Gag gets copy editor fired

Craig Smith is a Santa Barbara lawyer with a blog, and he has been writing a lot about the goings-on at the News-Press for the last year and a half. This was his entry when the whole affair got started:

http://craigsmithsblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/adios-suckers.html

 

Seems like lawyer Smith thought it was pho real.

 

I have my mock paper from my farewell from a major metro, my next to last newspaper, on my wall at home. I wish I could tell here who wrote the stories for it. A few of the people whose bylines grace the page have been discussed here at length, for better or worse.

One of them actually called around to all my previous papers for comment. The quotes -- some from people who had no earthly idea who the hell I was -- were priceless.

But, unfortunately, I understand Shottie's point. Either don't allow them, or the person or people doing them had better have 100 percent airtight technical knowledge on how to prevent the information from going anywhere but the intended recipient.

 

re the blogger: Don't you love it when self-important people don't get the joke?

 

the race card here is absolutely bullshit.

 

How was Grantland Rice's sarcasm?

 

I've put together two mock pages, and read many more. Never received one, but the most fun I ever had working at my old office was when I put one together for a good friend who was leaving for, essentially, his dream job. Got it printed on a broadsheet proof and presented it to him at his going-away party.

As for the technical knowledge, at our place, we've got a system where we can build "advance" pages and none of the files are ready for publication, online or print. I use 'em when I'm designing special sections or all-area teams, etc. It's pretty dumb to use the same files as you use in the regular section for a mock page like that. Still ... pretty shitty move on the paper's part to fire him for that. I'd think the Web folks should share some of the blame, at least.

 

Shoot, I forgot that when this first was reported, there was no earthly idea where that copy came from. The source and circumstances around that weren't revealed until the announcement of the copy editor's firing a few days later.

I've been reading Smith's blog ever since the mass editor exodus in July 2006 and it's been a good place for news about the News-Press saga. And from picking up the tone of his entries, I'd hardly call him "self-important."

And no, I'm not Craig Smith.

 

I've done two mock pages. One each for my two sons when they turned 9 years old. Each got a kick out of them, although it was more of a surprise for the older boy since the younger boy was kind of expecting it.

 

We have one of Mrs. Editude's mock front pages framed in the hallway. It was well done and still meaningful to her.

 

banner: editude discovers viagra.

 

Subhed: Now when Mrs. Editude says "gimme 8 inches quick," Mr. Editude has to ask for clarification.