Fridays tend to be long days at the Times, as they do at any afternoon daily newspaper. It's the day we work on two newspapers. Actually, three newspapers.
The day starts early in the morning to put together Friday's newspaper. Once that work is completed by 11 a.m., we move into posting stories and photos from Friday's paper to this Web site. This is a process we go through daily. Usually everything is posted and we're "done" with that day's work by noon.
On Monday through Thursday, the rest of day is spent planning for the following day's paper and working on advance pages, which include the Life, Fun & Games and Community pages. In theory, the Views page is an advance page, as well. But it's my page to do, and I'm a procrastinator by nature. So often the Views page is designed and finished on deadline in the morning.
On Fridays, we turn right around off deadline and dive into Saturday's paper, which must be completed by just before midnight Saturday. Advance pages are done as usual, but with a little more of a sense of urgency because of the deadline. Reporters are working on stories for Saturday, photographers are taking pictures, editors are editing and pages are being designed.
In the meantime, Monday's advance pages are being worked on, as well. They can't be left for Monday morning.
We try to spread the workload out on Fridays by working split shifts. Two page designers work in the morning and another is in at night finishing up the news pages. Two reporters work during the morning and afternoon, a third reports for duty at noon to work through 9 p.m. Our sports reporters generally end up working Friday morning, going home to take a nap before covering a game in the late afternoon (during spring) or in the evening, and then working on pages until midnight (in theory).
But we're a small newsroom, with nine employees. When one of us is on vacation, or sick, the dreaded "double shift" arises. An editor will work both the early and late shifts, or a reporter must cover as best as they can the beginning and end of the day. It's not usual for someone to work 15 or 16 hours on a Friday.
That's why, at the Times, instead of saying TGIF, it's more often TGIS.
The day starts early in the morning to put together Friday's newspaper. Once that work is completed by 11 a.m., we move into posting stories and photos from Friday's paper to this Web site. This is a process we go through daily. Usually everything is posted and we're "done" with that day's work by noon.
On Monday through Thursday, the rest of day is spent planning for the following day's paper and working on advance pages, which include the Life, Fun & Games and Community pages. In theory, the Views page is an advance page, as well. But it's my page to do, and I'm a procrastinator by nature. So often the Views page is designed and finished on deadline in the morning.
On Fridays, we turn right around off deadline and dive into Saturday's paper, which must be completed by just before midnight Saturday. Advance pages are done as usual, but with a little more of a sense of urgency because of the deadline. Reporters are working on stories for Saturday, photographers are taking pictures, editors are editing and pages are being designed.
In the meantime, Monday's advance pages are being worked on, as well. They can't be left for Monday morning.
We try to spread the workload out on Fridays by working split shifts. Two page designers work in the morning and another is in at night finishing up the news pages. Two reporters work during the morning and afternoon, a third reports for duty at noon to work through 9 p.m. Our sports reporters generally end up working Friday morning, going home to take a nap before covering a game in the late afternoon (during spring) or in the evening, and then working on pages until midnight (in theory).
But we're a small newsroom, with nine employees. When one of us is on vacation, or sick, the dreaded "double shift" arises. An editor will work both the early and late shifts, or a reporter must cover as best as they can the beginning and end of the day. It's not usual for someone to work 15 or 16 hours on a Friday.
That's why, at the Times, instead of saying TGIF, it's more often TGIS.
