"Today" vs. "Tomorrow" vs...
Digital first Media's SteveButtry was visiting the St. Paul Pioneer Press newsroom recently, when some editors asked: "If we are creating content first for digital platforms, and trying to make a print product efficiently from that content, how do we handle references to 'today'?"
When writing Digital First, how do you handle ‘today’? bit.ly/yQS2ns (by @stevebuttry)
@stevebuttry Abandon AP style here. Abandon today/tmrrw. Use days of the week even if the day is today.
@stevebuttry why not use day of the week ... Folks may read online posts later and it covers print. Tuesday is still Tuesdat.
@stevebuttry We have a "web text" option in our CMS where we change the "today" references to day of the week.
@stevebuttry We leave "today" on the web copy (the date is prominent on the page)&edit to proper tense (or the date) in the street edition
U lose immediacy when u lose "today," but u gain clarity and consistency by using day of week, as we do at BANG @stevebuttry
@stevebuttry We avoid using today/tomorrow in print and online in favor of days of the week in most cases.
@stevebuttry To echo @WakeOfWeek #BANG got rid of "today" for day of week in 2010 or '11. L.A. Times and N.Y. Times do the same.
@stevebuttry At my papers, #tauntongazette and #heraldnews in MA, we use today for breaking news that will be revised, D of W for final
@stevebuttry I used to use "today," but I've slowly gravitated toward preferring the day of week.
@stevebuttry Yesterday & tomorrow are out. I think today should go too. Have tried both ways, but switched to only using day of week online.
I always messed this up when editing. I'd love a guide on using "today" when you're digital first bit.ly/zUGkKS (via @stevebuttry)- @stevebuttry It's less abt the ideal and more abt making consistency easy. Way is to simplify & shed AP's rigidity & endless exceptions
@stevebuttry Day of week is no more valid next week than is "today." Prominent dateline is sufficient context.
@stevebuttry I use day of the week, then date if it's beyond a week. Good discussion. Had this in a class a few weeks ago!
@Anna_M_Johnson @stevebuttry use wire service practice of day of week; you won't be wrong if the story is being read the next day or week ..
@stevebuttry We use "today" online and switch to the day of the week in print, updating the online version the next day.
@stevebuttry On our homepage, we sometimes use "today" and "tomorrow"; inside the articles, only days of the week. (we're online only)
@stevebuttry Simple: use day of the week within a week, date for beyond. That's all for to-day. If you want, I can expand in the morrow.
