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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 12, 1978)
Page 6 THE BATTALION TUESDAY. DECEMBER 12. 1978 The business of making By LIZ NEWLIN Battalion Managing Editor The Batt does it daily—publishes, that is. Each issue involves about eight hours of work, a paid staff, a com puter system, at least one professor and a printing press. And money. For the fiscal year ending in August, the Battalion spent $419,785. It received $75,000 from student service fees and $300,613 from advertisers. That makes a net loss of $44,172. But the Battalion is not operated to make a profit. Instead, its func tion is to inform people and train journalists. Students run the 22,000 circula tion newspaper without interfer ence from faculty or administrators. Editors sometimes consult their professors, but even the head of the Department of Communications cannot control what goes into the newspaper. The Battalion staff works Sunday through Thursday, and the routine goes like this: 2:30 p.in.--The news editor comes into the office and begins to select stories from the United Press International wire service. She uses one of eight video display terminals (VDT) that is directly connected to a computer. A telephone line brings the UPI “feed” from Dallas into the computer. 3:30 p.m.—The news editor up dates the calendar, “What’s up,” and estimates how much copy and how many pictures will be needed to fill the paper. 4 p.m.--The managing editor (M.E.) comes in and looks over the day’s news from the wire. She is re sponsible for day-to-day operation of the Battalion. She also checks stories coming from the Journalism 204 class, which is the main source of Battalion reporters. Staff writers also contribute to the paper. Some articles are from beginning or ad vanced journalism classes, but most of those articles are features. 4:30 p.m.—The managing editor gets a list of incoming stories from the campus editor, who is responsi ble for coordinating coverage for the University. The city budget is also prepared for the M.E. by the city editor. The city editor is responsible for seeing that city stories and pic tures are being taken care of. He makes staff and 204 assignments, and edits copy. The assistant manag ing editor is in charge of daily edit ing, as well as some 204 story as signments. He assists the M.E. in story selection and helps with night-time production. He also edits stories from the University public relations department, the Office of Public Information. 5 p.m. — The M.E., news editor and campus editor decide which stories and photographs will appear on the inside pages of the newspaper and which will appear on the front page. The news editor begins to "lay-out the inside, decides how big the headlines will lie and where the photographs will appear. Dummies with ad layouts already have been prepared by the advertising de partment. 7 p.m.--The news editor is finished, and Journalism 310 stu dents come in. They edit stories and write headlines for them, usually using a VDT. A professor manages the class and checks what they do. The M.E. comes in after the class and gives copy a final check. J-310 V V V ^ v m ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ CARROLLS BASKETS AND WICKER unusual gift ideas wall decor hammocks furniture Christmas ornaments mens gifts adult games 693-7007 Hours: ► WOODSTONE CENTER (HWY. 30) 10-9 Mon.-Sat. ^ We Buy All Books! , ^ WE NEED TWICE AS MANY USED BOOKS BECAUSE OF OUR NEW STORE IN CULPEPPER PLAZA! Bring your out-of-date books, iuith your new books & we'll make you an offer on all your books (including paperbooks). UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE Now 2 Locations NORTHGATE and CULPEPPER PLAZA ATTENTION GRADUATING SENIORS IF YOU HAVE ORDERED A 1979 AGGIELAND, PLEASE STOP BY THE STUDENT PUBLI CATIONS OFFICE, ROOM 216 REED MCDONALD, AND PAY A $2.00 MAILING FEE ALONG WITH YOUR FORWARDING AD DRESS SO YOUR AGGIELAND CAN BE MAILED TO YOU NEXT FALL WHEN THEY ARRIVE. MSC V Cafeteria V Now Better Than Ever. You Will Be Pleased With These Carefully Prepared and Taste Tempting Foods. Each Daily Special Only $1.69 Plus Tax. “Open Daily” Dining: 11 A.M. to 1:30P.M.— 4:00 P.M. to7:00 P.M. MONDAY EVENING SPECIAL Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy Whipped Potatoes Your Choice of One Vegetable Roll or Corn Bread and Butter Coffee or Tea TUESDAY EVENING SPECIAL Mexican Fiesta Dinner Two Cheese and Onion Enchiladas w/chili Mexican Rice Patio Style Pinto Beans Tostadas Coffee or Tea One Corn Bread and Butter WEDNESDAY EVENING SPECIAL Chicken Fried Steak w/cream Gravy Whipped Potatoes and Choice of one other Vegetable Roll or Corn Bread and Butter Coffee or Tea THURSDAY EVENING SPECIAL Italian Candle Light Spaghetti Dinner r( PH n SERVED WITH SPICED MEAT BALLS AND SAUCE Parmesan Cheese - Tossed Green Salad Choice of Salad Dressing - Hot Garlic Bread Tea or Coffee 1 FRIDAY EVENING SPECIAL BREADED FISH FILET w/TARTAR SAUCE Cole Slaw Hush Puppies Choice of one vegetable Roll or Corn Bread & Butter Tea or Coffee SATURDAY NOON and EVENING SPECIAL Chicken & Dumplings Tossed Salad Choice of one vegetable Roll or Corn Bread & Butter Tea or Coffee SUNDAY SPECIAL NOON and EVENING ROAST TURKEY DINNER Served with Cranberry Sauce Cornbread Dressing Roll or Corn Bread - Butter - Coffee or Tea Giblet Gravy And your choice of any One vegetable a Batt students also condense news stories for the “Top of the News” column. 10 p.m.—The 310 class is over and usually the inside of the newspaper is finished, except for late-breaking stories and changes. The other news editor is usually in by this time and working on the front page lay-out. She checks the wire for late stories and decides with the M.E. where stories should be placed on the front page. She also edits front page copy and writes front page headlines. 10-midnight—The sports editor is the only editor who lays out his own pages. He gets most of his copy from two staff writers and the wire. He is responsible for all sports pages- -makes story assignments, edits copy, designs the sports page and writes some of the sports stories. He also supervises production of the sports pages. The editor, by this time, has completed lay out of the editorial page, selecting “Letters to the Editor” and syndicated features. She also writes most of the local editorials. Midnight-bedtime — VDT opera tors put articles and headlines into the computer system and con vert the information to 6-level com puter tape with a punch machine. These tapes are taken to the Univer sity Printing Center, and are run through a typesetting machine by professional printers. This usually begins about 6 a.m. the day of pub lication. Bedtime—The M.E. checks over page one, reading all stories, head- not mucli jCiv- i§ Newspaper editors arom. with green visors to keen ti l out of their eyes and garter sleeves to keep cuffs. in Ui| ( Editors and reporters at The! talion generally wear blue jea, tennis shoes. They are students ^che30 other Aggies, struggling with 2 and exams — and deadlines " i Th ^ e 1 d 1 itor ‘s elected bvthev dent Publications Board Th P L consists of three students J! ulty members and two a 4 trators. Staff reporter Scott Pendleton play terminal (VDT). types a story into a vi< lines and captions. She also writes the promo box for the top of the page. This semseter, the M.E. has “put the paper to bed” (that’s news paper talk) usually about 2 a.m. Front-end production of the paper is complete. 7:45 a.m.—The computer tapes have been converted photo graphically into print that is pasted onto a full-size page. The editor 1 he Batt goes to press between 11 a.m. and noon. The paper usually is on the stands by noon. Circulation is 22.000. Battalion photo by Lee Roy Leschpcr Jr. 9(C 9|e 9fe 9(e 9|c 9|e »fc 9fc 9|c 3(c dfc 9fc 3|c 9fe 9|C 9(C 3|e 9|c 9|c 9|c 9|c>fe 9{c »(c 3|e dfc 9|c I ATTENTION SKIERS f ■¥. ju. * Ruidoso condominium for rent starting Jan. 1, £ * 1979. There are two bedrooms with beds Feb. 6, * -X- but there is plenty of room to sleep a dozen ^ * skiers. It has a color TV, cooking utensils, & bed * * linens supplied. Minimum rental time is one ^ * weekend for $100. Stay as many weeks as you * HAMMUM IAN* APARTMENTS ALL UTILITIES INCLUDED” Furnished & Unfurnished Efficiency, 1, 2 & 3 Bedroom Apartments No Escalation Clause or Fuel Adjustment Charge Professional Maintenance Staff (24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE) Two Beautiful Swimming Pools Tennis Courts Party/Meeting Room with Sundeck Health Spas, including Saunas for Men & Women Three Laundry Rooms On Shuttiebus Route Rental office open Monday through Friday 9-5 Saturday 10-5 Sunday 2-5 693-1110 1501 Hwy. 30 693-1011 Battalion photo by Lee Roy Leschpcr Jr. supervises paste-up and makes one last check on headlines and stories for mistakes. Proofreaders also check the copy. 10 a.m.—The paper due to be complete and ready to be “shot” and made into the metal plates for the presses. This deadline frequently is not met. Presstime — The 22.000-copy press run usually takes lietween two and three hours. First copies ol the Battalion usually are on the stands by noon. It is hard to fit staffers easily into an hour-by-hour job description. The time they spend on the job is squeezed around class, study, sleep ing and, occasionaly, a social life. All of the staffers are communica tions majors, but they are not re quired to be. The Batt editor acts as a liaison for the newspaper, answering calls about policy, as well as supervising over all make up of the newspaper. The editor is responsible for staff organization, hiring and firing staff members and starting new pro grams like “Focus.” And specifically, the editor is re sponsible for the daily editorial page and supervising morning produc tion. The “Focus” editor assigns stories and pictures for his section. He also writes, edits and lays out the weekly tabloid. In addition, he supervises paste-up and overall production for the section. I here is no requirement that editor he a communications hut most of them are. QualfaJ are a 2.0 GPR, overall and in j candidate s major; at least ones, of experience in a responsible eii rial position in The Battalionotl lar student newspaper; or ones, experience on a professional pa# or 12 hours in journalism inclul J-203 and J-204 or equivalent ! 12 hours must include Joumai 402, a course on communicatio law. The new editor, selected i spring, chooses the rest of thestd This year's staff includes a n ing editor, campus and city, sports editor, Focus editor, editors, reporters and p graphers. Vrl'v Staff wages total $182 each: the Batt is published — five dan week during the school year. The editor is responsible budgeting and policy on thene paper. The managing editor oven coverage of the campus and city production of the Batt. Salaries are computed on ap issue basis. For example, thedi makes $17 per issue. Other saki are managing and sports ed $16; assistant managing editor campus, city and Focus edit $11-12; full-time reporter, ST photographer, $4. * like at only $300 a week; that’s about $7 a day * per persons for a nice condominium only 40 * ^minutes from the slopes. For more information £ *dial 405-722-2997. * t****************************l The Batt is pasted up in the composing room every Saturday and Sunday. About 20 percent bigger than i ^ last year, it averages 12 pages a day. The Focus sec * ,0 " ? j |ie added this semester as a special weekly feature Ilia ^ a | Lowell Hodges and Margie Wisniewski “build the pages morning of publication. Battalion photo by Lee Roy Leschptf \ l DO YOU WANT TO FLY? Face it. . . you've always wanted to fly! Many of us hav had the feeling . . . and for some it has never gone owoV If you have that feeling, then you're in luck. Air Force R Flight Instruction Program (FIP) is available to you. Its de signed to teach you the basics of flight through flying lesson in small aircraft at a civilian operated flying school. The program is an EXTRA for cadets who can qualify to oe- come Air Force pilots through Air Force R0TC. Taken dun g the senior year in college, FIP is the first step for the cadet wn is going on to Air Force jet pilot training after graduation. This is all reserved for the cadet who wants to get his life the ground . . with Air Force silver pilot wings. Check it ou day. AFROTC Det 805 Military Science Bldg, TAMU 845-7611 back dei Gateway to a great way of life.