The “possible live updates” is because I might post some additional stuff about the primaries today, if I feel like it. I might not, though. It’s really an awesome feeling to be able to say that, after all those decades when the paper had to come out every day no matter what, or else… or else… well, I don’t know what else, because we always got the paper out.
Today is a relatively mild news day, one in which the NYT is answering the question “Is Your World Safe?” with a “Yes, relatively so.” You can tell this by the fact that the lede story — the “Coronavirus Updates” one, is just one column(well, one wide column, more like a column and a half), with a small-font headline. (I explained the theory behind all of this in my very first Virtual Front Page post, back in 2009. Before I started calling it that.)
- Coronavirus Updates: Stocks Rebound as Washington Moves to Bolster the Economy — They led with it; I’ll lead with it. Here’s something you might find interesting: When stocks recover, the NYT sees it as worthy of one column. The WSJ sees the same news as worth two extra-wide columns. But before you jump to the conclusion that this is a liberal-vs.-conservative thing, I don’t think so, for two reasons: First, the WSJ has a totally different philosophy of front-page play, having nothing to do with ideology. You’re not comparing apple to apples. Second, financial news is the WSJ’s thing. They will always overplay it (from my perspective). Just as The Washington Post will always overplay stuff inside the Beltway.
- N.Y. governor orders containment zone in New Rochelle — I can see it now: Rob and Laura Petrie are getting on each other’s nerves. Rob is tripping over the ottoman and Laura keeps saying, “Oh, Rob!” She’s worried that with Richie’s school closed, he’s going to fall behind academically. Sorry. The only thing I know about New Rochelle is that it was the fictional home of the head writer of the Alan Brady show.
- Apparently, I shouldn’t have come in to work today — Have you seen the advisory from the CDC saying people over 60 should stay home, and prepare to stay there a really long time? Oh, come on. I mean, few of us like to think we’re old, but this is ridiculous. My parents, whom I’m about to go check on on my way home, are elderly and I worry about them — although you’d never guess it of my mom the way she gets around, and my dad always seemed closer to my age than his until the last couple of years. But come on. Does this mean I shouldn’t do my 10,000 to 15,000 steps every day? Or is it OK if I do them outside?
- Biden, Sanders duel in six states on another key day of voting — This is what I might add live updates about. Actually, it will probably be more like Tweets turned into comments. If I feel like it. This is an awkward, blah day of voting for headline writers. When we had the South Carolina primary, they could say “S.C.” A week ago today, they could say “Super Tuesday.” This time, it’s “another key day of voting.” Not much of a ring to it. Doesn’t really get your blood going, does it?
- The doubt of a ‘Bernie Bro’: A hard-charging Sanders supporter questions whether his tactics help or hurt — I found this fascinating: A Bernie Bro getting all introspective and having actual doubts! Oh, and let me point something out: Remember people getting on Joe for saying “Bernie Brothers,” like this was some indication of senility or something (perhaps the weakest example of Biden gotcha-ism I’ve seen)? Well, this guy says he prefers to be called a “Bernard Brother.” Really. So there, Twitter.
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Not ENTIRELY sure about this, but OK, I’ll retweet:
And here by contrast, just a few hours after the screengrab you see at the top of this post, is how the NYT plays BIG news:
… and here is how The Washington Post does it:
As a connoisseur of news play, it’s fascinating to watch how things shift from moment to moment these days. When I was front page editor of The Wichita Eagle-Beacon back in the 1980, learning Buzz Merritt’s principles of play in an unforgiving school (Buzz was strict about getting the play just right), each day’s front page was a monument, a permanent record of How the World Was On that Day in History.
Now, if you’re bored with the state of the world, just wait a few minutes, and it will all be different…
OK, I’ll stop now…
I love that song…
Love it.
I always wondered why conservatives complained about “activist judges” but cheered their own “activist judges.”
A Federal Judge Condemned the “Roberts Court’s Assault on Democracy.’’
It’s About Time.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/federal-judge-condemns-roberts-courts-assault-on-democracy.html
Oh, the “love it” was not about Biden. It was about my post.
What? You don’t love Joe? Aw, come on — we all love Joe…
I can see Warren knitting…
#3 feels a bit creepy doesn’t it?
Yes, it does.
The Post’s tech columnist has spent the last eight days quarantining himself at home. Here’s his account of what that’s like: “I’ve been working from home for eight days. The Netflix-and-quarantine life is not that chill.“…
At this moment, the Wall Street/coronavirus story is back to six columns in the NYT, although not huge type:
And the WSJ is comparable. Looks like 4.5 columns, but with a bigger hed:
And so the roller-coaster keeps going.
And yes, I know this only interests me, because I think in the language of front-page layout — and the home pages of the best newspaper websites follow similar rules. But hey, isn’t that OK, as long as I’m quietly entertaining myself and not bothering anybody?…