Newspapers phasing out Newspapers phasing out copy editorsNewspapers phasing out
This is so one-sided it can hardly be considered a “conversation,” but I thought it was worth posting since it might provoke some discussion.
On Saturday, Oct. 27, The Des Moines Register announced it was endorsing Mitt Romney for president. This surprised a lot of folks, and outraged some, in part because the Register hadn’t endorsed a Republican in 40 years or so.
I grew up in Iowa and recently moved back. My folks still live here. It is, as you probably know, a swing state.
The following conversation, had via text message right before the start of the baseball game Sunday night, has been edited a little for clarity purposes (spelling):
Digitized Index Cards to Minneapolis Newspapers
Van Houlson, Journalism Librarian, University of Minnesota Libraries
For many years, the index cards to the Minneapolis Star and the Minneapolis Tribune at the Wilson Library on the University of Minnesota campus gave researchers a unique tool for locating articles on local people and events. This index was recently scanned by the Digital Collections unit at the University of Minnesota Libraries and is now available for searching as a public access website called the Minneapolis Newspaper Index (https://www.lib.umn.edu/newspapers).
Use this search engine to find articles from the Minnesota Daily (1900-1922, 1963-1977), Minneapolis Tribune (1940-1945,1950-1954) and the Minneapolis Star (1964-1970). Search for keywords found in the headlines of articles or among the subject headings used to organize the card file. This is a fascinating resource for anyone interested in Minneapolis history and will also display the actual image of the original card, revealing the work of dedicated library staff over decades as they added citations about local people, architecture, events and other developments. The Minneapolis Newspaper Index opens up new possibilities for researching local Minnesota history in the 20th century that is currently not possible using any existing newspaper content in print, microfilm, or online.
I can personally vouch for Van’s commitment to thinking creatively about ways these types of valuable resources can be preserved.
Digitization is changing historical research in profound and important ways (some potentially good, others potentially bad) but it is thrilling to see the University of Minnesota Libraries carry on a long commitment to preserving newspapers as a key part of the historical record.
“The Pentagon Papers episode was hailed as a huge victory for press freedom and prompted new skepticism about government. But before any of that, somebody had to do hours of laborious, exacting work preparing articles about, and excerpts from, the papers for publication. Mr. Gold, an assistant foreign editor, shouldered much of the burden.”
Literally, a dying breed.
![thedailywhat:
How About That of the Day: La Bougie du Sapeur (Sapper’s Candle) — named after a French comic-book character born on Leap Day — is a satirical newspaper founded in 1980 which is published only once every four years, on February 29th.
Jean d’Indy, editor of the quadrennial newspaper, says he and his writers gather at a restaurant ahead of Leap Day, and down a bottle of bubbly before getting down to brass tacks.
“We try not to be naughty; we just try to be funny,” d’Indy says. “But we are not funny. Life is funny. So, it’s the way of seeing life which is funny.”
Whatever that means.
The paper sells for $5 a copy, and all proceeds go to benefit charities. With a circulation of 150,000, La Bougie du Sapeur easily outsells all other French papers published today.
D’Indy says at one point he considered offering subscriptions, but dropped the idea when he realized it would too difficult to track down subscribers every four years.
[npr.]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m060xhafhr1qzpwi0o1_500.jpg)
How About That of the Day: La Bougie du Sapeur (Sapper’s Candle) — named after a French comic-book character born on Leap Day — is a satirical newspaper founded in 1980 which is published only once every four years, on February 29th.
Jean d’Indy, editor of the quadrennial newspaper, says he and his writers gather at a restaurant ahead of Leap Day, and down a bottle of bubbly before getting down to brass tacks.
“We try not to be naughty; we just try to be funny,” d’Indy says. “But we are not funny. Life is funny. So, it’s the way of seeing life which is funny.”
Whatever that means.
The paper sells for $5 a copy, and all proceeds go to benefit charities. With a circulation of 150,000, La Bougie du Sapeur easily outsells all other French papers published today.
D’Indy says at one point he considered offering subscriptions, but dropped the idea when he realized it would too difficult to track down subscribers every four years.
[npr.]
(Source: thedailywhat)
Editor & Publisher, July 29, 1905.
Minneapolis: “enterprise, progress and life.”
Advertisement, Printer’s Ink, June 24, 1903.
Printer’s Ink was a bi-weekly trade magazine for the publishing industry that ran from 1888 to 1967.
The Minneapolis Journal ran from 1888 to 1939, when it was purchased by, and merged with, the Minneapolis Star.
