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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Daily Briefing

Show and tell, thick slices, French cheese

Just in time for the content evaluation team (Task force #2) which starts tomorrow at noon, deputy city editor Scott Maben brought in a tabloid-size publication from The Salt Lake Tribune for show and tell. called The Buzz (click image to enlarge) is a free afternoon paper with quick news capsules that are short enough to be consumed in a matter of minutes or seconds - perfect for a commuter on a short bus ride who won't have time to read a whole story, or perfect for reading out loud to your carpool mates.

Or maybe perfect for drivers.

"They can't talk on the phone - They may as well be reading," said photo editor Larry Reisnouer.

Thick slice kudos

TODAY'S FIRE STORY: Pit smoldered before wildfire: Surgeon left blaze on vacant lot unextinguished for days, official says. For this story, one reader wrote to ask why the S-R story identified the person on whose property the fire began, Tracy Berg, and also included her street address. One editor suggested that if the fire began with a couple of young troublemakers, we would include that information just the same - the fact that Berg is an upstanding citizen shouldn't make a difference in reporting the facts, he said. Although another editor said on the other hand, there are a lot of people angry about the fire, who would be angry at Berg. City editor Addy Hatch or managing editor Gary Graham hope to post a reply soon on this topic for Ask The Editors. Kudos to reporter Parker Howell, editors said, for studying mounds of maps, charts, and other data for this story.

DR. TEETH: State records dental-related deaths, injuries: As joke, features editor Ken Paulman suggested some sexy New York Post-esque headlines such as "Death in the dentist's chair!" and "Is your dentist killing you? An investigative report!"

JOHN BLANCHETTE: On the latest Zags' soap opera: Our walking sports encyclopedia's take on the Austin Daye knee surgery.

ECONOMIC WOES: Fed says higher inflation is coming: "It's harder and harder to find anything but grim news," said deputy city editor Scott Maben who handles the business section.

CHEESE: Cold facts can keep food safe: Fridge tips go a long way toward taste, efficiency, too. Neat insight on how the French view refrigeration, and why they can keep their cheese in the cupboard. Here's an excerpt from this story by Carol Price Spurling:

Some foods lose quality when stored at cold temperatures, due to alterations in their chemical structures. Unless you have some kind of insect infestation problem, don't refrigerate tomatoes, potatoes, onions, unripe fruits, bananas, chocolate, nuts, baked goods (unless they are cream or custard filled), honey, or vegetable oils (except olive oil and nut oils).

Flour, cornmeal, wheat germ, fresh peanut butter and maple syrup are some foods that you might not normally think of storing in the fridge but will keep longer if you do.

Certain condiments are shelf stable and do not need to be kept in the fridge, although chilling will extend their life in most cases: molasses, soy sauce, mustard, vinegars, and jams. Read the rest of this story



Each weekday morning and afternoon, the newsroom staff meets to discuss the coverage plan. This blog covers editors' discussions, upcoming coverage and miscellaneous newsroom news.