Breaking news? Mountaintop gets snow

There was snowfall at Chewelah Peak and Mullan Pass. A news flash presented at the 4:30 meeting: FALL BRINGS COOLER WEATHER.

In the newsroom, there is an unevenly divided camp: Those who consider weather stories to be “news” and those who strongly oppose the idea. Who knew weather stories could be so controversial.

According to assistant city editor Dan Hansen, this is not a record snowfall.

“Way to sell it…Dan, do not go into marketing,” said Carla Savalli, senior editor for local news.

Jena 6

Big news elsewhere, a discussion at our table. One editor believed the story didn’t have enough local impact to run as front page news. Meanwhile another editor suggested what if this led to something big - a 21st century civil rights movement of sorts. That argument: How would the newspapers have played the civil rights movement in the 1960s if they had the benefit of our hindsight today?