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West Coast Blues
This is one of those weeks I’m especially grateful for the Internet.
That’s because the Phils are on the West Coast. As one of those dinosaurs who still makes his living for the most part printing ink on paper, that creates some problems for me.
It’s pretty simple, really. The game in San Diego started at 10:05. It took two hours, 39 minutes to play. Our deadline is 11:40. You do the math.
Yes, it means some of the most dreaded words in sports journalism. No, not “I don’t get it,” with apologies to sports columnist Jack McCaffery.
Instead it’s the disclaimer, “Last night’s Phillies-Padres game ended too late for this edition.”
That’s right. We don’t have the luxury of simply waiting for the game to end before starting our press. The truth is they could play all night.
We are faced with the unappetizing prospect of printing papers without the game result.
We do, however, have the ability to stop the press as soon as the game is over, update our coverage with details from the game – including getting the fact that the Phils won on our Back Page – and then restarting the press.
I believe we actually got the game into most of the papers last night.
We sent out the replates with the game result at 12:43 a.m.
With the wonders of the Internet, I can now post the result of the game online immediately. It’s one of my favorite things about the technology we’re embracing in our alter ego in the cyberworld. The truth is there are no actual deadlines when you’re working in the Web world, other than trying to post information as quickly and accurately as you can.
In effect what the Internet is allowing us to do is become a 24-hour newsroom. News doesn’t take a break. Our ability to post news online doesn’t either. We’re now doing it 24 hours a day, constantly updating, developing, and posting new information.
Our Web site this morning has full coverage of the Phillies game – including the details of another solid start from Joe Blanton and back-to-back homers from Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in a 5-3 win – even though it does not appear in all editions of our print product.
Who says you can’t teach an old dinosaur new tricks.
That’s because the Phils are on the West Coast. As one of those dinosaurs who still makes his living for the most part printing ink on paper, that creates some problems for me.
It’s pretty simple, really. The game in San Diego started at 10:05. It took two hours, 39 minutes to play. Our deadline is 11:40. You do the math.
Yes, it means some of the most dreaded words in sports journalism. No, not “I don’t get it,” with apologies to sports columnist Jack McCaffery.
Instead it’s the disclaimer, “Last night’s Phillies-Padres game ended too late for this edition.”
That’s right. We don’t have the luxury of simply waiting for the game to end before starting our press. The truth is they could play all night.
We are faced with the unappetizing prospect of printing papers without the game result.
We do, however, have the ability to stop the press as soon as the game is over, update our coverage with details from the game – including getting the fact that the Phils won on our Back Page – and then restarting the press.
I believe we actually got the game into most of the papers last night.
We sent out the replates with the game result at 12:43 a.m.
With the wonders of the Internet, I can now post the result of the game online immediately. It’s one of my favorite things about the technology we’re embracing in our alter ego in the cyberworld. The truth is there are no actual deadlines when you’re working in the Web world, other than trying to post information as quickly and accurately as you can.
In effect what the Internet is allowing us to do is become a 24-hour newsroom. News doesn’t take a break. Our ability to post news online doesn’t either. We’re now doing it 24 hours a day, constantly updating, developing, and posting new information.
Our Web site this morning has full coverage of the Phillies game – including the details of another solid start from Joe Blanton and back-to-back homers from Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in a 5-3 win – even though it does not appear in all editions of our print product.
Who says you can’t teach an old dinosaur new tricks.
posted by Heron's Nest at
6:59 AM
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