The last time someone yelled “Stop the Presses” at the
New York Times was over two decades ago, according to this
article by Chris O’Shea.
So which
New York Times cover did you see? In our part of the world the lead story was about Tilapia being the ideal farm fish while our friends on the east coast saw their front page beaming with headlines of the historic news of Osama Bin Laden’s death.
According to Pierpont Communications Vice President
Chris Wailes, Houston’s
New York Times ‘National’ edition was printed several hours before the news had hit. New York’s ‘Metro’ or ‘Final’ edition was printed much later, and eventually reprinted in accordance with the breaking news. So Houstonians saw a different cover whereas New Yorkers saw the news ‘hot off the press.’
Coming from a journalism background, I’ve always found interest in the life of the newspaper and how even with the rise of the Internet age and the ability to access news instantly, faithful patrons of newspaper subscriptions still choose to read their news the old fashioned way, ink smudges and all.
Let’s not forget the value of reading hard news in paper form as well as those individuals who work in printing presses to keep the art alive. It may not be around for much longer, but today, take the time to remember what a newspaper actually feels like. Pick it up and read it. And you don’t have to stay in your backyard –
Newseum offers access to front pages around the world.