How many people does it take to put a story together?

From the birth of a story idea to its placement in the Free Press, our content is produced by many sets of hands and departments to ensure it’s fit to print. Get to know the process:

ONEIn the beginning…

There is a story idea – and it most likely started with you. Our readers and members of the community drive our journalism. Whether it be taking action in our city, sharing something unique on social media, or submitting a tip to our newsroom, story ideas can emerge from anywhere!

TWOThe Newsroom knows

As a tip, press release, or phone call reaches our newsroom, it is often editors who see it first. Editors help decide what tips can grow to become stories or have potential to hit dead ends.

THREEA journalist’s calling

When a journalist decides to chase after a story, the first thing they need is a source. Reaching out to people and businesses by text, phone, email, social media message, or just asking a witness in-person, “what’s happening,” helps create the background needed to type out the copy.

FOURPics or it didn’t happen

A picture is worth a million words, and journalists don’t usually have that kind of space to write a story in the paper. Our team of award-winning photojournalists hit the streets to capture the visual element of the stories.

FIVEThe looming deadline

Ever feel like there aren’t enough hours in a day? A journalist with deadlines on several stories certainly knows that feeling. Once interviews and background information have been sourced, the journalist must organize it all to create a cohesive, objective and clear understanding of the events that took place.

SIXThere, their, they’re – an editor knows best

In the race to meet deadlines, it’s easy to make mistakes. A slight typo, a spelling error, misuse of punctuation – an editor methodically and thoughtfully combs through each journalist’s submitted stories to make it all right. Add a headline here, a photo caption there and the stories are nearly ready to see the world outside the newsroom.

SEVENPop it on a page

Once editing is completed, stories are sent off to graphic designers and page makers who are in charge of laying out the articles and photos on the pages of each newspaper section (while being mindful of the placements of advertisements). Page makers also use special technology to transpose the layout of the pages onto aluminum sheets, which are used in the pressroom for reproduction. Individual stories are also sent out to the Web News team who format each for the website.

EIGHTPrint and package

Did you know we print our newspapers in-house? We have state-of-the-art computerized presses that can print newspapers at a rate of 75,000 per hour. The presses use the aluminum sheets created by the page makers to replicate the pages as each are designed. The press workers must keep a close eye on the press to monitor paper and ink levels, and that all the inserts such as flyers are compiled correctly.

NINEA special delivery

In the wee hours of the morning, newspaper carriers arrive at the Free Press to receive their respective bundle of newspapers to distribute to our subscribers from Monday to Saturday.

TENExtra, extra! Read all about it!

We’ve come full circle – the news inspired by you and your neighbourhood returns to your mailbox or computer screen daily. While the stories change, our commitment to producing quality journalism will remain the same.