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More info on the workings of a newspaper has been added at Operating a Great Metropolitan Newspaper .
The current additions include newspaper jargon. As always, corrections and additions are welcome.

Superb database! Thanks a ton!

Thanks a ton. This is nice.

One thing I'd like to mention from my own experience is that the stereotype of kids delivering newspapers is way out of wack for a newspaper the size of the Daily Planet. In some areas but not all, adults pay to buy the rights to deliver newspapers--similar to buying a franchise. They are usually independant contractors who hire more independant contractors to run each route. In my experience, the route was divided up by zip code. Delivery routes changed daily as subscriptions were added and dropped. Each driver kept his own log book keeping track of who did or did not get a paper. Some routes said, "L Anderson Road" (for left on Anderson Road) while some said things like "L after Water Tower." (One college student didn't have any addresses in his book but identified homes by the number and type of trees in their front yard. The man who replaced him had to start a new route book from scratch.) We also had a few husband and wife teams, including one who kept their twin toddlers in the back seat sleeping all night long while Mommy and Daddy worked. I often wondered who watched the kids when the parents slept.

I was wondering if EditorJax had anything to add about what happens once a story is written. Would it really go straight to Perry White? Or is there a middle man usually?

Elisabeth

Thanks for giving me the lowdown on subscription deliveries - Keep an eye out as I will be making the necessary corrections/adjustments.

As for stories going straight to Perry - I already know that the process is actually fairly complex - Once the stories are assigned (or the reporters working on investigations report where they are in their work) the completed writing would likely go to a copy editor who checks spelling, grammar, style, length, litiginous things, etc.

From what I've read, chances are the Perry would not be involved in the final editing of a story unless it was one he was personally shepherding along - like something Lois and Clark were investigating that might get the paper sued.

As managing editor of a major newspaper, it's unlikely Perry would have time to do much of the hands-on stuff we saw on the show. He seemed to be acting more like a city editor (one section of the paper) rather than managing editor.

But then, we can also postulate that is his style - he may be managing editor, but his first love and comfort zone is city so he has delegated all the other departments to people he trusts and is city editor except when the 'suits' are on his back.

But I'm not in the business and any insight EditorJax, or any other professional, can add will be profusely appreciated.

One other thing, even if a newspaper only officially offers one edition a day, if a latebreaking story comes in that is NEWSWORTHY it is possible for them to make a second edition. There is only a slight change to the edition number. The way this worked way back in the day when I was (sort of) in the business, the people who subscribed to the paper would get the older paper delivered to their homes at around one AM, but a different edition would be in the newsstands and in the newspaper machines by the time the commuters started going to work the next morning. Needless to say, due to the expense, it didn't happen often but there was a system in place in case they needed it.

Elisabeth