We know that Perry was born on 3/17/1944 (he turned 50 during Vatman), and that as of GGGoH had been in the business for 35 years.

Does he ever say how long he'd been the Editor n' Chief at the Planet?

I feel like he may have mentioned starting at the planet as a copy boy at some point, but i dont recall the episode. Also, I think he discusses his history at the Planet in the House of Luthor arc. Like post explosion? The copy boy comment might be in there... Possibly the black out episode or some of the episodes that focus on Perry & his family might be a good place to start.

He covered the war at Lebanon in 1982, so he still wasn't Editor in Chief. From All Shook Up:

Andreia

Mrs. L - I'll have to check that out. It's been a while since I've checked out those episodes.

UW - Thanks. That's helpful.

I'm just trying to figure out if Perry would have been Editor n' Chief before Lois started as an intern, possibly in high school (If she was born in 67, so she graduated from high school probably 85? -- Really should re-read Fireworks, as I worked out the dates then). If Perry said that he was still a reporter in '82, so probably wasn't editor yet, when Lois started at the DP as an intern.

But he was editor when Claude was a scumbag, right? Because he fired (relocated) Claude after that episode, right? Or is that fandon, not canon?

Sometimes you guys write too well that my memory remembers your story as canon.

Although, I can't for the life of me remember where it was I read that (Perry firing Claude). I vaguely remember that Cat laughed at Lois in the bathroom and Lois overheard, which is why they never got along. Probably, gossiped about Claude calling her frigid in the same story. All this work for a one throw-away line, but it's details like that, which keep me up at night wondering.

No, the Perry firing Claude concept would be from a story (actually, numerous stories, whether fleshed out or throwaway), not canon. We know nothing in canon about Claude other what Lois tells us in the Pilot. But as you know, it's a very popular part of Lois's backstory to explore in fanfic, which is probably why it seems we know so much. Same with any specific reasons why Cat and Lois don't get along (gossiping, etc.), and Claude ever calling Lois "frigid" or bragging about his conquest in the newsroom -- all ideas writers have explored in fanfic for why Lois is the way she is, but nothing that's canon.

So bottom line, do whatever you want in your story. You won't contradict canon.

Kathy

Virginia - I see Lois as interning with the DP in college moreso than high school, but that's just my two cents. It sounds like she was extremely busy with extra curricular activities in high school - student government, sports, and wasn't she in like a math club or something as per canon? Again, my two cents, but it makes more sense to me that she'd intern as a college student.

Thanks, DC. I always figured it would have been a summer internship, when she wasn't in school. Possibly between junior and senior year of high school to see if that really was the direction in which she wanted to go career wise. It would also explain her and Sam fighting which she refers to at her first real date with Clark.

It does make sense that she was an intern during college not high school.

Also, Perry mentioned covering Beirut, so that might have been just before returning to the states and becoming the Daily Planet's Managing Editor.

Just my two cents worth.

Thank you all for your advice and suggestions. I made it vague as when it was set, which I think works best. Should anyone have time, we need to compile this information and the one on Perry's sons and forward it over to Queen of Capes's Wiki site.

I don't know about in the US, but in Ontario (at least the two different school board districts I attended school in) had internships in grade 12. It was called Co-Op and was a credit course, so instead of getting paid, you earned one of your credits needed to graduate by going to a job a few days a week and were in class the rest of the week, and your boss interacted with your teachers etc.

You had to have good grades, and attendance, as well as references from teachers to get into the class though.

That sounds cool!

I don't know of something similar but I knew some people in high school (mind you this was 13 years ago) that were able to go half- days for the last semester of school. Oftentimes they'd use that time to go to work of some kind. I could very easily see it being used to get an internship.

At the close of "Individual Responsibility" when Perry writes up the story on Bill Church Jr. running Intergand he says "I haven't had a byline in 17 years". That would indicate he was last not edior in 1978, since that was 1995. I am not sure how that works with the Beirut line, although he says he was there "before" the marines showed up in '82, but it still sounds like "right before", not 4 years before.

I believe she mentions both the math club and the chess club in "Pheremone My Lovely". I would say that the image of her high school time presented in that episode and the one from "It's a Small World" don;t really jive, but they probably could work in an odd way.

My high school here in Michigan did have senior co-op jobs, but as far as I know none were as exciting as working at a newspaper. I think some people had secretarial type jobs working for automotive suppliers.

I volunteered at a museum while I was in high school (sophomore through senior.). For whatever reason, it doesn't bother me that she'd be interning (probably along the lines of Jimmy in the show.)