Today marks the first issue of the 87th year for the Northwestern News. You’ll find it on the newsstands in all the buildings each Thursday throughout the semester (except for fall break and Thanksgiving).
This year we have a diverse staff: some communication majors, some communication minors and some who are just interested in working on the paper. They have one thing in common: they all want to create the best newspaper possible.
Many readers are not aware of the amount of work that it takes to produce this paper every week. We began this issue the first day of school when students in the journalism practicum class received writing assignments, and photographers started capturing pictures of all the Howdy Week activities. Before the semester even started, the editors-in-chief were already busy setting up our papers for the entire semester and building the news budgets we add to and review each week of the semester.
The first newspaper staff meeting with all the editors occurred Aug. 20 night when the editors met for the first time, reviewed the assignments for this paper and then planned the stories and photos you will see in the paper next week. We spend the entire semester working one week ahead like this—it helps us stay organized.
Production work begins each Monday. Stories, photo and ads are due then. As soon as the ads are placed, work can begin on designing the pages using InDesign, processing the photos with Photoshop, placing everything where it goes, writing the headlines and meticulously adjusting everything.
“Does this look OK?” can be heard a dozen times as each editor works on creating his or her assigned pages.
By Wednesday afternoon, the work must be finished, stories proofed, all problems fixed and the pages sent electronically to the Alva Review Courier downtown.
Later that evening, the circulation manager collects the printed papers from the press and distributes them around campus, so students, faculty and staff arriving Thursday morning can read the latest news.
Meanwhile, the editors’ Wednesday night meeting starts the process all over again. By the time you read this, next week’s edition will be finalized and the week after that planned.
We are planning a busy semester with a lot of good work from the journalism writing classes. We hope our readers will enjoy the ride with us.