WAG - Ah...The tale comes to a close
[NOTE: UPDATES STARTING FROM APRIL 8th SHOULD BE READ IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER TO MAKE THE MOST SENSE - THIS IS A "PLAY-BY-PLAY" ACCOUNT OF THE NEWSROOM DURING THE EVENING OF ELECTION DAY]
It's about 1:40 a.m.
I've already had an interesting day.
I've had more conversations with people at the Missourian and ethical talks about journalism in the past 12 hours than at any other time during the past semester.
I've learned more about backgrounds and improved my general knowledge on a variety of subjects from foreign cultures to how does one interview a candidate that started picking up his campaign signs around 11:00 a.m.
I also got to see how trying to wrestle election coverage into submission and herd it into neat, pre-planned positions can become more difficult when the animal is cornered and turned on you.
At the gun, or the command to "Go home," there were impossibly late returns, a tied Mayoral race (with 49 apiece [which didn't fit any of the two pre-crafted articles]), more money for local schools, no "medical" marijuana for Columbian residents, and newsroom full of drained, sarcastic reporters.
Simply put, it was fun.
Before I left the Missourian, got to I watch my editor answer the phone with a frantic "Peter?" - rather than the standard, "Columbia Missourian, how can I help you?"
We were waiting for updates on the updates (if the terms are confusing to you, imagine living through them).
That was promptly followed by the embarrassed, "Oh..." when it didn't turn out to be Peter and my editor had to work his way through the rest of the awkward conversation as the newsroom cracked up (we had all been waiting for Peter's phone call as well).
I then gave a tired friend a twisting ride around the newsroom on a rolly-chair any editors or copy desk people giving us a second look.
It's always entertaining when the unusual becomes the norm.
The only thing about today I'm not looking forward to is the Missourian lecture at 9:30 a.m. Personally, I want to argue I've already gone to J-306 "class" for today. That won't fly, though I'm tempted to toss it out the window anyway to see how far it glides.
I'm tired, happy, and have gotten over the initial disappointment that deadlines didn't exactly fit.
Though by-lines are great, and kudos points for working late are grand too, there are few things as rewarding as getting your tired editor to smile when you say, "I'll see you later today, John," at 1:00 a.m. in the morning.
Good night.
'Precinct_results_We_dont_need_no_stinking_precinct_results'
