The Times, They Are a-Changin’

For background on my patronizing relationship with The Langley Times, see this entry and then this one too.

Okay. So here’s what I think happened here:

On August 22nd The Langley Times was set for print with a SCATHING front page report blowing the lid off of human drag racers or whatever. Then word broke out that Leader of the Opposition Jack Layton had passed on. The LT’s editor, after looking up Layton on Wikipedia and concluding that he seemed pretty important, concluded that that story should probably get a front page headline. Unfortunately, the staff had spent the better part of the day coming up with the headline “Run like the wind” and felt it would be a shame to throw away a headline that works on twice as many levels as their usual fare, which is to say, works on about two levels. Feeling the time crunch encroaching upon him and knowing a decision must be made, the LT’s editor hunched over on his stool, ran his fingers through his cornrows, let out a sigh and finally said “Well… we could put the other headline in the corner of the picture, maybe?” And then I guess everyone figured that yeah, they probably should have been doing that from the beginning. A celebration of this bold evolution in newspaper formatting would have occurred had there been the time, but there was not, for the editor of The Langley Times was starting his shift at Rogers Video in 10 minutes.

Personal feelings of what constitutes a good issue of The Langley Times aside, if Jack Layton’s death is what finally prompted this paper to start creating separate headlines for their photos, then fear not Mr. Layton, your legacy is intact.