Role after Watergate highlighted
in news of former president's death

By Kate Kennedy

The death of Gerald R. Ford, the 38th president of the United States, was played prominently on most front pages today.

The Birmingham (Ala.) News called Ford the “accidental president” because he was the only president never elected to the presidency or vice presidency. Ford took office after President Nixon’s resignation, and The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., quoted Ford in headline type from his swearing-in ceremony on Aug. 9, 1974.

Many headlines focused on Ford’s role in helping the nation heal after Watergate. “President was breath of fresh air for a country beleaguered by Watergate scandal, Vietnam War,” The Modesto (Calif.) Bee said. “A steady hand/Assuming presidency amid turmoil, Ford remembered for ‘integrity, kind instincts,’” The Orange County (Calif.) Register said.

The Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel published a 1974 photo of Ford and Nixon. The Rocky Mountain News noted: “He never 2nd-guessed himself on his most famous act: pardoning Nixon in 1974.”

The news was announced late Tuesday night. Most newspapers published an Associated Press story, and some referred to updated coverage on their Web sites. A few front pages did not have the news. Ford’s age – 93 – appeared in many headlines.

Ford’s death competed with the news that Saddam Hussein’s death sentence was upheld by an Iraqi court. The Washington Post topped its page with news from Iraq and published a lengthy story about Ford in the center of Page One.

Ford lived in Rancho Mirage, Calif., and The Desert Sun in Palm Springs published a staff-written story and produced a 10-page special section on its area’s “most prominent resident.”

The former president vacationed in Colorado, where The Denver Post said: “Ford loved Vail, and it was mutual.” The newspaper pictured Ford on a 1975 ski trip with members of the U.S. Olympic ski team.

In the past year, Ford underwent heart procedures at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, where the Star Tribune of Minneapolis noted that Ford was the longest-living former president. News of Ford’s death and the sale of the Star Tribune to a private group were printed side-by-side at the top of the page.

Ford was a Republican congressman from Michigan, and the Detroit Free Press’ coverage included a 2002 photo and a 1975 photo from Traverse City, Mich.

Kate Kennedy, a former newspaper Page One editor,
is director/partnerships and initiatives.

News about Iraq broken by the Post,
picked up across the country

By Kate Kennedy

Big-city newspapers drove today’s news with exclusives on Iraq.

President Bush acknowledged in an interview with Washington Post reporters that the United States is not winning the war in Iraq. “Bush says for the 1st time,” the newspaper said in describing the admission.

The president also said in the interview that he plans to increase the size of the U.S. armed forces. The news was first reported Tuesday on the Post’s Web site and followed this morning in newspapers across the country, including in The New York Times, which credited the Post.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East plans to retire. Army Gen. John P. Abizaid’s “departure could clear way for a more aggressive strategy” in Iraq, the Times said. The Chicago Tribune reported on the escape from custody in Baghdad of a Chicago-area engineer accused of corruption. The case could develop into a diplomatic problem, the Tribune said.

A photo captured the beginning of Freedom Tower’s construction at Ground Zero in New York. Newsday on Long Island filled its tab-sized front page with the image and the headline “Rebirth.”

In Seattle, residents still are dealing with the aftermath of a fierce windstorm. “Six days later, more than 160,000 without power,” the Seattle Post-Intelligencer said. Six deaths since the storm have been attributed to carbon-monoxide poisoning, and the Seattle Times dedicated the top of its front page to warning residents — in English and in five other languages — about the dangers of carbon monoxide.

It was a town of 2,500 – Russell Springs, Ky. – that was featured in the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader and The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky. Miss USA, a Russell Springs native, was in danger of losing her title because of problem behavior. The newspapers reported relief from her hometown when she was reprimanded but not fired.

Kate Kennedy, a former newspaper Page One editor,
is director/partnerships and initiatives.

Bad news from ongoing stories tempered
by bowl excitement, Christmas miracle

By Kate Kennedy

Dire news from Iraq topped many newspapers after the Pentagon said attacks against American and Iraqi targets had reached their highest level — almost 960 a week.

“Iraq in a dire state,” The Hartford (Conn.) Courant said. The Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Ind., added: “Pentagon points to Shiite militiamen as gravest peril.” The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette pictured Robert Gates being sworn in as the new secretary of defense and quoted him as saying the United States “simply cannot afford to fail in the Middle East.”

“Climbers may have fallen,” The Register-Guard in Eugene, Ore., said in continuing to report on the search for climbers on Mount Hood. “Fading hopes,” said The Fresno (Calif.) Bee, which pictured family members awaiting news. “Pair may have been swept to deaths” by 100-mph winds, The Charleston (W.Va.) Gazette reported.

The Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel was among newspapers localizing FBI violent-crime statistics. The murder rate in the tourist destination more than tripled in the first six months of 2006, compared to the same time the year before. The Gazette of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, took a different angle to crime, reporting that stealing lottery tickets is a bad bet: “Odds of getting caught are better than odds of winning.”

With a hint of front-page stories to come, the Quad-City Times in Davenport, Iowa, teased to college-football bowl games that begin tonight: “Bowl full of fun to begin.”

Predictions about holiday travel were made by newspapers in many corners of the country. But the Casper (Wyo.) Star Tribune had a different transportation story. “Boom dings snow removal,” said the newspaper, reporting that snow removal on interstates and state highways in Wyoming will be lacking because of a shortage of snowplow drivers.

A few newspapers tried to explain the unexplainable. The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer was among McClatchy newspapers that reported on “why the teen years are so hard on young people — and on their parents.” Hint: Changes in teens’ heads. The Salinas Californian pictured a Christmas “miracle” and quoted visitors to a tree as saying the branches cast shadows on its trunk that create an image of the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Jesus.

Kate Kennedy, a former newspaper Page One editor,
is director/partnerships and initiatives.

From lights to cards to gifts,
season’s stories greet readers

By Kate Kennedy

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Holiday stories have been creeping onto front pages since Thanksgiving. But with Christmas just days away, the countdown has begun — at least in Indianapolis, where The Star published “what you need to know about the next 7 days” in a left-hand column.

Get your cards and packages in the mail, many newspapers reminded readers. But The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post said: “The tradition of kids writing letters to Santa is fading faster than Nativity scenes at the town square.” And The Tribune-Democrat in Johnstown, Pa., quoting Hallmark Cards, reported that adults are sending fewer Christmas cards.

In St. Paul, Minn., energy-efficient lights were touted as “clean and bright,” and in Clarksville, Tenn., the grand champion of a Christmas lighting contest decorated the page.

In Columbus, Ohio, The Dispatch noted a special gift from a judge to 23 convicts: “Christmas behind bars.” They’ll sit in jail on Christmas Day as an alternative to prison terms.

“Tis the season for a food fight,” said The Daily Telegraph in London, which reported on the prospects of shopping chaos on Christmas Eve, a Sunday when retailers can be open only six hours. The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Wash., listed toys that might hurt children’s hearing, and The Burlington (Vt.) Free Press summed up the season with: “Women fight holiday stress with fork.”

The Oklahoman in Oklahoma City graphed the probability of snow on Christmas. It might be merry in many places, but it’s not going to be white.

There was no joy in the news from Mount Hood in Oregon, where the body of a missing climber was found. “Grim find on Mount Hood,” The News Tribune of Tacoma, Wash., said. The San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News expressed optimism in the search for his climbing companions: “Hope lives for his two friends.”

“Your nose knows,” said the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in reporting on a study that found that the human nose can use clues from both nostrils to track scents. The bottom line from The Cincinnati Enquirer: “Hope for finding hidden chocolate.”

Kate Kennedy, a former newspaper Page One editor,
is director/partnerships and initiatives.

Breast-cancer rate takes steep dive;
record media use keeps us plugged in

By Kate Kennedy

Good news about breast-cancer rates was shared on many front pages this morning. “Breast cancer rates in the U.S. take a stunning drop,” The Buffalo (N.Y.) News reported.

The pink ribbon that has come to signify the fight against breast cancer accompanied the news in The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk and The Bakersfield Californian, which described as landmark a 15% decline in the most common form of breast cancer from August 2002 to December 2003. “Decline likely linked to hormones,” the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald explained.

“Senator’s illness is center of attention,” The Seattle Times said in continuing to report on the health of Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson. Why? “Uncertainty in the Senate,” The Gainesville (Fla.) Sun said. As the South Dakotan continued to recover from brain surgery, the Los Angeles Times reported that “never has the Senate forced a member out of office because of a physical or mental inability to serve.”

“A tragic accident,” The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer declared in a large package on an investigation that concluded Princess Diana was killed in car driven by a drunken driver traveling at twice the speed limit. The three-year, $7.3 million police investigation ruled out a conspiracy. But The New York Times said: “The Final Word on Diana’s Death (Don’t Bet on It).”

“Perpetually plugged in,” The Sacramento (Calif.) Bee said on a U.S. Census Bureau statistical abstract predicting that in 2007 Americans will spend 65 days watching TV. The Gazette in Colorado Springs took a different approach to the report being released today, offering a “What do you know?” quiz to test how much readers know about their fellow citizens.

The Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader quoted Web sites as saying Miss USA — a Kentuckian — might lose her crown because of inappropriate behavior at bars. Said the Daily News of New York: “Crown and out.”

“Town Bucks a Trend,” The Hartford Courant said in reporting on Great Barrington, Mass., where a nonprofit is printing money. The currency – backed by federal dollars at banks – was introduced to encourage the local economy. It’s all perfectly legal.

Kate Kennedy, a former newspaper Page One editor,
is director/partnerships and initiatives.

Local news knocks Iraq off front;
reporter sympathizes with angry snake

By Christy Mumford Jerding

Most U.S. dailies took a break from Iraq war coverage and concentrated on backyard news today. South Dakota newspapers, as well as others in the region and in Washington, D.C., played large the sudden illness of Sen. Tim Johnson, an influential Democrat. Headlines focused on the senator’s stroke-like symptoms and rush to the operating room. Subheads speculated about the effect his absence would have on the precarious balance of power in the Senate: “Illness sparks talk about his replacement,” Argus Leader, S.D.; “Sudden illness roils U.S. Senate,” The Fresno (Calif.) Bee.

A multi-state raid of illegal immigrants working at Swift & Co. meatpacking plants made the top spot in several affected areas. The Des Moines (Iowa) Register had a big front-page package emphasizing the number of arrests (1,282) and pulling out a stern warning from Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff: “It could easily happen elsewhere. We’re going to try to make it inhospitable to break the law.” The St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer Press hit the story hard, too, and focused on the personal toll the raids had taken on families: “Worthington still reeling after raid; Community scrambles to handle fallout.”

North Carolina newspapers played catch-up to a Wednesday Washington Post feature on a crisis that has befallen a prominent Tarheel family. Family members of the Rev. Billy Graham are fighting over where the evangelical leader eventually will be buried. The Charlotte Observer put some added value in its coverage by getting the reactions of Anne Graham Lotz and Franklin Graham to the Post’s report. The Winston-Salem Journal said the ailing elder Graham “has a Solomon-like decision to make.”

Holiday stories continued to make appearances on many front pages, but the Anchorage Daily News took today’s prize for most unusual. Reporter S.J. Komarnitsky urged readers, who may be struggling to find the perfect last-minute Christmas present, to avoid Palmer resident Scott Rounds. Seems Rounds has been searching diligently for a good home for his “beloved” pet Amazon tree boa, called Nekiza. But the six-and-a-half-foot-long Nekiza is not easy to love. “He hisses. He spits. He strikes. He literally bites the hand that feeds him.” He even put his owner in a chokehold so tight he couldn’t swallow. But reporter Komarnitsky’s reporting showed a smidgen of Christmas spirit: “Bad attitude aside, that doesn’t mean Nekiza isn’t worthy of some sympathy this holiday season.”

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Page One waits for Bush;
good ol’ boys get busted

By Christy Mumford Jerding

Iraq news made it back out front today in dozens of U.S. dailies. Most focused on the announcement that President Bush — expected to make a major Iraq speech before the end of the year — wouldn’t. The Christian Science Monitor called the delay “Bush’s rethink on Iraq.” The Intelligencer Journal in Lancaster, Pa., focused on the consultations the president has had on the situation since the Iraq study group’s report: “White House debates delay Bush’s new strategy on Iraq.” Other Page One editors topped their Iraq stories with the Pentagon’s call for more troops to quell sectarian violence: “’Double down’ approach needed in Iraq,” The Miami Herald International Edition. West Hawaii Today emphasized the near-daily death reports: “Carnage in Iraq.”

A different kind of carnage had New York readers glued to their news. The daily crush of bodies in subways and on sidewalks has reached a new high, and the government is worried. “Apple jam — NYC 2030: Mayor begins planning for a crowded, inhospitable future,” AM New York. The New York Sun had a somewhat less-dire headline: “Bloomberg prepares for a 25-year boom in the city.” The mayor’s plans certainly would cost “many billions of dollars,” the Sun reported.

Holiday carnage continued its appearance on many front pages. Several newspapers picked up a survey that found that the burden of holiday planning most often falls on women and that, as a consequence, nearly half experience “unhealthy levels of stress” during the season. The Cleveland Plain Dealer quoted one woman who lost her composure after a 16-hour day of baking: “Tears were running down my face” because she didn’t have time to put up Christmas lights. Ladies tended to cope by eating chocolate and drinking lots of liquor, the report said.

Perhaps that explains the top story in today’s Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss.: “MOONSHINE BUST IN HANCOCK COUNTY.” Reporter Ryan LaFontaine detailed a major illegal alcohol bust that yielded a still capable of producing 250 gallons of moonshine a month. The alleged culprit: 63-year-old Willie “Junior” Necaise. ABC agents were at a loss to explain the brew’s popularity when folks could get Jack Daniels and Jim Beam at the local liquor store. They also warned potential consumers that the brewing conditions were less than sanitary: A batch of the hard stuff was found marinating in a car’s radiator. (The reporter didn’t provide the make or model.)

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

International focus shifts to Jerusalem;
Scrooge invades newsrooms

By Christy Mumford Jerding

Many U.S. dailies filled international slots with datelines from Jerusalem; several gunmen there killed three young brothers, the sons of a Palestinian security officer. Headlines emphasized the killings while subheads tackled the context: “The boys’ father … was said to have been involved in a past crackdown on Hamas,” The Providence (R.I.) Journal; “Fears rise of wider Hamas-Fatah tensions,” The Philadelphia Inquirer. One Canadian newspaper didn’t parse its summation quite as carefully: “Gaza nears civil war,” National Post, Toronto.

Other U.S. newspapers kept international news out front but bypassed the shootings story to focus on remarks from outgoing U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The Kansas City (Mo.) Star, reporting on Annan’s appearance at the Truman Museum in Independence, headlined its story “Annan urges America to use power wisely,” but used the subhead to address reactions: “Were remarks critical of U.S. policy? Some observers think so, while others find them a tribute to Truman’s values and actions.” The Washington Times had a more definitive headline: “Annan accuses U.S. of losing its principles.”

Elsewhere across the nation, editors’ attentions turned to the coming holidays. Some pieces had a bit of a harder edge than the usual seasonal stories about community pageants, gift-giving and the like. Washington state newspapers were filled with the Christmas-tree trauma at Sea-Tac Airport. Last week, 14 trees were removed after a rabbi threatened to sue the airport if it did not install an 8-foot menorah as well. Today’s headlines showed that Christmas spirit had returned to the terminal: “Airport re-decks the halls,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The story made front pages 3,000 miles away: “’Controversy is ridiculous,’” Beaver County Times, Pa. The Norwich (Conn.) Bulletin had its own Christmas calamity to deal with: “Jewett City defies atheists; Borough won’t silence chimes.”

The nation’s employers would do well to note such holiday grumbling, reported the Los Angeles Daily News. After spending a great deal of time and money planning seasonal office parties, three out of four workers surveyed said that the affair is to be dreaded rather than enjoyed. “Office parties fall into two categories: boring or uncomfortably crazy,” the News quoted an Ohio-based executive as saying. Instead of having “stuffed chicken, rice pilaf and strong drinks,” employees would rather just get a day off.

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Dictator’s death sparks analyses;
Dr. Moreau — not-so-sci-fi

By Christy Mumford Jerding

The death of former Chilean leader Augusto Pinochet at age 91 prompted front-page coverage in that country and around the world. El Mercurio in Santiago said that Pinochet had a “profound impact.” The San Francisco Chronicle detailed that impact in a Page One story that said he was “revered by supporters for leaving behind the most stable country in Latin America but reviled by critics who say he ruled with complete disregard for human rights.” Most U.S. headlines focused on Pinochet’s reputation for cruelty: “A brutal icon passes,” Hartford (Conn.) Courant. Others led with Chileans’ emotional reaction to the news: “Pinochet’s death sets off clashes,” Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald.

The Iraq war stayed out front in dozens of U.S. dailies; political fallout from the bipartisan study group’s report was a popular angle. The Telegram & Gazette in Worcester, Mass., led with the Iraq president’s criticism of the group: “’Insult to the people,’ Talabani charges.” The Austin American-Statesman went with the overall instability of the Iraqi government: “Move to oust Iraq leader in brewing.”

Elsewhere in New England, American presidential politics dominated. Possible Oval Office contenders have started to reach out to early primary voters, and news from the “live free or die” state indicated the race was on: “Obama tests N.H. waters,” Valley News, West Lebanon. The Illinois senator apparently made quite a splash: “Obama fever grips NH,” Union Leader, Manchester.

Finally, a bizarre bit of science news from across the pond caught the eye of The Washington Times. Editors fronted a London Sunday Telegraph report that Britain was modifying its laws on human embryo research. Among the changes: Scientists will be able to create a human embryo from two women, thereby relegating some men to decidedly more tedious household chores. And the story only got weirder. In a development ripped from the pages of many a bad science-fiction novel, scientists now will be allowed to create embryos that are “part human, part animal.” The British health minister was careful to reassure readers who might be startled at this pronouncement: “The overarching aim is to pursue the common good through a system broadly acceptable to society.”

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Bundle up…deep freeze settles over
Iraq, weather headlines

By Michael Fetters

An intense Arctic chill in the central U.S. produced season’s-first snowfalls in many cities as well as Page One features on the dropping temperatures. Images of traffic pileups, children playing in the snow and bundled-up citizens were the illustrations of choice for many newspapers.

But the cold snap seems to have had a subliminal effect on headline writers from coast-to-coast, as dozens of dailies were in lockstep on their language choices when it came to describing President Bush’s reaction to the Iraq Study Group report released earlier in the week. “Cool” was the top choice by a wide margin, but “cold,” “cold shoulder,” “chilly,” “icy” and “lukewarm” also showed up. A number of papers, including the Macon, Ga., Telegraph, and Indiana’s South Bend Tribune, ran “Bush cool” headlines right next to their winter weather features.

Apparently, if one really wants to be cool, or at least appear so, one must get hip to instant messaging. A survey conducted by the Associated Press and AOL reveals a wide “instant messaging gap” between adults and teens. The results received significant below-the-fold play and gave writers a chance to display unconventional headlines, including “Y RN’T U IM-ing?” (Casper Star-Tribune) and “R U dwn w IM” (Longview News-Journal).

A few papers did buck the cool trend. The Christian Science Monitor reported on a Senate hearing on global warming, paying particular attention to the testimony of skeptics. Across town, The Boston Globe went with a feature on “(RED)-hot” consumer products – from T-shirts and sneakers to iPods – that have been developed to raise funds to fight AIDS. The campaign was created by rock star Bono and Kennedy family member Bobby Shriver. According to the Globe, (RED) campaign officials believe that the money collected so far in the U.S. will pay for putting 45,000 AIDS patients on life-extending treatment for a year.

Now that’s a heart-warming thought.

Michael Fetters is director of marketing and communications for the Newseum.

Two wars – one past, one present –
dominate Page One coverage

By Michael Fetters

The 65th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the 79 recommendations in the report of the Iraq Study Group battled it out on the front pages of U.S. dailies today.

Across the country, papers marked the WWII anniversary with first-person accounts from local eyewitnesses. Many editors noted that today’s scheduled reunion is likely the last for survivors. “A Final Farewell,” declared the West Hawaii Today and the Winston-Salem Journal.

For the current war in Iraq, however, editors chose from a variety of headline approaches. “Time is running out,” was a popular pull-quote, as were “dire” and “grave and deteriorating.” “It’s Bush’s move,” said The Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Wash., and Patriot-News of Harrisburg, Pa. The Charleston, S.C., State got right to the point with a “Now what?” banner.

Graphically, many papers went with a photo of President George Bush meeting with the 10-member commission, while others illustrated with images from the front lines in Iraq or with the actual Iraq Study Group report itself. Images of Bush and commission members were on many Page Ones in Europe in the Middle East, as well.

Two spacey stories also showed up on front pages, particularly in cities where the aerospace industry rules. “Flood of Possibilities,” noted the Orlando Sentinel in response to photographs of the Martian surface indicating that water may still flow on the planet’s surface. FLORIDA TODAY led with that item as well, but previewed the space shuttle launch scheduled for this evening. Several papers along the U.S. east coast noted that the launch may be visible to their readers.

Finally, The Roanoke Times was one of the papers going with the aforementioned “grave” headline in describing the Iraq report, but it was an article on a very different type of grave that shared above-the-fold coverage. After more than four years of excavation, Vatican archaeologists believe that they have recovered the sarcophagus – dating at least to A.D. 390 – of the Apostle Paul. Heavens!

Michael Fetters is director of marketing and communications for the Newseum.

Fresh eyes examine Iraq policy;
NYC takes fresh approach to eating

By Kate Kennedy

Candor appealed to Page One editors, as Robert Gates’ statement that the United States is not winning the war in Iraq made front pages across the country.

“Former CIA director seems to contradict president, wins committee’s favor,” said The Ledger in Lakeland, Fla. Gates’ nomination to be the next secretary of defense won unanimous approval from the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Boston Globe quoted Gates as saying his “‘highest priority’ will be to give President Bush candid advice.”

New York City’s ban on trans fats made headlines in the Big Apple and beyond. “That’s oil, folks,” AM New York said. Artificial trans fats — linked to heart disease and other illnesses — are found in commercial baked goods, French fries and salad dressing, noted the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader, which charted how chain restaurants are making changes. The Record in Stockton, Calif., used a heart in its “Arteries love N.Y.” headline. The World-Herald in Omaha, Neb. – known for its steaks – called the news “A big fat legal transformation.” A nationwide restaurant trend was predicted, and the Sun-Times asked: “Is Chicago next?”

Technology also was in the news. The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer looked at how Web “networking sites tip off law enforcement on illegal activities.” The Daily Breeze in Torrance, Calif., reported the findings of a Danish study that tracked 420,000 cell phone users. “Your phone likely won’t give you cancer,” it said.

Sorrow and joy were pictured on two front pages. The Daily Record in Parsippany, N.J., published a photo of a 3-day-old girl found bundled and abandoned in a van with news that authorities were trying to identify her. In West Lebanon, N.H., 7-pound, 12-ounce Eliza was born in a minivan carrying mom, dad and three sisters on Interstate 91 before the family could get to the hospital. Eliza’s 16-year-old sister “described the scene to an ambulance crew (on a cell phone), and passed along instructions to her father – all while videotaping the birth,” the Valley News reported.

Kate Kennedy, a former newspaper Page One editor,
is director/partnerships and initiatives.

Moonstruck editors find space
for latest news from NASA

By Kate Kennedy

Dreams of astronauts living and working on an outpost on the moon captured the interest and imagination of Page One editors.

The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk printed a dramatic illustration in reverse type that incorporated an artist’s rendering and the headline “NASA plans to return to the moon – for good.” Headlines in other newspapers also played up the plan for a permanent international base at one of the moon’s poles. “To the moon – and this time we’re staying,” the Yakima (Wash.) Herald-Republic said.

Other newspapers also used creative illustrations to tell a story. The Record in Stockton, Calif., showed how a tiny lapel pin became key evidence in a murder conviction. The Rocky Mountain News in Denver used a graphic to illustrate that foreclosures eclipsed a record. And it was a 1989 Saab and the number 1,001,385 that helped the Milwaukee (Wis.) Journal Sentinel tell the story of a traveling salesman who kept his car going strong for 17 years and more than a million miles.

Papers in the West published the photo of the rescue of a mother and two daughters after nine days in the snowy mountains. The San Francisco Chronicle noted a “frantic hunt for dad” and published a map of the remote area in southern Oregon where the California family was stranded.

Weeks before his temporary assignment was to expire, United Nations Ambassador John Bolton resigned. The Hartford Courant played up the role that Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd had in opposing Bolton’s confirmation. “Bush says he’s unhappy about nomination block,” the St. Cloud (Minn.) Times said.

In health news, New Jersey and New York newspapers reported that dozens of people became ill from an outbreak of E. coli bacteria. The Herald News in West Paterson noted links to Taco Bell restaurants.

The Los Angeles Times reported on a study that said teens’ use of cold and cough medicine is becoming the fastest-growing drug problem across the country. “Hey Mom and Dad, pay attention,” the newspaper quoted a drug-prevention officer as saying.

Kate Kennedy, a former newspaper Page One editor,
is director/partnerships and initiatives.

Headlines look ahead at a busy week
on the Hill, in the court, on the launch pad

By Kate Kennedy

The start of the workweek brought news of what’s ahead.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in Little Rock said this is a crucial week in the debate on Iraq policy. Headlines characterized what’s ahead differently. The Reno (Nev.) Gazette-Journal said: “White House reaffirms its Iraq stance.” But elsewhere in the state, the Las Vegas Review-Journal said: “Bush set to chart changed course.” The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post added analysis with “Bush shift on Iraq elusive.”

A landmark ruling is possible as the U.S. Supreme Court today takes up the issue of race and schools, The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer said. The education story was played on front pages from Atlanta to Corpus Christi, Texas. The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky., profiled the local lawyer who “will try to convince the nation’s justices to bar the use of race in deciding where students go to school.”

Thursday’s liftoff of the Shuttle Discovery is going to be a power trip, the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel said, noting that work is planned for the international space station’s electrical system.

“It’s where we belong,” FLORIDA TODAY in Melbourne said of the news that the University of Florida will play Ohio State in the Bowl Championship Series game.

There was a difference in opinion in Michigan. “U-M Denied,” The Detroit News proclaimed. “U-M wronged by BCS voters,” said the headline over the Mitch Albom column in the Detroit Free Press. Instead of the championship game, the Rose Bowl is where Michigan will play against the University of Southern California.

Speaking of blue, The Plain Dealer of Cleveland reported that the big blue Postal Service mailboxes are vanishing. People just don’t send as many letters as they used to, so 10% of mailboxes were eliminated last year.

Kate Kennedy, a former newspaper Page One editor,
is director/partnerships and initiatives.

When weather outside is frightful,
the news is less than delightful

By Kate Kennedy

“An icy wallop” and snow were splashed across front pages today in cities in the middle of the United States.

The early, nasty storm offered editors a chance for special effects. The Kansas City (Mo.) Star’s nameplate was superimposed over a photo of snow showers. The Tulsa (Okla.) World’s headline “Ice, snow seize city” was printed over a chilly blue background.

The Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram used photos and numbers to tell the story of how “the first burly winter storm of the season” affected the area. American Airlines cancellations: 360; traffic crashes: 190.

For newspapers in Illinois, the storm was headed their way. The Courier News in Elgin provided the “scoop on removing snow.” The Northwest Herald in Crystal Lake put a forecast of six to 13 inches of snow in big type. The State Journal Register in Springfield didn’t seem enthusiastic. “Gotta be skidding,” its top headline said. “Ice enough of a problem without the likely snow.”

A revised naturalization test will debut in 10 cities next year. “Are you smart enough to be a U.S. citizen?” asked The Anniston (Ala.) Star, which published three questions. For answers, readers had to turn inside. The Contra Costa Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., noted that the test will assess knowledge of the country’s ideals. Its headline, however, didn’t pass the test. “Applicants will soon be required to demonstrate an understanding of key U.S. principals.” It meant “principles.”

The inauguration of Felipe Calderon as Mexico’s new president is scheduled for today, and California newspapers, including the San Francisco Chronicle, noted continued turmoil over the closest presidential race in Mexico’s history.

U.S. voters might be asking “Who?” after Tom Vilsack launched his bid for the presidency. It was front-page news in Iowa, where The Gazette in Cedar Rapids offered readers a profile of the Iowa governor along with Vegas odds on Democratic rivals.

Kate Kennedy, a former newspaper Page One editor,
is director/partnerships and initiatives.

Unnamed sources aid in the
early release of Iraq war options

By Kate Kennedy

A group studying U.S. options for the war in Iraq isn’t to present its report to President Bush until next week, but its call for a gradual pullback of combat troops led many newspapers.

“Considered a compromise, the report avoids a specific timetable,” said The Oregonian in Portland. Stories identified no sources by name because members of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group are not to talk publicly until the report is issued Dec. 6. The New York Times quoted four people “involved in the debate” who “agreed to outline its conclusions in broad terms to address what they said might otherwise be misperceptions about the findings.” Newspapers, including The Miami Herald, published a New York Times News Service story.

Some front pages were left with the old news that a Wednesday meeting between President Bush and the Iraqi prime minister had been canceled. With its original reporting from Amman, Jordan, the Los Angeles Times was able to report that the two met today and “agreed to speed the training of Iraq security forces.”

News that a radioactive substance was found aboard British Airways jets was on front pages in the United Kingdom and the United States. The substance was linked to an investigation into the poisoning death of a former Russian spy, The Daily Telegraph of London said.

Newspapers along the Gulf Coast marked the end of the 2006 hurricane season and celebrated a lack of storms. “Whew!” said The Sun Herald in Biloxi, Miss. The News-Press in Fort Myers, Fla., published “10 reasons to be glad it’s over.” No. 1: “You can finally eat or give away your leftover hurricane food.”

In parallel headlines, the Houston Chronicle said: “Goodbye, hurricane season. Hello, wintry weather.”

The weather also made news from San Jose to St. Paul. November was Seattle’s wettest month on record, and The Seattle Times compared it with December 1933, the previous record. The newspaper aptly noted that 1933 also was wet for another reason — the repeal of Prohibition.

Kate Kennedy, a former newspaper Page One editor,
is director/partnerships and initiatives.

Globe-trotting pope,
president dominate int'l news

By Mike Fetters

The arrival of Pope Benedict XVI in Ankara, Turkey, was the dominant Page One image of international newspapers and also received significant coverage in the U.S. Headline and caption writers seemed to split evenly between emphasizing Benedict's efforts to create an "authentic dialogue" between Christians and Muslims and the pope's support — related by Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan — for Turkey's admission into the European Union. The visit is Benedict's first to a Muslim country in his 19-month-old papacy.

Meanwhile, another world leader's "first visit" also made headlines. President George Bush became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Estonia. A morning press conference with the Estonian president provided fodder for front-page reports that U.S. troops will remain in Iraq "until mission is completed." Several papers, including the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, paired the presidential press conference coverage with a report from The New York Times about a classified memo by the president's national security adviser expressing doubt about Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's ability to control the violence in that country.

The trendline on holiday stories continued to move upward, but "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday" shopping features were replaced by a number of Nativity narratives. One Nativity scene was "shelved," reported The Columbus Dispatch, because the Reynoldsburg, Ohio, mayor didn't want to appear to be favoring one religion over others. Meanwhile in Chicago's Daley Plaza, the movie "The Nativity Story," was removed from a list of holiday display sponsors because the sponsorship was considered by some to be too commercial. The Beaver County (Pa.) Times reported on a vandalized statue of Mary outside of the Holy Family Catholic Church in New Brighton.

Mike Fetters is the director of marketing
for the Newseum.

Readers get FAQs on Iraq;
police crack nut case

By Christy Mumford Jerding

The Iraq war again made the top spot in many dailies. Some news agencies have shifted their nomenclature in describing the country’s Sunni-Shiite conflict, and that change was reflected in several headlines: “Experts say U.S. can’t stop Iraqi civil war,” Idaho Statesman, Boise; “Civil war in Iraq near, Annan says,” The Washington Post. Memphis’ Commercial Appeal painted a bleak picture with its headline, taken from a statement by a Middle East expert: “’We’re not in control.’” The president’s diplomatic efforts trumped expert interviews for several front-page slots: “President urged to include Iran, Syria in talks,” The Denver Post; “Diplomacy livens,” The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.

Big business news beat out foreign policy on front pages in Michigan. Ford Motor Co.’s announcement that it had put up its entire operation as collateral for an $18-billion loan dominated newspapers. Both major dailies characterized the move as extremely risky and used casino chips to illustrate: “Inside Ford’s $18-billion gamble,” Detroit Free Press; “Ford bets the house,” The Detroit News.

In Alabama, editors put late-breaking sports news out front. The University of Alabama fired head football coach Mike Shula Monday afternoon and said a national search was on to replace him. Football fans couldn’t miss the huge photos of a shunned Shula: “Tide rolls over Shula,” Press-Register, Mobile; “Tide turns on Shula in late-night firing,” The Birmingham News.

In the midst of civil wars, business woes and people getting fired, The Modesto (Calif.) Bee turned to the police log, of all places, for a little levity. Seems the Merced County sheriff’s department had a big bust, and the Bee made much of it in a story headlined “Nicked nut stash turns up; 2 arrests.” The cops nabbed two men with more than 133,000 pounds of stolen almonds and walnuts (estimated street value: $400,000). A detective assured readers that the nuts had been secured and would be “returned to their rightful owners." The investigation continues, but for now, the cops have cracked this nut case wide open.

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Reports reflect unease over Iraq;
‘… and doggone it, people like me’

By Christy Mumford Jerding

Jumping back into hard news after a feature-filled holiday weekend, many newspapers led with an update on the Iraq war. The stories were different, but the headlines gave the same (bad) impression. The Bradenton (Fla.) Herald focused on the daily battles between Shiite and Sunni Muslims: “Baghdad neighborhoods descend into civil war.” The News Sentinel in Knoxville, Tenn., ran a report on the U.S. political struggle over the war: “Leaders losing patience. Congress’ calls for Iraq solution grow as Bush heads to Mideast.” An AP report on the dangers facing Iraqi security forces caught the eye of The Beaufort (S.C.) Gazette: “Staying alive a full-time job for Iraqi police.” The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle in Cheyenne sounded a note of defeat: “No end for Iraq atrocity.”

A lot of front pages had holiday hangover stories. Motorists’ traditional Sunday trek back from grandma’s Thanksgiving table generated headlines. In the Northwest, snow and ice got in the way of a peaceful drive home: “Slippery, snowy finale for holiday weekend. Slow goings in mountains for trip home,” The Seattle Times. Things weren’t much better in Utah: “Get the shovels out,” The Salt Lake Tribune. The Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald gave readers a small lift — “Holiday air travel mostly smooth sailing” — but then reported the inevitable holiday highway tragedy — “Five die in I-80 wreck during freezing drizzle.”

Sports news had its usual Monday front-page slot. Losing teams’ hometown headlines were particularly catchy. Newsday gave the New York Giants no love: “Giant collapse: Once-promising season in shambles.” The Philadelphia Inquirer didn’t take it easy on the Eagles, either: “Birds roasted.” The Philadelphia Daily News gave the Colts’ quarterback his due for the 45-21 routing: “Peyton Place.”

Finally, quite a few editors looking to lighten the depressing Page-One load pulled out an AP report on a new happiness study. Researchers used to think that folks’ “happiness thermometer,” once set, remained fairly constant throughout life. But apparently there’s hope, even for those with low-happiness temps. One simple, but supposedly effective, tactic: At the end of the day, think of three good things that happened. “The quality of my dreams has changed, I never have trouble falling asleep and I do feel happier," one participant reported.

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Turkey Day gets complicated;
wild pigs menace Texas

By Christy Mumford Jerding

Newspapers were all over the map today with their choices for top stories. Some U.S. dailies led with wire-service reports that 34-year-old Pierre Gemayel, a prominent anti-Syrian leader in Lebanon, had been assassinated in Beirut. The story was big news in the Middle East; front pages juxtaposed photos of the young politician with people mourning him in the streets. British newspapers paid a good amount of attention to the Gemayel story, too, but The Herald in Glasgow, Scotland, seemed more interested in a journalism scandal. Seems the venerable BBC admitted that it had offered its reporters 100 pounds “to find new angles on the police inquiry into the cash-for-peerages affair,” The Herald reported. The e-mailed offer, which came from a political news director, has touched off “a furious backlash across the political spectrum.”

Australians also were in a stew today over a statement by Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe that he not only was going to skip the world championships, “I’m actually going to discontinue my professional swimming career.” Thorpe is a multi-millionaire athlete beloved by his countrymen, so the news shocked sports fans; accordingly, the story was splashed large on front pages Down Under. The Age in Melbourne confirmed that Thorpe was really throwing in the towel: “That’s all, folks!”

Back in the states, Page One editors worked on different angles to cover that uniquely American holiday, Thanksgiving. Traditionally regarded as a warm-and-fuzzy time for families, Turkey Day also comes trimmed with some cold, hard facts that some editors highlighted: “Have holiday, will travel: Millions of us will spend part of holiday on the road. Here’s what we’ll face,” Erie (Pa.) Times-News. Holiday travelers apparently faced dozens of breast-feeding women at several airports. The women staged a “nurse-in” to protest the treatment of a breast-feeding airline passenger.

Finally, residents of Fort Worth, Texas, learned today that on top of travel troubles and bare breasts, they have another worry: feral pigs. The Star-Telegram ran a huge front-page feature titled “Feral pigs go hog-wild in Texas.” The porkers are taking over, state wildlife official Mark Mapton said. The state estimated that that 2 million to 4 million feral pigs are causing $50 million in damage a year. And apparently they’re really mean: They’ve chased shoppers through parking lots. They’ve “menaced a jogger” in a state park. So Texans should steer clear and keep watch on their farm animals, too, Mapton said, because a feral pig will eat just about anything, even “an ol’ billy goat, if it gets a chance.”

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Ala. bus crash stuns;
bad day for O.J., ‘Kramer’

By Christy Mumford Jerding

A deadly school-bus crash in Huntsville, Ala., dominated the state’s newspapers. The Huntsville Times gave over its entire front page to the accident; its simple, huge headline — “Oh, my God” — conveyed the community’s reaction to news that a “horrific crash” had killed three teenage girls and sent 15 other people to the hospital. The accompanying photo showed what was left of the bus, crushed after a plunge from an overpass, and police officers trying to keep bystanders away from the scene. The Birmingham News went with a less dramatic, more poignant photo of a young man checking on an injured student at the scene. The Montgomery Advertiser immediately localized its story: “Area school bus drivers put safety first.”

Across the rest of the United States, celebrity news made its way onto front pages. O.J. Simpson found himself back out front; a highly publicized deal for a book and television interview about the Nicole Brown Simpson/Ron Goldman murders, which reportedly would have brought him more than $3 million, was canceled after a lot of criticism. The San Francisco Chronicle zeroed in on the role of Rupert Murdoch, owner of the book’s publisher and the Fox network, which was to broadcast the Simpson interview: “Murdoch bows to uproar.”

Another entertainer got lots of negative front-page attention today. Actor Michael Richards, best-known as the beloved “Kramer” from TV’s “Seinfeld,” apparently launched into a racist tirade at a recent stand-up comedy show. An audience member captured it on video and uploaded it to the Internet, and condemnation from all directions was swift. Entertainment press, such as Red Eye, Chicago, gave the “Kramer fallout” story a lot of play. Metro in Boston captured the public’s dismay over the dust-up the best: “Michael Richards: What the hell?”

Finally newspaper editors’ attention turned to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Stories on holiday woes (“Nothing can stop Thanksgiving travel,” The Times, Shreveport, La.) and worries (Black Friday? Uhh … unsure consumers await day after Thanksgiving Day sale,” Highlands Today, Sebring, Fla.) began to show up in a few dozen newspapers. The Sun Journal in Lewiston, Maine, chose to chastise readers in advance for their overeating: “Don’t gobble til you wobble.” The story included some groundbreaking advice from a nutritionist on how to handle the holiday: When you feel full, stop eating.

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

A tale of 2 dresses:
Bush scowls, Katie smiles

By Christy Mumford Jerding

Foreign policy got a lot of attention here and abroad today. Some newspapers led with wire-service reports from Baghdad on a visit by the Syrian foreign minister. Several U.S. front pages played the news as a welcome assist: “Syria offers help for Iraq,” St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times. The Portland (Maine) Press Herald’s headline and deck gave more context: “Iraq needs timetable, Syria urges. Damascus makes a rare diplomatic visit to Baghdad, and may help to tighten border control.” The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch ran the Syria story but led with the Iraq death toll: “No letup for Iraq: 715 die in 8 days.”

Newspapers played President Bush’s diplomatic visit to the Far East about even with the Syria/Iraq story. The South China Morning Post concentrated on discussions about North Korea’s nuclear tests. The dominant art on Page One of Indonesia’s Pedoman Raykyat revealed the hostile reception awaiting Bush — it showed a large, defaced poster that portrayed the president as a green-skinned, bloody-mouthed vampire.

Front-page editors had more than the usual president-on-a-dais image to work with today. During the visit, Bush and other world leaders donned traditional Vietnamese outfits — to the Western eye, they looked like they were wearing bright blue dresses. One image in particular, with Chile’s Michelle Bachelet in pink surrounded by men in blue, was popular. The photo editors of The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Washington Times all chose it for Page One. None of the fellows looked particularly thrilled to be wearing the ao dais; nary could a photo of a smiling Bush be found.

But it was smiles all around for Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise. Their wedding-day photo got a good amount of play from entertainment-centric dailies. Although weekend TV coverage depicted a fan frenzy in Italy, where the ceremony was held, the Italian newspapers that participated in the Today’s Front Pages online exhibit completely ignored the story. The Daily News in New York teased readers with hope of a snarky story about Holmes’ attire: “News verdict on THAT dress.” Alas, no bile awaited. The News declared the $2.6 million — yes, that’s right, million — Armani gown “sleek and chic.”

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Page One finds winning combination
in politics and college football

By Kate Kennedy

From rivalries come winners and losers, and today’s front pages featured both.

In Rep. Steny Hoyer’s home state of Maryland, The Sun of Baltimore featured news of his election as House majority leader. Hoyer defeated Rep. John Murtha for the spot, despite support for Murtha by Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi. “Pelosi wins top spot in House, but quickly loses pick for No. 2,” said The Record in Stockton, Calif. In Murtha’s home state of Pennsylvania, The Tribune-Democrat in Johnstown pictured the representative under the headline, "Dems spurn Murtha."

The country’s top college football teams meet Saturday. USA TODAY called the game that pits No.1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Michigan the “makings of the greatest ever.”

• The Detroit Free Press led the newspaper with coverage of a deadly shooting in the city and the dangers faced by Michigan reservists serving in Iraq. But above its nameplate, the newspaper pictured Michigan’s quarterback and the headline: “Why Michigan will win.” The newspaper’s three answers: The run, match-ups and coaching.
  
  
• Confident in an Ohio State win, Buckeye fans already are making travel plans for the Bowl Championship Series title game Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz., The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch reported.
  
  
• The Plain Dealer’s front page in Cleveland included a story about ticket scalping and promoted a 28-page special section inside the newspaper.
  
  
• The Cincinnati Enquirer featured houses divided — family members who have dueling rivalries.
  

Looking for a win against dangerous changes in climate, "Scientists float idea of dirty sky as answer,” said The Oregonian headlines in Portland, reporting on a suggestion by a Nobel laureate that deliberate pollution could help cool the planet.

The skies also made news in North Carolina, where The Charlotte Observer led with "11 deaths blamed on fierce storms" and published a photograph of a destroyed mobile-home park.

Kate Kennedy, a former newspaper Page One editor, is director/partnerships and initiatives.

Comebacks rewrite history —
or at least make front-page news

By Kate Kennedy

It’s hard to resist the story of a comeback.

“US Airways leaps from near death,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said, to make an $8 billion hostile bid for Delta Air Lines. A “deal would put US Airways at No. 1,” said the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal, among the newspapers that tried to predict what a merger would mean for fares at local airports.

Sen. Trent Lott, who four years ago was forced to step down as Senate Republican leader, returned to the GOP limelight by being elected Republicans’ No. 2 in the Senate, said the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal in Tupelo. “Lott’s comeback complete. How sweet it is,” The Sun Herald of Biloxi said at the top of its front page.

“Guess who’s coming to town?” asked the Daily Progress in Hampton Roads, one of many Virginia newspapers announcing that Queen Elizabeth II is coming back to Jamestown. The British monarch will attend a 400th anniversary celebration in May. She and husband, Prince Philip, first visited the Jamestown Festival in 1957.

O.J. Simpson’s photo returned to many front pages with word that he has written a book, If I Did It. “O.J. Simpson back in the spotlight – What’s he thinking?” the San Francisco Chronicle asked. “Juicy volume leaves bad taste,” The Fresno (Calif.) Bee said.

PlayStation also returned to Page One as gamers and those looking to make a profit began standing in line for Sony PlayStation 3, which goes on sale Friday. “For play or profit, they feel it’s worth the wait,” said The Post-Star in Glens Falls, N.Y. The Star Tribune in Minneapolis said the excitement shows “how much video games have become a part of American popular culture.”

The top military commander for the Middle East warned at a Senate hearing that now is not the time to cut troops in Iraq. The Orange County (Calif.) Register charted troop levels, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted a “harsh spotlight” on commanders and political disagreement on bringing some troops home.

Kate Kennedy, a former newspaper Page One editor, is director/partnerships and initiatives.

Iraq kidnappings downplayed;
hunting flap takes bizarre turn

By Christy Mumford Jerding

No unifying national story on U.S. front pages today; many newspapers ran stories on a mass kidnapping in Baghdad but judged the story second or third or fourth to local news. The Eagle in Bryan-College Station, Texas, played the kidnapping story fairly prominently and also fronted a report on Iran’s nuclear capability. The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch ran a McClatchy Newspapers report on the “brazen daylight kidnapping of at least 100 people” across the bottom but gave over most of its front page to a feature story on Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith.

The opening of the first slots casino in Pennsylvania dominated the state’s front pages. The Philadelphia Inquirer documented the crush of people at the Mohegan Sun: “You would have thought they were giving away money by the way people lined up.” The Patriot-News went with “Let the games begin” and noted that “The Donald” Trump made an appearance. The Morning Call in Allentown, Pa., let a bystander write its headline: “Oh my gosh, here they come.”

In North Carolina, news from the Baptist State Convention in Greensboro got a lot of ink. The top news item came from the passage of a resolution that “the state’s largest religious denomination will no longer affiliate with churches that embrace openly gay members.” The News & Record’s subhead shed some light on internal debate over the resolution: “Church shouldn’t cast stones, dissenters say.” The News & Observer reported that said debate, however, was “polite and orderly.”

Over the last week or so, several newspapers have reported on the start of deer-hunting season. But the New Hampshire Union Leader’s top story today will be hard to beat. Seems the Derry town conservation commissioner apparently lost her cool over regulations about hunting on conservation property. A town official accused the commissioner of trespassing on his property — and bringing him a severed deer head. The commissioner resigned. She said she needs time to recuperate from Lyme disease.

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Emotional display moves editors;
unseemly e-mails flummox officials

By Christy Mumford Jerding

A rare display of emotion from public officials caught the attention of Page One editors today. Although presidents Bush and Clinton spoke at the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial groundbreaking in Washington, their photos didn’t merit much front-page space. Instead, editors overwhelmingly chose images of speakers who broke down in tears during the ceremony. An Associated Press photo of seven notables — including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, his left hand covering his face, and a tearful Rep. John Lewis leaning on a shovel — showed up in several newspapers. The Sun in Baltimore went with a photo of Jackson comforting former U.N. ambassador Andrew Young, who wept as he described the time leading up to King’s assassination in 1968. Reporter Joe Burris described the scene: “The weather was raw, as were the emotions of people who had waited decades for such a tribute to the slain civil rights leader.”

A few dailies followed up on yesterday’s Iraq war-policy story. President Bush’s meeting with the “Iraq Study Group,” a panel studying U.S. options there, elicited varied — and somewhat contradictory — headlines: “Bush cautious on Iraq options,” The Press-Democrat, Santa Rosa, Calif.; “Bush is pressed on Iraq,” Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald; “Bush holds ground on Iraq pullout,” The Star-Ledger, Newark, N.J.

A First Amendment story made the top spot in The Courier News in Elgin, Ill. Jury deliberations began Monday in the Illinois Supreme Court’s chief justice libel suit against the Kane County Chronicle in Geneva. The justice asked a jury for at least $8.5 million in “emotional damage and loss of reputation” over columns that “accused him of trading one of his votes for a political favor.” But the front page of the Chronicle, perhaps under lawyers’ advice, made no mention of the case.

Local government officials in Decatur, Ala., were having a tough time of it today, too. Some “racy” e-mails that circulated among the county’s human resource director, chairman and mayor have touched off an independent investigation as well as Page One news coverage in The Decatur Daily. The so-called “calendar girl” e-mails apparently contained photos of “nude and scantily clad women.” Jack Underwood, the originator of the e-chain, didn’t bother to deny the allegation in the Daily story: “I did it. I just did it.”

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Party politics still played prominently;
breeding buck not man’s best friend

By Christy Mumford Jerding

Amid a mix of local news and long-lead features, last week’s election results — and their potential effect on the Iraq war — continued to get attention from many dailies. The Denver Post picked up a Los Angeles Times story that put the focus on the incoming majority party: “Dems to push phased pullout; Iraq policy is top priority.” The Oregonian in Portland went with a similar angle but also noted in its subhead that “Bush advisers reject a timetable.”

Other newspapers took a different approach to the Iraq-policy story. The Advocate in Baton Rouge, La., led with the recent death toll in Iraq and statements from the Iraqi prime minister that U.S. forces should retreat to their bases and let national security forces take over. The Lufkin (Texas) Daily News emphasized a comment from the White House that “a fresh approach” was needed: “Bush open to ideas on war in Iraq.” A few dailies chose to lead with members of Congress returning to work post-election: “Lame duck in session,” Metro, Boston; “Lame ducks take roost,” Erie (Pa.) Times-News.

Florida newspapers gave a good amount of attention to its island neighbor: “Castro may die within months, U.S. says,” The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post. The Associated Press reported that officials believed the 80-year-old Cuban leader had terminal cancer of the stomach, colon or pancreas. Newspapers ran the most-recent photos of Castro released by the Cubans; he appeared pale and gaunt. The Miami Herald put a timetable on the situation: “Castro has 18 months to live.”

Finally, from the bizarre-and-tragic-equals-newsworthy school of journalism: The Akron (Ohio) Beacon-Journal and the Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, N.Y., ran big death-by-animal stories today. An Akron man was mauled to death by his girlfriend’s two Rottweilers, which were kept in a basement. The girlfriend speculated that he may have tried to break up a fight between the two animals. Even weirder was the big story in the Press-Republican that reported the death of Ronald Donah, 43, “killed by a buck in rut.” Donah apparently kept a half-dozen whitetail deer in a pen on his property on Bull Run Road. A wildlife specialist said deer are breeding now and should be given wide berth: “You don’t mess with a buck this time of year.”

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Odd couple symbolizes power shift;
strippers strike back in Kokomo

By Christy Mumford Jerding

Many dailies stuck with political news up top today. Photographs of President Bush and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., from their make-nice meeting at the White House showed up a lot. Several reporters noted the incongruity of the cordial scene with the bitter tone of the campaign, and headlines reflected the tentative nature of such political détentes: “Making peace — for now,” The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, Calif. Former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich, long absent from front pages, piqued the interest of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Gingrich to GOP: Culprit is in the mirror.” The Providence (R.I.) Journal ran a similar story based on an interview with defeated Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee: “Anger at his own party: Chafee blames the GOP right wing for his defeat.”

Many editors considered the death of longtime CBS newsman Ed Bradley at 65 to be front-page news. Stories featured file photos of Bradley, at various stages of his career, but the latest one showed Bradley looking thinner than usual; he had been battling leukemia. Headlines lauded the award-winning “60 Minutes” correspondent: “Gold standard of television journalism,” Bradenton (Fla.) Herald; “Television pioneer never lost his cool,” The Indianapolis Star.

With national politics settling down, editors made room for more local news on Page One. The Chicago Sun-Times went in-depth into the city’s “massive Hired Truck scandal,” with the news hook that Donald Tomczak, a former high official in the city’s Waste Management Department, would get four years in prison on bribery and corruption charges. Editors pulled out his statement of contrition — “I hurt so many people” — as well as the opinion of an anonymous source — “The guy was a son of a bitch, and that you can print."

A couple of newspapers found big news in the dark confines of the local strip club. The Las Vegas Review-Journal topped its Page One with “Sin City lap dances lose some sin.” Seems the state Supreme Court has upheld a regulation that prohibits exotic dancers from “fondling or caressing” patrons during lap dances. While Vegas dancers and owners wrung their hands over the financial implications of the ruling, the Kokomo (Ind.) Tribune reported even bigger trouble from the Babes Show Girls strip club. Two dancers allegedly robbed the club of $3,277 in cash. The ladies reportedly were counting their loot over breakfast at a local IHOP — just about the time a couple of state troopers strolled in. The strippers are now making time in the Howard County Jail.

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Rumsfeld exits, stage left;
N.Y. reformers sleep with the fishes

By Christy Mumford Jerding

Editors couldn’t give in to their post-election political hangovers today; news that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld would resign ensured another big news day. Several front pages featured file photos of President Bush walking Rumsfeld out of the Oval Office, the implication being, of course, that the president had shown the secretary the door. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, along with The Daily Telegraph of London, headlined their Rumsfeld stories with “Casualty of War.” The one-two punch of the Democratic political victory and the secretary’s ouster made the top slots on a lot of foreign front pages, too. “Bush offert Rumsfeld,” De Morgen, Brussels; “Bush gets whacked,” The Telegraph, Calcutta, India.

Bush’s post-election news conference, in which he announced the resignation, got a lot of focus. The president’s colorful description of his party’s defeat inspired several headline writers: “It was a thumpin’,” The Modesto (Calif.) Bee. Some front pages focused on individual winners (no losers). The Christian Science Monitor in Boston led with the new “Madam Secretary” Nancy Pelosi, who will be the first female Speaker of the House. OÖ Nachrichten in Linz, Austria, led with local-boy-made-good Arnold Schwarzenegger, reelected as California’s governor.

Virginia newspaper editors had a decision to make last night: Whether to declare Democrat Jim Webb the winner of the U.S. Senate seat over Republican George Allen. As the presses got warmed up, at least two news agencies — The Associated Press and ABC News — were declaring Webb the victor of the tight contest. The Free Lance-Star hedged its bet: “AP: Webb victory assured.” The Daily Press in Hampton Roads went for broke: “Webb wins.”

After giving appropriate play to these big national stories, The Post-Star in Glens Falls, N.Y. dove into a nasty bit of local politics. Several residents got a lesson in Godfather-style communication when they awoke to find dead fish on their properties. Someone “who apparently took satisfaction in Tuesday’s sound defeat of the city charter amendment” pulled the stunt to send a signal to the charter’s supporters. The fish, one of which was pictured on The Post-Star’s front page, were wrapped in newspaper and rubber bands. The Post-Star did not note which newspaper served as the wrapping.

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Blue day for GOP readers;
headline writers K-Fed up

By Christy Mumford Jerding

Nearly every U.S. newspaper front page led with results of the midterm elections. With “red state” and “blue state” having entered the political lexicon for good, several Page One editors got clever with headlines indicating the Democrats had taken the House of Representatives: “House of Blues,” The Gazette, Colorado Springs and The Bakersfield Californian. Many newspapers topped their coverage with local results before going to the national implications: “Riley’s home sweet, but Bush House blue.” Speaking of the president, a few newspapers focused on Bush as the symbol of Republican defeat: “Ouch, this hurts,” said the Daily News. The Philadelphia Daily News seemed particularly eager to take a poke at POTUS — the front-page was a close-up of Bush, cheek-to-cheek with a donkey, with the headline “Hee Haw!” The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle gave a nod to its state’s reputation as a Republican stronghold: “Day for Democrats, even in Kansas.”

Two state elections in particular kept editors on their toes. The Virginia and Montana Senate races were too close to call at press time. Editors, ever-mindful of the 2000 presidential election, carefully refused to speculate on the winner: “Dead Heat! Webb claims victory; Allen talks recount,” Richmond Times-Dispatch; “Tester leads Burns as count drags on,” Billings Gazette. The Examiner in Washington was even fearful of calling the House results: “Democrats poised to take House.”

The Hartford (Conn.) Courant had a big news story with former Democrat Joe Lieberman’s victory: “Independent’s Day.” The newspaper, calling Lieberman “a man without a party,” gave the senator some props: “… overcoming the virulent anti-war sentiment that had cost him the Democratic nomination … a triumphant Lieberman offered no conciliatory words to the Democrats who abandoned him.” But GOP governor-elect Jim Gibbons — plagued in recent weeks by accusations of sexual misconduct — didn’t even get one honeymoon day. The Las Vegas Sun eschewed a typical “Gibbons wins” head in favor of this: “To govern, Gibbons must acquire new skills, survive investigations.”

But there’s one person who may be even more loath to read today’s headlines than Gibbons, Allen or Bush. Former backup dancer and would-be rapper Kevin Federline wasn’t forgotten by editors, even in the midst of election-day mayhem. Federline got kicked to the curb yesterday by his pop-star wife, Britney Spears. After years of Federline’s high-profile antics, marginal rapping skills and tabloid fights, editors seemed to celebrate his fall: “K-Fed Up” was particularly popular. But the prize for most-clever divorce headline must go to Red Eye, Chicago: “Fed-Exed.”

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Pols sprint to finish in USA;
horse race of a different sort Down Under

By Christy Mumford Jerding

U.S. newspapers were all about Election Day, covering last-minute stump speeches, poll results and photo ops. President Bush’s visit to Arkansas in support of Republican gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson got good play in the state. The Morning News topped its story with Bush’s proclamation that the “GOP will surprise.” But most headline writers offered up questions rather than predictions: “Who will control the next Congress?”, The Examiner, Washington, was typical. No matter which party takes the majority, The Tampa (Fla.) Tribune said, “today’s winners will govern from the center.”

Several newspapers gave their coverage a get-out-the-vote vibe. The Chicago Sun-Times — telling its readers “don’t be a cynic” — led with “5 reasons you should vote today.” But The Des Moines (Iowa) Register was way ahead of the Windy City — it gave readers 20 reasons. The Boston Globe focused on the race’s price tag: “Day of decision in state’s costliest campaign ever.” The Southeast Missourian warned readers that changes to the state’s voting system could be confusing: “Whatever else you do in the voting booth today, don’t circle the symbols. … Straight-party voting is no longer an option.”

A few newspapers were more concerned with the results of a (more-fun) election: the annual Country Music Awards in Nashville, Tenn. The Bakersfield Californian’s Page One was dominated by a photo of guitar-strumming George Strait, inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Tennessean gave two-thirds of its front page to the CMAs and one-third to today’s election, listing the event’s big winners and teasing the more gossipy bits about fashion and frolic to be found inside.

On the other side of the world, newspaper readers were occupied by a real horse race: the 146th Melbourne Cup in Australia. New Zealand editors seemed more interested than their colleagues to the south and dutifully reported the dismal news: Among cold and windy conditions, and a crowd “well below expectations,” the Japanese swept in and took the cup. But The Press in Christchurch reported that at least one other person had a worse day than the losing jockeys: A local model, wearing a $500,000 dress of gold rings, “which was no protection against the 14deg temperature.”

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Saddam’s fate sparks emotion;
preacher, bikers on soul journeys

By Christy Mumford Jerding

The angry visage of Saddam Hussein — sentenced by an Iraqi court to death by hanging for crimes against humanity — stared out from dozens of front pages around the globe. Coverage varied in approaches; some newspapers focused on the drama of the sentencing — Saddam’s refusal to stand for the verdict and his shouts of defiance — as well as next steps in terms of appeals and a timetable for the hanging. Others focused on reaction in Iraq: “Saddam death sentence sparks dancing in streets of Baghdad,” The Daily Telegraph, London. The Telegraph’s article seemed to agree with the sentence: “Saddam Hussein finally faced the consequences of his tyrannical rule.”

In the United States, The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk gave heavy play to the Saddam story and pulled out quotes to illustrate the emotion surrounding his rule: “Saddam was the snakehead, and you have to cut that head, and they cut,” a Shiite resident of Baghdad. Other newspapers took a closer look at the possible detrimental effect of Saddam’s execution: “Death edict drives Iraqis further apart,” The Salt Lake (Utah) Tribune. The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Pa., ran a front-page news analysis with a pessimistic point of view: “Saddam Hussein sentenced to death: Will it matter?” Other headline writers seemed gleeful at the prospect of Saddam’s execution. The Daily News in New York was the most extreme: “Next stop HELL!”

Thoughts of Heaven and Hell also preoccupied Colorado editors. Readers got up to date on the Rev. Ted Haggard’s fall from grace: He issued a statement to his New Life Church, based in Colorado Springs, confessing “sexual immorality” and lies. Editors judged the story bigger than Saddam. The Denver Post topped its story, and a photo of a tearful congregation, with Haggard’s own words: “I am a deceiver.” The Gazette also ran a photo of members of Haggard’s former flock, under the headline “Shame and solace.”

A spiritual journey of a different sort was out front of the Carroll County Times in Westminster, Md. Two bikers completed a ride from Maryland to Alaska and told the Times that the ride was “as real as life gets.” Among the black bears, the stunning scenery, the heat, the cold, the flat tires and the sheer danger of the road, one biker said he had a chance to do a lot of “soul work.” “You unearth things in your head,” he said. His conclusion? Whatever a person may be searching for, he should just “stop thinking about it and do it.”

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Fish in trouble, Bush hits the road;
Sex scandal rocks Colorado

By Paul Sparrow

Page One editors tried to balance local news with several big national stories today. A report on the possible collapse of the world’s fisheries made the biggest splash. “So long seafood?” asked The Frederick (Md.) News-Post, while editors at The Honolulu Advertiser had a question of their own, “No more fish to eat by 2048?”

Politics of course got big play; “Bush hits campaign trail” (The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.) was typical. The Telegram & Gazette in Worcester, Mass., led with “Bush campaigns in ex-GOP strongholds” but also fronted a big national crime story with “Teams nab fugitives.” The nationwide sweep by the Justice Department generated many headlines. “Worst of the worst” was how The Chronicle-Telegram in Elyria, Ohio, described the criminals being brought in, while the Marietta (Ga.) Daily Journal added a local angle with “Roundup of 11,000 fugitives includes 1,000 in Georgia.”

A sex scandal involving a prominent evangelical pastor dominated the front pages in Colorado. “Revelations” boldly proclaimed the Rocky Mountain News, but The Denver Post was more specific: “Pastor takes leave amid allegations of gay sex.”

It was more horseplay than hellfire for the Philadelphia Daily News. “Pony up, Big Boy!” was the headline for a story about a thoroughbred breeding scandal. The subhead said it all: “War Emblem’s secret, and why some studs are duds in the breeding shed.”

Paul Sparrow is the vice president
for broadcasting at the Newseum.

Kerry throws it in reverse;
python-1, seagulls-0

By Christy Mumford Jerding

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., was back on the front pages today with a mea culpa. The senator, after taking heat from the GOP as well as his own party, apologized for a “botched joke” about President Bush that some took as a criticism of U.S. soldiers. His reversal — after saying that he had nothing to apologize for — made the top slot on several Page Ones: “Kerry regrets ‘stuck in Iraq’ remark,” The Sentinel-Record, Hot Springs, Ark. The Washington Times’ story, headlined “Kerry apologizes for insulting troops,” emphasized that the senator’s appearances in support of Democratic candidates had been scrubbed.

Dozens of dailies had local and state election news out front. The Sun Journal in Lewiston, Maine, had fun with a look at the foibles of small-town politics. Seems Republican gubernatorial candidate Chandler Woodcock and Green Independent candidate Pat LaMarche, both looking to shake a few hands, ran into each other at Simones Hot Dogs. After an awkward moment, the Sun Journal reported, “Woodcock took the back room, while LaMarche worked the front. … The two looked like dancers, aware of one another … but separated by french fries, hot dogs and the crowd.”

The Sun Herald in Biloxi, Miss., had an alternative for readers who might be unsatisfied with the election results. The top story was on “Fantasy Congress,” an alternative to fantasy baseball, fantasy football, etc., with a new twist — players draft their favorites for spots in Congress. Teams “earn points according to their legislative successes.” The story noted that Mississippi’s Trent Lott was ranked 19th out of 100 senators.

Several newspapers fronted news from the animal kingdom. The Daily Journal in Vineland, N.J., reported that a local motorist had been arrested for running down a flock of sea gulls in the Cumberland Mall parking lot. The story’s big art: A close-up of a dead bird — which apparently had been unable to fly, fly far away — in the mall parking lot. The Winona (Minn.) Daily News’ animal-crisis story had a happier ending. A Halloween robber made off with Jamie Ann Hansen’s jewelry boxes, compact discs, some prescription drugs — and a 1-foot-long baby python. Hansen was most worried about the snake, “that he was going to get too cold and die.” Family members tracked down the perpetrator and retrieved the snake from a Tupperware container. She got her CDs and jewelry back, too. No word on the drugs.

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Bush and Kerry spar;
Barker’s last showcase showdown

By Christy Mumford Jerding

Readers must have thought they’d gone to sleep and woken up in 2004 — President Bush and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., had a media war of words over a Kerry joke that Bush said insulted U.S. soldiers. Headlines varied in their approach to the dust-up. Some gave equal weight to the contenders: “Bush, Kerry slug it out,” The Post and Courier, Charleston, S.C. Others led with Bush’s reaction to the remark: “Bush blasts Kerry,” The Blade, Toledo, Ohio. But a slight majority seemed to paint Kerry more unfavorably: “Kerry gaffe ignites outrage,” The Fresno (Calif.) Bee. The Daily News had a typically dramatic take: “Kerry Kalamity.”

News from Iraq and North Korea took turns in the top foreign-policy slot. Several newspapers ran some rather oblique headlines on a situation between the U.S. military and the Iraqi government: “Iraq stands up against U.S.,” Chicago Tribune; “U.S. troops obey Iraqi premier,” Star-Tribune, Minneapolis. The Intelligencer-Journal in Lancaster, Pa., was able to convey a more complete picture of the news with its head: “Iraqi leader gets U.S. to lift blockade.” Other dailies gave greater emphasis to news that North Korea would resume diplomatic talks about its nuclear plans. “North Korea will come back to table,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, was a typical head. The JoongAng Daily in Seoul, which obviously has been watching the situation keenly, gave the story big front-page play and twinned it with a report on an investigation into North Korea espionage.

A familiar face to millions of American TV viewers showed up on a few U.S. front pages. “Silver-haired daytime TV icon” Bob Barker, host of “The Price Is Right,” told The Associated Press that he would retire in June after 35 years of showcase showdowns. Barker, soon to be 83, said he loved his job but that giving away trips and appliances — and getting squeezed around the neck by over-enthusiastic contestants — had become too demanding, “mentally and physically.” There was no word from the show about who might take over the all-important, end-of-show task of urging viewers to “have their pets spayed or neutered.”

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Iraq death toll out front;
adrenaline-junkies dig Halloween

By Christy Mumford Jerding

Although not as dominant as yesterday, the ever-growing death toll in the Iraq war made a lot of front pages today. Most headlines seized on the fact that the U.S. toll for the month of October rose to 101, the highest since January 2005. Headline phrases such as “grim milestone” were common.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair also got a good bit of front-page play. The U.K. issued a report warning that “the Earth faces a calamity” unless steps are taken to stop the effects of global warming. Stories noted that Blair took a swipe at the Bush administration by stating former Vice President Al Gore would provide advice on climate change. Headlines emphasized the emphatic nature of Blair’s comments: “Britain warns of climate catastrophe,” The Post-Standard, Syracuse, N.Y.; “Unless we act, disaster is inevitable,” The Herald, Glasgow.

Aside from politics, elections and foreign-policy issues, by far the biggest story today was Halloween. Some Page One editors took a serious approach: The Seattle Times ran a story on thieves who are stealing brass vases off of graves. The News Virginian in Waynesboro warned readers that “over-age” trick-or-treaters — older than 12 — could be arrested and tossed in the slammer.

But most newspapers took a more light-hearted look at All Hallow’s Eve. The News & Advance in Lynchburg, Va., investigated local supernatural phenomena with the help of a “ghost hunter.” The Houston Chronicle sent a brave reporter into the spooky Ideson Library in search of a ghostly librarian who likes to play the violin. The Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader went really tongue-in-cheek by sending “paranormal investigators” to figure out if the University of Kentucky’s Commonwealth Stadium is haunted. (Columnist Mark Story said it must be — it’s the only explanation for a history of painful losses.)

Finally, The State in Columbia, S.C., took the scientific approach to Halloween. We love to feel that “raw, white-knuckle fear” because it gets the old adrenaline pumping — the Fight or Flight Response. Or, as South Carolinian Dustin Shaw put it, she likes feeling “the tingle inside.”

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Editors hit variety of Iraq angles;
reporter gets real inside poop

By Christy Mumford Jerding

The war in Iraq made a lot of U.S. headlines today, and editors tackled the story from multiple perspectives. The Fresno (Calif.) Bee led with news that 14,000 weapons, destined for Iraqi security forces, had gone missing. The Lewiston (Idaho) Tribune gave prominent play to an AP report that Sunni Arab gunmen had killed 23 Iraq police Sunday and twinned the news with a story on a medical team’s attempt to save a wounded marine. The Star-Ledger in Newark, N.J., had a rare feel-good story from the region: “In bomb-riddled Iraq, a baby boom: Births are rising as families refuse to let war kill the circle of life.”

Violence back home generated front-page stories as well. St. Louis, Mo., had the dubious distinction of being named the most dangerous city in the United States. Headline writers (in other cities) couldn’t resist poking a little fun at St. Louis, known as the Gateway to the West: “St. Louis snags crime crown,” FLORIDA TODAY; “St. Louis, gateway to crime,” Metro, New York. But the St. Louis Post-Dispatch seemed unconcerned. Its front page was devoted to a hometown celebration of the Cardinals’ World Series win: “Cardinal Nation.” The Detroit News’ coverage of the defeated Tigers struck a more poignant note: “Thanks for the memories.”

Halloween pumpkins, costumes and candy popped up often; some reporters took the opportunity to delve into the season with seriousness. The Connecticut Post ran a report titled “Wanted: Witch justice,” a local pagan woman’s crusade to get official state exoneration for a 17th-century woman hanged as a witch. Her crime: Drinking sherry in the woods. A Herald News reporter in Paterson, N.J., got the plumb assignment of “Reporting from the Gates of Hell.” But it sounded more exciting than it was: The Gates of Hell turned out to be some old drainage tunnels where teenagers hang out and misbehave.

Finally, proof that reporters will do anything for a good story. The Denver Post’s Katy Human hung out with a Boulder scientist who studied “dinosaur bowel movements. Fossilized feces. Well, poop.” The fruits of her labor included the conclusion that one duck-billed dinosaur had worms, a T. rex had bone fragments in his belly and that ancient beetles liked to horde “dung sausages.” Don’t ask.

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Fire and ice; Cardinals and Tigers
and Manatees oh my!

By Paul Sparrow

Dramatic photographs of a deadly arson fire in California dominated many front pages today. It was a “Day of Mourning” (The Desert Sun) in nearby Palm Springs. “They had no chance,” proclaimed The Press-Enterprise from Riverside regarding the four firefighters who died.

“Got melt?” asked the Rocky Mountain News as Colorado got the cold shoulder from Mother Nature with a blizzard that dumped two feet of snow. The Denver Post acknowledged their ski-loving readers with the headline “More powder to ‘em.”

The New Jersey Supreme Court’s decision that gay couples are entitled to equal rights generated headlines all across the nation. The Star-Ledger in Newark took a political angle on the story, noting “Lawmakers cool to gay marriage,” while The Press of Atlantic City headlined “Marriage likely off table for N.J. gays.”

The bizarre story of a jealous nurse killing a woman who stole her high school boyfriend 30 years ago made the front page of The Blade in Toledo. The victim was undergoing plastic surgery when the jilted nurse allegedly gave her a fatal dose of painkillers.

The World Series was big news in at least two cities today. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch had a full-page photo with the headline “Shock-tober” after the Cardinal’s victory yesterday. The Detroit Free Press had a different take on the Tigers’ poor performance, “Slipping Away.”

In Memphis it was a meandering manatee making news. “Sea cow is acting weird” is how The Commercial Appeal headlined the story of the wayward manatee that made it all the way up the Mississippi to Memphis. Authorities did not say if it was headed to Graceland.

Paul Sparrow is the Newseum’s vice president
for broadcasting and programs.

Bush can’t get no satisfaction;
chickens vex Ind. city council

By Christy Mumford Jerding

Many Page One editors put President Bush’s news conference, dominated by questions about the Iraq war, out front today. Many headline writers picked up the president’s quote that he was “not satisfied” with the situation. The Denver Post headline may have better reflected Bush’s overall message: “Bush: War tough, winnable.” The Birmingham (Ala.) News juxtaposed the president’s news conference with same-day statements from “a visibly angry” Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, who criticized the U.S. government for telling him to set a timetable to curb violence.

A New Jersey state Supreme Court ruling giving the nod to same-sex unions made front pages in that region as well as across the nation. Coverage reflected that the ruling was not absolute; the justices left it up to the legislature to decide whether such unions would be actual legal marriages. The Star-Ledger and The Record ran prominent photos of the same lesbian couple, capturing their mixed emotions about the mixed ruling. The headlines were a bit different; The Star-Ledger went with a simple “Court expands gay rights,” while The Record reflected the uncertainty with a question head: “What next for gay unions?”

Florida newspapers were dominated by the execution of convicted serial killer Danny Harold Rolling. His killings of five young people in Gainesville “paralyzed an entire college town with fear,” The Miami Herald said. Stories emphasized that Rolling never expressed sorrow or regret for what he had done. Headlines and photos focused on the victims’ families: “Justice done,” The Miami Herald; “Killer sang a hymn … did not show remorse,” The Gainesville Sun.

Editors at The Herald-Times in Bloomington, Ind., probably had a more light-hearted production night as they put together today’s front page. The city council apparently cracked themselves up while debating an ordinance to allow residents to keep chickens in the city. Council member Steve Volan showed up in full Big Bird regalia, and his photo was played large and colorful. The Herald Times’ headline: “Fowl get fair hearing.”

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

All elections, all the time;
paper covers rock for 50 grand

By Christy Mumford Jerding

The upcoming elections have taken over many U.S. front pages, and as the big day gets closer, the stories are getting stranger.

Arizona, apparently suffering from a paucity of proofreaders, had a ballot typo that could cost the state $186 million, The Arizona Republic reported. Instead of asking voters to approve an 80-cent tax increase, the ballot reads “.80” cents. Election officials said they were confident voters would figure it out. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., found herself defending her face on several front pages. The Bakersfield Californian ran a big feature on Clinton’s features and whether, as her opponent claimed, she had had plastic surgery. The St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times reported that candidate Charlie Crist criticized Jim Davis for missing votes as a member of Congress and promised that, if elected, he would “come to work every day.”

The governor’s race in Nevada was more dramatic. A Las Vegas cocktail waitress has claimed that candidate Jim Gibbons assaulted her in a parking garage; she was scheduled to give a news conference today, according the Review-Journal. She told the newspaper that Gibbons pinned her against a wall and threatened her after she turned down his advances. Gibbons countered that he grabbed her arm to keep her from falling.

On many front pages, regional election news trumped an announcement by Gen. George W. Casey Jr. that he might need to call for more troops in Baghdad. The Day in New London, Conn., and a few other major metros led with the Iraq story, as did the International Herald Tribune in Paris.

The Sentinel-Record in Hot Springs, Ark., showed its readers that if they made it through election season, they had something to look forward to: the first USA Rock Paper Scissors League-sanctioned tournament, to be held in March at the Hot Springs Convention Center. (Last year, the city sponsored a corned-beef sandwich-eating contest instead.) The winner of a similar tournament in 2006, held in Las Vegas, took home $50,000.

Christy Mumford Jerding is the editorial director
of the Freedom Forum.

Pols insert feet into mouths;
dancers challenge kill-joy mayor

By Christy Mumford Jerding

Words, rather than deeds, made front-page news today. Several editors considered a comment — made by White House spokesman Tony Snow — to be Page One worthy: President Bush no longer will use the phrase “stay the course” to describe Iraq war strategy. The rhetorical change did not mean that the U.S. policy had been altered, however: “No change in sight for Iraq war strategy,” Sun Journal, Lewiston, Maine. Meanwhile, across the pond, The Guardian led with a new poll that showed Britons want their troops home by the end of the year.

Florida newspapers revealed that a couple of state officials apparently had been mouthing off unadvisedly. The Ledger in Lakeland reported that Winter Haven Police Chief Paul Goward had resigned over an e-mail he sent to overweight officers titl