Like bad science fiction

There were some layout/design system problems last night that resulted in stress particles, the same A1 centerpiece photo in the Idaho edition as the Metro edition, and missing edition names (Between today’s date and “spokesmanreview.com”)

It sounded like bad science fiction. The “cascading corruptions,” as editor Steve Smith called them, started on page A9 and spread like germs toward the front of the A section. Design staff were at the office well past midnight.

Larry Craig

Gayness isn’t the issue, Smith said, but rather the part about soliciting sex in a public restroom. He said he’s noticed other papers putting more focus on Craig’s sexual identity, and he was glad to see that “we went for the political ramifications and what happens next” (city editor Addy Hatch).

“I still don’t understand what the man was thinking,” Smith said.

Investigative reporter Karen Dorn Steele said it may be worth revisiting the concept of “reaction formation,” a psychological process where people are doing the opposite of something they deny. Dorn Steele remembers getting phone calls about this from psychologists while covering the West case.

Folks will also be looking into how Roll Call initially got their story.

Loony

City editor Addy Hatch got up that night, looked, said “Neat.” and went back to bed.

Above is an AP photo from elsewhere in Washington of last night’s lunar eclipse, and beside it is a nostalgia photo from a 1997 lunar eclipse. You can barely see it left of the Review tower.