SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Journalism students create newspaper the ‘old-school’ way
Aug 6, 2011, 11:01 AM | Updated: 11:42 am
 Staffers at The University Press in Florida created a newspaper the old-fashioned way (AP Photo/File) |
Have you ever looked back and wondered what life was like without a cell phone? How about a computer? Or maybe even a printer?
For one journalism class at Florida Atlantic University, they managed to create a newspaper the ‘old-school’ way – sans technology.
“The idea first came around when our volunteer adviser, Michael Koretzki, challenged us by asking if we would be game to running an issue without using computers,” said Gideon Grudo, editor-in-chief of The University Press. “And since we didn’t know at first what that would entail, we agreed.”
Staffers at The University Press were unable to use laptops, recorders, printers – any type of technology invented beyond the 1980’s – for their articles.
When a reporter was assigned a story, they had to jot down notes on a paper notepad. When it was time to write a story, the staff had to learn how to use a real type writer. And when it came time to create a hard copy of the newspaper, they had to copy and paste the words by hand.
“You had to fact-check very carefully because changing something at the last second would take an immense amount of time,” Grudo explained on Friday’s Ross & Burbank Show. “We were in the position where the editor would actually sit with the reporter as he’s typing on the type writer and edit him on the spot when the person came in with notes from the field.”
The painstaking process took nearly two weeks for the students to complete, and it was “the longest two weeks of my life!” according to managing editor Mariam Aldhahi.
Learning the technique of creating a newspaper the old-fashioned way was a unique experience for the staff, but they’re more than thrilled to get back to the 21st century way of doing things.
“We’re back, and it’s refreshing,” said Aldhahi.
The final edition of the old-school newspaper was distributed on August 2nd with the headline “OMG WTF?”
By MICHAEL SIMEONA, MyNorthwest.com Editor
