As Rick Hirsch, Managing Editor of Multimedia for the Miami Herald, provided our Online Journalism class a rundown and tour of the continuous news desk-recognizable only by an endless cascade of cubicles, the incessant hammering of computer keys and the symphony of ringing phones-you couldn't help but recall the classic 80s film, Wallstreet. Except this time, Gordon Gekko (brilliantly played by Michael Douglas) wouldn't stand before you dressed in a sharp suite and smug smile, insisting that "lunch is for wimps." It seems like at the continuous news desk...sleeping is.
Though Hirsch explained that the continuous news desk is not necessarily a 24/7 job, there are many key players who continually strive to keep the Miami Herald working like a well-oiled media machine. There are radio news anchors (at WLRN), homepage producers, instant news officers and assignment editors working together, reporting, editing, publishing and updating breaking news stories all day long with speed and accuracy while analyzing ways to target new audiences. David Stout, a New York Times continuous news desk correspondant, has become quite accustomed to facing these daily obstacles and demands.
Hirsch described the continuous news desk as the nerve center of the Herald, dedicated to gathering information and weighing the value of potential stories, all while competing with other media sources to keep the masses updated on breaking news.
Although it may seem as if the brains behind the continuous news desk operation don't get much of a chance to catch up on some well-deserved shuteye, at least they get to eat lunch. And, judging by the wrappers found lodged in between the computer montior and keyboard, Doritos seem to be the snack food of choice.
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