BLUEFIELD —
Imagine balancing on a high wire while juggling tennis balls. If successful, it’s an awe-inspiring sight. One misstep, however, and the proverbial train wreck will ensue.
It’s how I feel every time a winter storm blows into Four Seasons Country.
I’m not fond of winter weather. It’s wet. It’s slippery. It’s cold — and the cold is the worst part. It invades one’s joints and spirit, making one long for green mountains and a lush tropical paradise.
Although I respect the opinion of those who view snow as pristine, jolly and traditional — you know, like the spirit of Christmas — I respectfully disagree.
But back to the point, which is one of my job duties — ensuring that every reader of the Daily Telegraph in seven counties across the two Virginias receives the latest breaking news stories in his or her paper. During spring, summer and fall, this is usually not a problem. We have the staff and resources in place to get the news out, and on time — barring any major mechanical issues.
Yet winter is a different story. This is the season for curve balls disguised as a foot of snow. A season of black ice, snow drifts and wind chill factors below zero.
It’s the season during which I ponder the feasibility of a move to a Caribbean island.
lll
Last weekend, our winter season started a bit early. I was on the phone with the newsroom staff and various department heads a dozen or so times on Saturday, Dec. 4. The question of the day was an early deadline. Snow was in the forecast, and folks throughout our building wanted to know if we were going to press early.
Sometimes this is an easy call; other times it’s not. Saturday it wasn’t easy.
Virginia Tech was playing for the ACC championship, and a win would mean the chance at the Orange Bowl title. Even non-football fans understood the importance of this game.
After receiving the first call from the newsroom early in the day, I began checking weather reports and radar. The initial forecast was 1 to 3 inches of snowfall during the day, and an additional 1 to 3 overnight. A 2-inch total is not so bad. Six inches would be a different story. I spoke with our circulation manager and we opted to stay with the planned deadline. We really wanted to get the Virginia Tech story in, but the game didn’t start until 7:45 p.m. and it was being televised nationally. Taking into account “TV time-outs,” we knew it wouldn’t end until 11 p.m. at the earliest.
lll
Although a game might end at 11 p.m. that doesn’t mean the press can start minutes later. Once a game ends, we have to wait for the story to come through — either from a local writer via e-mail or the Associated Press. This process can take a few minutes or half an hour. Once the story is received in the newsroom, the copy editor must read it, edit it and place it on the page — adjusting the page design as needed. It sounds simple, but it’s not. Copy editors are unsung heroes.
Once the editing and design are finished, the page is sent to film. For those unfamiliar with the process, it’s kind of like a camera negative of long ago, but it is the size of a newspaper page. This film is then sent to the plate room, where it is burned onto a metal plate. Burning a plate takes about three minutes for a black-and-white page, and about 12 minutes for color. Although three to 12 minutes may not seem like much time, when you are processing multiple pages on deadline, every minute counts.
After the plates are burned the pages go to the press, which may run smoothly or hiccup with mechanical problems, as machines sometimes do. In a great scenario, the press is finished in an hour or so and the papers are in the mailroom, where inserts are placed within the pages and the papers are bundled. On a perfect day, all goes smoothly. On a less-than-perfect day, there may be conveyor belt jams and inserting machine issues.
Once the papers are ready, they go to the carriers, who still have to deliver them up steep hills and mountainous roads.
lll
So back to the issue — snow is in the forecast but an ACC championship is on the line. I wanted to get the game in the next day’s edition, but sometimes my wants have to take a backseat to the greater good. Speaking with folks in the newsroom, I learned that travel was treacherous.
At this point, the realization was clear that we needed to get the paper out early to give our carriers more time to deliver them.
In the end, we — Publisher Darryl Hudson, Circulation Manager Chuck Sullins and I — opted to go to press early. Although I realize many Virginia Tech fans may have been disappointed that the big game coverage was not included in last Sunday’s paper, it was the right thing to do.
Ultimately, it’s a balancing act. Standing on the high wire, we try to make the best move for our customers. We hope it’s the right one. If not, there’s a long, cold winter ahead, with plenty of opportunities to step right — or wrong.
Samantha Perry is managing editor of the Daily Telegraph. Contact her at sperry@bdtonline.com.
Columns
December 12, 2010
Deadline drama: Impending snow brings tough judgment calls
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