Newspapers, blogs a very strange world

Newspapers and blogging conspire to create a very strange world that’s somewhat lost in both time and space. You’ll never see the words “Yesterday ” or “Tomorrow” in print  because we need to keep the date of publication somewhat open in case of breaking news. The newsroom has an erasable whiteboard that says “Today Wed April 11 ; Paper Thursday April 12” to remind those on the newsdesk that even though the actual date may be Wednesday the copy they are editing and producing is for Thursday’s paper.

It’s even stranger when it comes to travel and the animal we call preprints. My travel section, for instance, appears in the paper the second Sunday of each month but goes to press a full week before that. And deadlines for Travel stories and photography need  to be in advance of that so the people who lay out the pages can work it in between their other jobs, such as laying out the daily paper.

Because of those deadlines I had to file my story about Middle-earth in New Zealand on March 16 since I was going to be in the Caribbean March 17 through 25 even though you didn’t see the story until April 8 (or maybe April 6 if you read it online)
That online thing adds another dimension since we’re a Digital First paper, meaning that stories go up online before they are in print.

Confused yet?

I sure am. My tan from my Bonaire trip has barely faded and I need to write the final New Zealand story in the Kiwi Kronicles series. That trip was last November. I also need to shepherd through the process and edit stories about the newest Disney ship and Playa del Carmen in Mexico which I helped to arrange for other News-Herald staff members.
The next travel section will be in the paper on May 13.
It’s almost time for me to get working on it now. But first I have next week’s Health, Food and Religion stories to do along with a story for Page 3 on Monday. Then there’s the following week and the one after that.
Whew!  What a strange world I live in.