. You services.
external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. can also read many newspapers by
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get logging on to their website.
your papa to hire men to watch all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa
Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove?
Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most Newspaper style
real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you Newspapers use a style book that sets the rules on how to present
ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are the printed word. Punctuation, abbreviations, use of titles, spelling,
not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and un- capitalization, and other such issues are covered.
seeable in the world. Read the paragraph below. This is what you don’t want to read in a
You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a newspaper. The contents and grammar are accurate. But notice the
veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united mixed up style. How many inconsistencies can you find?
strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, The President of the US lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Northwest,
love romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty whereas the vice president’s official residence is on Mass. Avenue, NW.
and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else Mr. Bush and Cheney meet in the White House Wednesday mornings
at 7:00 a.m. and Thursdays at four o’clock pm. The President and the
real and abiding.
PAGE 15

Vice-president are the two top elected leaders in the United States.
There are also 100 members of the Senate, 435 Members of Congress,
and 9 justices of the US Supreme Court.
The DAILY Miracle
Start the presses
Presses in the 18th and 19th centuries
were hand powered. Type was set by
hand, a roller inked the type, and single
pages were fed into a press by hand. This
labor-intensive process was tedious and
slow.
By the 1850s, technology made possi-
ble the mass production of newspapers
using presses powered by steam engines.
Type was still set by hand until the latter
part of the century with the introduction
of "linotype" machines that had keys like
those on a typewriter.
Presses older than 20 years are often
approaching the end of their expected life
cycles. These presses typically print
about 45,000 papers per hour and can
print full color on a select number of
pages.
Today’s state-of-the-art presses are far
more efficient than the ones they are re-
placing. They utilize computer-controlled
motors, operate more quietly, and require
far less maintenance because they have
fewer components.
New tower presses are manufactured
in a vertical configuration to save much-
needed floor space. They print about
80,000 papers an hour. The same press
can print on different size and weight pa-
pers simultaneously and can print full
color on each page.
MAN Roland is the world’s largest
manufacturer of newspaper presses. One
of every 3 newspaper presses in the world
is manufactured by this company. One of
its new presses is six stories tall and more
than two football fields long.
Digital printing is another printing in-
novation. Just as digital cameras are Pressmen check newspapers for color and alignment.
changing how we take, process, and ma-
nipulate photos, digital printing enables
presses to be smaller and controlled by with colored tape of various widths. order, they are sent electronically to the carrying the plates from the newsroom to
software. When the completed pages were ap- imagers. The imaging machines convert an offsite printing plant got a flat tire.
If we look into the distance, some fu- proved by an editor, they were taken to the the digital computer language to film,
turists are predicting that newspapers camera room, where they were placed on which is then taken to the plate room as
will be "custom-made." That is, newspa-
per subscribers will tell the newspaper
a glass-covered tray that tilted vertically
in front of a six-foot camera that looked
it was in the past. Press Room
what types of news coverage they want. like one your great-grandparents might When the plates are ready, pressmen
The newspaper will place in each person’s have used. The camera operator snapped Plate Room attach them to cylinders in the web
home a special printer and every day, the a picture and the full-sized broadsheet or presses — so called because of the way
newspaper will transmit a copy of that tabloid-page negatives were developed Printing plates are flexible, light-weightthe newsprint weaves through them.
day’s custom-made newspaper via the In- inside the camera and dried as they were aluminum sheets that are treated to be Web presses simultaneously print both
ternet. It will be designed to meet the cus- delivered to the adjoining stripping room sensitive to light, much like photographic sides of the continuous newsprint roll.
tomer’s specifications for news. Do you a few moments later, where workers cre- film. Before the plates can be used, a The presses are designed so that a new
think this might really ever happen? Well, ated a separate film for each of the pro- machine punches holes along the side,
guess what. Several leading world news- duction colors needed to create full-color roll falls into place when the previous
like the holes in composition paper. The roll is used up.
papers are participating in a test being co- pictures – cyan, magenta, yellow and plates are stacked inside a plate- making
ordinated by Personal News, a company black – CMYK. (Every color picture in The ink spreads over the plates. An
in the Munich-Augsburg area of your newspaper is produced from these machine, ready to slip into place when the electrical charge causes the ink to adhere
Germany. four colors and each color requires a sep- film is ready. to the copy. Images that are exposed in the
arate negative.) The films — negatives that will be used developing stage are transferred — back-
to print pages — are stacked on the edge wards — to a rubber blanket that stamps
Composing Room of the machine into which they will be fed the impression on the newsprint as it
The newspaper pages with final copy,
Pagination one-by-one, either automatically or man-
ually, depending on the machine.
speeds through the press. This process of
transferring ink from the plate to the
headlines and graphics are “composed” Copy and images are sent electronically When film enters the machine, a vac- blanket and from the blanket to newsprint
on a computer by page designers working to a paginator who lays out the pages on uum pulls it flat against the aluminum is called offset printing.
on the copy desk and in the editorial a computer and electronically sends them plate onto which a bright light burns the The entire process takes a fraction of a
graphics department. The process is to the composing room. There the pages image. The plate moves on a conveyor to second once the presses get rolling. Ad-
entirely electronic. are paired in the order in which they will a second machine that develops the image justing and testing make the process begin
be printed. This is different from putting and scrubs away the plate’s protective slowly, but the presses then begin running
In the old days — just a few years ago the pages in numerical order. film. When the image is fully developed, very fast. More impressive than mere
— once the copy was edited it went to the a conveyor feeds it into a final machine speed, each four-color picture is a com-
composing room. There men and women For example, take a look at the four that bends the edges where the holes posite of four pictures. The newsprint
used Exacto® knives to cut out articles pages of a single sheet of a newspaper. If have been punched. Then the plates are passes rapidly through cyan, magenta, yel-
they then "glued" in place on page boards, the page is pulled from a section that has ready to be "tied on" or "bent on" to the low and black presses to build a four color
which were full-sized sheets of graph 20 pages, you will see that pages 1 and 20 printing press. picture in the blink of an eye. The precision
paper. They used hot wax to place the ar- — the first and last pages — are paired or At some newspapers, pages are trans- required to print four perfectly registered
PAGE 16

ticles and images onto the correct pages. "married" to each other. They are printed mitted directly from the computers to the pictures — along with all the other pages
The wax held them in place and allowed as one sheet. In like manner, pages 2 and presses. That’s a far cry from the days that are cut and folded in less than a sec-
the compositors to reposition them as 19 are printed together as are pages 3 and when customers would receive their morn- ond — is an exceptional feat of technology.
necessary. Borders or rules were created 18, 4 and 17 etc. When the pages are in ing paper 45 minutes late because the van
The DAILY Miracle
Distributing to the customer
What happens to newspapers
after they are printed? They are without any newspaper in their porters are busy at their jobs,
homes have no idea what they and the advertising sales ac-
strapped in bundles and taken to are missing, not only locally but count executives, circulation and
loading bays where trucks wait nationally and around the world. financial managers, and press
to carry them to their If you have a friend who doesn’t operators are busy at theirs, the
destinations. have a newspaper delivered to company needs to make sure
Presses often start running the house every day, try to talk to that their computers and cell
between 11:00 and 11:30 p.m. By your friend’s parents about how phones are up-to-date and work-
about 11:40, the first bundles are important a daily newspaper is ing, that the building is main-
being loaded for outlying areas. to your friend’s overall educa- tained properly, that the cafete-
The destinations farthest away tion. Perhaps you can make a dif- ria provides healthy and tasty
are shipped first. All of the 1-star ference. food, and that all personnel is-
editions are on their way by Information on the Newspa- sues are handled well.
about 1:15 a.m. (One or two stars per in Education program is
in the folio of the cover identifies available by calling your local Newspapers and information
the edition. The word "FINAL" newspaper. companies can be very profitable.
appears above the last edition of In the entire U.S., the total
the morning.) amount of money spent each year
The pressmen make any
changes that have come from
FINANCIAL to advertise in newspapers is
the newsroom since the first run SERVICES around $45 billion.
started, and the 2-star edition The largest newspaper group
starts rolling off the presses at Newspapers are loaded onto waiting trucks and vans and for delivery. Managing money is a key part in the country in terms of circu-
about 1:45 a.m. By 3:30 a.m., all of any business. A newspaper’s lation is the Gannett Company.
the newspapers are on their way. chief financial officer is Their 99 daily newspapers have
Sunday newspapers are usu- responsible for handling the a combined daily paid circula-
ally much larger than weekday When the newspapers reach country recognize the educa- company’s finances, typically tion of 7.6 million, which resulted
editions, because of more ad- their intended regions, they are tional value of newspapers. They reporting directly to the in $7.4 billion in earnings in
vertising and additional features. delivered to distributors or car- participate in Newspaper in Ed- president or to the general 2004. Besides its daily newspa-
riers. Some newspapers are ucation (NIE) programs, where manager. pers, its businesses include
placed in stores, others in coin schools receive sponsored or re- many weekly publications, 21
CIRCULATION racks and still others are deliv- duced rate newspapers for use in
ered to homes, schools, hospitals, language arts, social studies, sci-
Companies follow standard
accounting procedures and fi-
television stations, more than
130 web sites, the Gannett News
The Circulation Division is hawkers (people who stand on ence, math, character education nancial practices, managing Service, and Gannett Offset, a
responsible for all sales of the street corners selling the news- and a wide variety of other sub- money and preparing reports commercial printing operation.
newspaper. Circulation is critical papers) and hotels. jects and programs. that show where the newspaper The Tribune Company owns
to a newspaper’s success In addition to delivering the NIE improves student liter- is making money and where it is 14 daily newspapers including
because advertising rates are newspaper, circulation also acy. In Measuring Success, a re- spending it, how much money it the Chicago Tribune, Newsday,
linked to a newspaper’s seeks to increase readership by port commissioned by the News- has to pay bills, and how much the (Baltimore) Sun, and the Los
readership. The more readers a undertaking campaigns that use paper Association of America and when money is coming into Angeles Times. Tribune also has
telemarketing, direct mail ad- (NAA) Foundation, Prof. Daniel the company through advertis- broadcast holdings that include
newspaper has, the more it can vertising, special promotions, Sullivan of the University of Min- ing, newspaper sales, and other 25 TV stations, cable network
charge to advertise in its pages. rack cards, and kiosk sales. This nesota found: "When controlling means. WGN, stakes in the WB Televi-
Paperboys used to be the most requires familiarity with the de- for other factors, data suggest A company also must operate sion Network and the TV Food
visible circulation department mographic make-up of the mar- that having an NIE program for according to a budget or spend- Network. It also owns the
employees, throwing newspa- ket and how the many sections of at least some classrooms at a ing plan, and make wise pur- Chicago Cubs baseball team and
pers from their bicycles to sub- the newspaper meet each per- school will increase the overall chasing decisions in order to get has numerous Internet invest-
scribers’ front doors. Then girls son’s individual needs. performance of the school, on av- the best price and quality for its ments. Revenue in 2004 was $5.7
started taking newspaper routes. Circulation is also responsible erage, by about 10 percent." The money when buying everything billion. Except for the Los Angles
Now, at most big newspapers, for handling all of the needs of complete report is available on- from newsprint to food for the Times, profit margins at news-
adult route carriers throw news- our customers through the Sub- line at http://www.naafounda- employee cafeteria. papers owned by the Tribune
papers from their cars or vans scriber Services Department. If tion.org/pdf/measure suc- Company average close to 30%.
before most of us are out of bed subscribers want to start, stop, or cess10.pdf The Los Angeles Times margins
in the morning. report a service issue, they con- Janet Eichenberg, a teacher at
The director of a circulation tact this department. Customers John Wright Middle School, par-
SERVICE are lower.
Knight Ridder is the 3rd
department plans how to main- can speak directly with a live ticipates in the NIE program. DEPARTMENTS largest owner of newspapers in
tain and increase the newspa- representative, use an automated She says: “The newspaper is a the U.S. The company’s newspa-
per’s circulation. He is respon- voice response system, or send great learning tool that is used Some jobs at a newspaper are per division has 32 dailies and
sible for providing newspapers information via the Internet. daily in my homeroom, language needed to support the work of more than 24 non-daily newspa-
for special events and promo- arts and reading classes.” everybody involved directly in pers. Knight Ridder describes it-
tions; coin rack placement, re- “Several of my students take creating and sustaining the self as "a communications com-
pair, and maintenance; street
hawkers; route carriers; their
NEWSPAPERS the paper home with them on a
daily basis. They understand that
newspaper. pany engaged primarily in
newspaper and Internet pub-
managers and supervisors; back IN EDUCATION reading a newspaper daily will Two examples of this support lishing." Revenue in 2004 was $3
issues; data entry; and customer make them a life-long learner.” role are computer services and billion.
service. Many schools around the Young people who grow up facilities management. While re-

 More than 55 million  Newsprint, the  Two hundred  Nearly eight in 10  57% of men and 52%
Did you know? people purchase a uncoated low-cost paper newsprint mills worldwide adults (78.6%) in the top of women in the U.S. read
 There are 1,456 daily newspaper each day in on which a newspaper is produce nearly 40 million 50 U.S. markets read a a daily newspaper
newspapers in the U.S. the U.S. printed, is made from tons of newsprint a year. newspaper during the
wood pulp and recovered The largest mill in the course of a week
 There are 6,580 daily  395 million people fiber from recycled paper world is in Japan.
newspapers worldwide purchase a newspaper  More than half of all
worldwide on any given adults (53.4%) in the top
day 50 markets read a daily
newspaper every
weekday
PAGE 17
The DAILY Miracle
Newspapers are a business
who advocate a position or are
ADVERTISING trying to persuade a course of Newspaper marketing de-
partments want to increase the
action by government or the
The advertising sales staff public. number of readers, and provide
seeks to develop lasting services that support the news-
relationships with those who Businesses, lobbying groups, paper’s advertising sales efforts.
advertise in the newspaper. nonprofit organizations, watch- Marketing department em-
Working hard and emphasizing dog groups and many others ployees research current reader
mutually beneficial relationships regularly place advocacy ad- trends and preferences. Busi-
vertising in the paper to per- ness and editorial management
is part of the company’s culture. suade Congress, the president, then analyze research informa-
It’s also a good business state legislators, the public and tion. Market-driven newspapers
practice, because advertising even foreign nations of their po- respond to reader preferences
plays such a key role in a sitions. within the context of the paper’s
newspaper’s ability to succeed. overall direction and identity.
Let’s work some numbers: It The marketing department
costs about 40¢ to 50¢ just for
the newsprint and delivery of
INTERNET then designs ad campaigns,
using such methods as radio and
each newspaper. This does not ADVERTISING television ads, bus and billboard
include the cost of salaries, Subscriber and advertiser information is kept in computer posters, and rack cards to at-
computers, printing presses, or databases to provide efficient and timely service. The Internet provides another tract people to the newspaper
any of the other steps in the source of revenue for and, hopefully, to gain more reg-
publishing process. newspapers as they build Web ular readers.
No matter how many news- billion. The $44.9 billion spent advertising by local merchants sites to complement their print A strong brand identity helps
papers a publisher sells, he is on advertising in newspapers that runs throughout a attract peoples’ attention.
newspaper.
publications.
not going to get rich when each that year was roughly 18.3% of
newspaper sells for 25¢ to 50¢ all ad expenditures. Retail advertising rates vary Sometimes newspapers offer
and it costs 40¢ to 50¢ to print!
Fortunately, newspapers are an
Ads are so important to a
newspaper’s revenue that when
according to the paper’s circu-
lation, the size of the ad, its po-
banners or links to advertisers
instead of using actual ads on
Researching The
efficient and cost-effective way
for retailers to reach a great
the newspaper is laid out each
day, the advertising is placed
sition in the newspaper, the
number of times it is scheduled
their Web sites. Although Inter-
net advertising may be less than
Market
number of people. first, while allowing a certain to run and whether or not the ad 5% of a newspaper’s gross rev- It’s important to know your
Revenue from advertising is amount of space for news con- is black and white or color. Ads enues, it can represent nearly customer. Marketing
what makes newspapers afford- tent. The space that remains for typically make up 50-75% of a half of a newspaper’s advertis- departments at newspapers are
able to a mass audience of read- news, information and opinion newspaper’s content. The ing growth, according to an responsible for identifying
ers. Advertising costs in elec- is called the news hole. amount of advertising deter- April 2005 annual survey by general information about adults
tronic media that reach millions mines how many pages will be Borrell Associates. in the region they serve and
of people are too expensive for in the newspaper on any given Borrell projects local online about the people who read the
most regional and local retailers.
But retailers know through long
CLASSIFIED day. advertising to increase by 51%
over the previous year, when newspaper. The information is
experience that advertising in ADVERTISING NATIONAL newspapers generated about used to inform editors about
reader preferences and to design
newspapers brings them results. $1.7 billion from their Internet
Most people think of
Account executives (AEs) sell
advertising space. They consult classified ads as a place to look ADVERTISING operations. ads and focus circulation on
people most likely to subscribe.
with and develop relationships when they need a job or want to
National advertising consists
with advertisers and, as an in- sell something. Yet classified ads of ads run by organizations with Newspapers contract with in-
centive, usually receive sales
commissions in addition to their
have many purposes. a national or regional presence MARKETING dependent research companies
for such studies. Scarborough
salaries. On smaller papers, Classified ads appear in a spe- that generally advertise in many What do you suppose is the Research specializes in media
AEs sometimes work only on cially designated section and newspapers and markets. The average age of newspaper and lifestyle research.
commissions, which might be are arranged by category, or advertising may originate at readers?
classification, for automobiles, company headquarters located
up to 20% of the cost of the ad to
the advertiser. real estate, job recruitment and hundreds of miles away, and the If you are 17, triple your age Marketing
Sometimes the advertiser or
their advertising agency de-
so on. Classified ads run either same ad run in many
as display ads (airy ads with publications.
and you’ll be close to the right
answer – which is 53. Those who
Art/Graphics
signs the ads; sometimes graphics and headlines) or obtain their news off of the In- Many newspapers have two
graphic artists in the newspa- "liner" ads (just a few lines of ternet are much younger. separate graphics departments
per’s marketing department do type). Both versions are classi- And many people use both
this. Whoever designs them, it is fied ads, along with legal no- ADVOCACY newspapers and the Internet for
— one that works with the news-
room and another that is part of
important for the advertiser to
be happy with the results.
tices and personal ads.
ADVERTISING the news.
Such information is very im- advertising and marketing.
There are three categories of A sub-category of national portant for a newspaper. It tells Marketing graphics designs
advertising: retail, classified,
and national. In 2003, spending
RETAIL advertising is advocacy the business and editorial man-
agement that younger readers
display ads and any art or de-
sign projects that do not fall to
advertising which, as the name
on retail ads was $21.3 billion,
on classified ads $15.8 billion,
ADVERTISING implies, is advertising by
need to be attracted at the same
time that older readers need to
the news department.

and on national advertising $7.8 Retail advertising is display organizations or even individuals continue to be satisfied.

 A roll of newsprint  May 3 is World Press  The original Hardy  The oldest American
Newspaper weighs nearly a ton. A
are used every year. We
don’t have enough cows Freedom Day. Boys novels were ghost newspaper still in
Facts mid-size newspaper may
use 40-50 rolls a day.
for that many Quarter-
Pounders.  In 2004, 71 journalists
written by Leslie McFarlane
(as Franklin W. Dixon), who
circulation is the Hartford
Courant (then The
 The cost of printing That’s as heavy as an M-1 were killed.2 worked at the Springfield Connecticut Current)
and delivering a Abrams Main Battle Tank  The United States (Mass.) Republican. founded in 1764.
newspaper is usually (or 320,000-400,000 has about 1,450 daily  99.4% of all retailers __________
more than the purchase Quarter-Pounders – newspapers and 6,700 consider the newspaper  Newspapermen who 1 Newspaper Association of America
2 World Association of Newspapers
3 Mike McDaniels,
price. before cooking). weeklies. their primary advertising became noteworthy BusinessKnowledSource.com
medium.3 novelists include Sinclair
 55% of homebuyers  American  More than 55% of Lewis; Ernest Hemingway;
PAGE 18

use the newspaper to find newspapers use more newspaper readers have Theodore Dreiser; F. Scott
a new home.1 than ten million metric some post-secondary Fitzgerald; and Samuel
tons (eleven million short school education. Clemons, writing as Mark
or U.S. tons) of newsprint Twain.
How to Read A Newspaper, By Walter Cronkite

The DAILY Miracle


from Thoreau: “It takes two to the story. by-lined by an expert on the Vietnam war, for example,
speak the truth – one to speak Look out for a lot of subject who explains the causes many people felt that the daily
and one to hear.” adjectives and adverbs. They of the news and its possible news wasn’t entirely satisfac-
don’t belong in an objective consequences to you. No good tory. The truth is, you could
Take A Three news story. They tend to color
and slant it so you may come to
newspaper will mix interpreta-
tion with the “hard” news, ei-
have gotten many important
new facts from the books com-
Minute Overview a wrong conclusion. ther. Interpretation goes be- ing out at the time.
Here’s how I tackle the Do look for bylines, yond analysis and tells you not
paper. For starters, I take a
three-minute overview of the
datelines and the news
service sources of articles.
just what will probably happen,
but what ought to happen. This
Pick A TV story
news. No need to go to the These will also help you judge a should be clearly labeled, or at And Follow It
sports section first, or the TV story’s importance and its facts. best, reserved for the editorial
listings. With my overview As you read a story you can page or “op-ed” (opposite the Now that I’ve taught you
you’ll get there quickly enough. weigh its truthfulness by asking editorial) page. the basics of getting under the
First I scan through the front- yourself, “Who said so?” Look skin of a newspaper, let news-
page headlines, look at the pic- papers get under your
tures and read the
out for “facts” that come from
unnamed sources, such as “a
Form Your Own skin.
captions. I do the same thing highly placed government offi- Opinion First Tonight, pick an important
page by page front to back. cial.” This could top you off I form my own opinion be- story that interests you on the
Only then do I go back for the that the story is not quite true, fore I turn to the editorial page TV news. Dig into the story – in
International Paper asked whole feast. your newspaper. Follow it, and
or that someone – for the pundits’ views. I don’t
Walter Cronkite, for years The way the front page is continue to follow it closely in
usually in Washington – is want them to tell me how to
television’s foremost news “made up” tells you plenty. For print. See if you don’t find your-
sending up a “trial balloon” to think until I’ve wrestled the
anchorman, and an ardent one thing, headline type size self with far more understand-
see if something that may hap- issue through to my own con-
advocate of the need for a free will tell you how the paper’s ing of the event.
pen or be proposed gets a good clusion. Once I have, I’m open
people to remain free by keep- editor ranks the stories on And see if you don’t have a
reception. to other reasoning. Resist the
ing fully informed, to tell you relative importance. A major far more sensible opinion as to
Another tip: check for temptation to let them do your
how your newspaper can help crop failure in Russia should the “whys” and “wherefores”
“Corrections” items. A good thinking for you.
you cope better with your world get larger type than an of that event, even down to how
newspaper will straighten out Here’s an idea I firmly
each day. overturned truck of wheat on it will effect you – and maybe
false or wrong information as believe in and act on. When you
If you’re like most people the Interstate, for example. even what should be done
soon as it discovers its error. A read something that motivates
you try to keep up with the news about it.
less conscientious one will let it you, do something about it.
by watching it on television.
That’s how 65% of us get Which Is The Main slide or bury it. Learn more about it. Join a Keep up with the news the
way my colleagues and I do – on
cause. Write a letter. You can
100% of our news – from the Story? constantly vote on issues by TV and in the newspapers.
24-odd-minute TV news broad- You’ll find the main or lead Learn to sift it for yourself, to
writing letters, particularly to
cast each evening. story in the farthest upper-right An Upside Down your congressman or state or heft it, to value it, to question it,
The problem – and I know
the frustration of it firsthand –
hand column. Why? Tradition.
Newspapers used to appear on
Pyramid local representative. to ask for it all. You’ll be in bet-
Reporters write news To understand the news ter control of your life and your
is that unless something really newsstands folded and dis- fortunes. And that’s the way it is.
stories in a special way called better, you can also read news
special happens, we in TV news played with their top right-hand — Walter Cronkite
the “inverted pyramid” style. magazines. Books help to fill in
have to put severe time quarter showing. They made up
That means they start with the the holes too. During the
limitations on every story, even the front page with the lead
end, the climax of the story, with
the most complicated and im- story there to entice readers.
the most important facts first,
portant ones. You’ll find the second most
then building more details in
important story at the top far
order of importance. This is
Get More Than left, unless it’s related to the
unlike the telling or writing of
lead story. Do you have to read
Headlines all the stories in the paper?
most stories, where you usually
So what we bring you is pri- Gosh, no. But you check them start at the beginning and save
marily a front-page headline all. Maybe the one that appears the climax for last. Knowing
service. To get all you need to at first to be the least appealing about the newspaper’s “inverted
know, you have to flesh out those will be the one that will most pyramid” style will help you sift
headlines with a complete effect your life. facts.
account of the news from a A well-reported story will
well edited and thorough news- tell you “who”, “what,” “when,”
paper. News Is Informa- “where,” and “how.” The best
Is it really necessary to get tion, Period newspapers will go on to tell
the whole story? Dorothy A good newspaper you “why.” “Why” is often miss-
Greene Friendly put it this way: provide four basic ingredients ing. And that may be the key in-

DECEMBER 14, 2005


“What the American people to help you wrap your mind gredient.
don’t know can kill them.” around the news: information, Many important stories are
Amen. background, analysis and in- flanked by “sidebars.” These
News people have a terpretation. are supporting stories that offer,
responsibility. And so do you. Rule #1 of American not news, but the “why” – back-
Ours is to report the news fairly, journalism is: “News columns ground and analysis – to help
accurately and completely. are reserved only for news.” you understand and evaluate it.
Yours is to keep yourself What is news? It is information Background offers helpful
informed everyday. only. You can tell a good facts. Analysis frequently
Page 19

I’ll never forget the newspaper story. It just reports includes opinion. So it should
quotation hanging in Edward the news. It doesn’t try to slant be – and usually is – carefully
R. Murrow’s CBS office. It was it. And it gives you both sides of labeled as such. It’s generally

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