Reporters Are From Mars, Editors Are From Uranus
Getting Around the Block:
Heavenly Body Copy VENUS AND MARS IN THE NEWSROOM A presentation to the Society of Professional Journalists 1996 Writers' Workshops Phoenix, AZ Indianapolis, IN Reporters and editors follow different orbits. A veteran veteran Chicago newspaper editor invokes the harmony of the spheres to suggest how journalists should adopt the best of each discipline.
(c) Copyright 1996, 1998 |
Mars, god of reporters
The avenger of wrongs and protector of Rome acts aggressively, probing for weakness, building a plan of action. Mars is the namesake of
a cold, windy planet marked by visible
networking. The Martian day is 24½
hours long.
Uranus, god of editors
Uranus personifies the blue sky of
heaven emerging from Chaos. From his
blood Giants are created, from his loins
the nurturing goddess Aphrodite,
connected in myth to Venus.
With a stormy upper atmosphere of
superconductive cold, the the planet
Uranus is surrounded by detritus that
keeps observers from getting close
enough to take measure of its
superheated heart. A day on Uranus is 17
hours long.
Venus, the protoeditor
Venus inspires the nurturing editor, the admirer of the well-turned phrase.
The goddess of fields and gardens represents the sensibility that allows editors to cultivate their writers' work. The nighttime sky's most brilliant object is a high-pressure environment with the solar system's hottest surface temperature. The Venusian day lasts eight months. |