Gazette team performs under trying conditions
In my weekly column for the Sunday Gazette, I wrote recently about a typical day in the life of the newsroom. Well, today was anything but typical.
We arrived this morning to find our computers didn't work. Oh, we could get to the Internet, and e-mail was fine, but we couldn't access any of the stories or photos for today's newspaper. As I wrote in my column, the first editors arrive shortly after 4 a.m. to get started producing the paper so we can make the 10:45 a.m. press start. And we generally need most if not all of that time.
But we were dead in the water when we arrived today. We quickly called the proper tech folks to get working on the problem. They got on it quickly, but they couldn't fix it. They finally had to call the vendor of our newspaper-specific computer system out East, and the people there dived in. All the time, the clock was ticking, and precious production time was getting away from us.
One hour. Two hours. Three hours.
Finally, we were told that the system probably would be up by 8:30 or 9 a.m. That would leave little time to finish unfinished local stories, review and choose wire stories, edit copy, design pages and get them approved and out to our printing plant.
We knew an on-time press start was out of the question. We agreed to shoot for 30 minutes late. Even that would require a huge scramble and the recruitment of extra bodies.
The system came back up just before 9, and we were off. Nearly everybody pitched in. We cut corners. People worked as fast as they could.
And we finished the last page well before 11, allowing for an 11:15 a.m. press start, just a half-hour past the normal time. Not bad for losing four hours of production time. The press crew and distribution folks did their best to make up the time, and nearly all readers got their papers on time.
Days like today are frustrating and stressful. But they also are rewarding. They show what a determined team can do when its back is to the wall. They show how everyone is willing to pitch in and help the cause. They show how fortunate we are to have such talented and dedicated folks.
Still, I'd prefer a whole lot of "typical" mornings before we have to prove ourselves again.
Apr 10, 2008 at 8:36 a.m.
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ahhh. T-E-A-M-W-O-R-K! It's great that it still exists. I was starting to think this is truly a "dog eat dog" world and that no one will work together for the common good of ALL. Thank you for giving us a practical example of how working together DOES work.
Apr 10, 2008 at 8:10 a.m.
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As a former copy editor and page designer in Mason City, IA, I well remember days as you describe. No matter how sticky the situation got, it was also a time when the editorial and production staffs felt a natural high as we raced the clock. Oh, how I miss my days in the newsroom. The pay is below average for college graduates, but the profession is like no other. Good work, Janesville Gazette. P.S. I like your new photo, Mr. Angus. It's more inviting and I am sure there is even a story behind it.
Apr 9, 2008 at 7:08 p.m.
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looks like murphy's law didn't kick in quite as usual.Normally when you get behind in something no matter how hard you try to catch up you end up taking 2 steps backward for every one step forward.
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