Sharpen your pencils, adjust your eyeshades and follow the yellow brick road from the Farmers Market to Greenbelt News Review’s headquarters in the Community Center because on Sunday, July 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the newspaper is hosting an open house.
Perhaps the paper should be called The Weekly Miracle. That’s because even when everything goes wrong, somehow a paper still comes out. It isn’t always perfect but, by golly, there it is – continuously since 1937. It’s evolved from a few mimeographed sheets to a professionally-produced and camera-ready color newspaper with a website and all the usual appurtenances – but modern as we may be in practice, our hearts remain in the community we serve. Since almost the week the first pioneers moved into town, the paper has kept residents informed about their community and provided a forum for civilized debate on issues affecting the town and its people. Our victory in a Supreme Court suit in the 1960s, small though we are, remains a pivotal decision protecting the First Amendment rights of a free press.
We thought that our beloved readers might like to see how this magic works by experiencing the drama of life in the newsroom of a weekly paper. On view will be the thrilling transformation of incoming copy into a newspaper as it goes from email, to editing, to layout and off to the printer.
It is widely believed that the paper is a non-profit. This is not the case (though sometimes you can hardly tell). It is, in fact, a worker cooperative. Members who work for the paper are eligible for a share of any profit in proportion to their work – though many elect not to take their dividends and to date, nobody has gotten rich. Writers and photographers can also be paid a small fee for completing assignments and we have some invaluable paid part-timers who occupy pivotal production and distribution roles.
At the open house, participants will collect their press passes and be able to follow a story as it goes through to completion and typed on our collection of early typewriters (lovingly restored especially for this event – thanks to Greenbelters Steve Skolnik, Ray Zammuto, Jerry Bonnell and Margaret and Tom Morris). Participants are invited to view the newspaper published the week of their birth or a special anniversary, investigate specific topics on our website or create their own newspaper front page using a combination of die-cut stamps and cut-and-paste copy –just like it was done before computers were used. Embryonic cartoonists are invited to create witty captions to amuse readers or create their own drawings on topics dear to Greenbelters.
Aspiring editors can take our editorial challenge: a series of graduated copy-editing exercises that would stump even some of our most masterful and experienced editors. Budding journalists are invited to write a story for inclusion in the paper (though no promises as to when it will be published) or to bring one in (memory stick preferred). Photographers can bring their photographs – high resolution and with captions including the names of recognizable people. Age is no barrier either way – our oldest member is 96 and the youngest are in their teens. The newsroom is ADA accessible.
See how the magic is done, meet the guy behind the curtain and consider joining our team of press-tidigitators by becoming a member. Roles in the paper include writing, editing, photography, proofing, office and accounting help, oversight of distribution, computer systems support, advertising sales and administration, web support and typing. We can put anybody to work.
A special thank you for organizing the open house goes to Sylvia Lewis and JoEllen Sarff.
The Greenbelt News Review was encouraged in this activity as our participation in Explore Your Greenbelt, the Greenbelt Community Foundation’s (GCF) 10th anniversary program whose 14 events feature city groups that have received funding. With Paradyme Management and Beltway Plaza, the newspaper is proud to be a sponsor as GCF exemplifies its mission of “Nourishing All of Greenbelt’s Neighborhoods.”