In a utopian world, each newspaper would be perfect: no spelling, grammar, factual or other errors.
The reality is no paper is perfect.
On Tuesday mornings, as our papers come off the presses, we scan for the mistakes our reporters and editors might have missed.
The type of error determines what corrective measures need to be taken. Sometimes a simple extra letter might need to be just “cut out”; however, a missing sentence, wrong-sized ad, wrong photo, spelling mistake in a headline or cutline, or a serious factual error means redoing the page — and stopping the presses.
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The page is recalled to the computer screen, the error repaired, and sent to become a negative. Eventually it becomes a new plate for the presses.
The parameters upon which the decision to replate was based have changed.
In the past, we’d simply replate before the papers would roll out of the building to reader mailboxes.
However, as advertising changed in our paper, the decision became more complicated. We now have “split-run” ads: for example, this week pages 71 and 73 contain ads that are not the same in all the issues. Certain provinces — or soil zones — are targeted for certain ads.
Suddenly, changing the mistake can go from changing one plate to 20 plates, and range from $100 to more than $2,000.
For example, if we needed to change a cutline — simple black type — on a page that is affected by split-run ads, we might need to make five new plates. If we needed to change a color photo, that could jump to 20 plates.
As our readers ultimately pay for these charges, we sometimes save the money — and live with our mistakes in print until a correction notice the following week.
