Neal Pattison — executive editor of the 46,346-circulation Everett, Wash., Herald — wrote this evening to brag about his staff today.
As usual, his staff did brilliant work. Therefore, I’m only too happy to display it here.
Neal writes:
So, maybe the nation was wondering? Why did President Barack Obama visit Everett on Friday?
Because that is where Boeing makes its newest jet?
Or because he knew The Herald photo and design staff would do such an impressive job with the event.
Here’s today’s front page. Click for a larger view:
The story spilled onto three open pages inside, including pages A4 and A5 here.
 
But, Neal continues:
The newspaper decided midday to open up an inside page in the Saturday paper and create a poster (also available for resale — we have a lot of proud Boeing employees in our readership).
Asst. Features Editor Sally Birks had the poster idea. Photo Editor Justin Best and Designer Katie Mayer made it happen.
Here’s that poster, which ran on page A6, turned sideways. Again, click for a much larger look:
Neal writes:
The photos were shot by Dan Bates, Mark Mulligan, Mike O’Leary and Sarah Weiser. (Mulligan tethered his camera to a laptop and was shooting and sending at the same time from the tarmac, for use on our website, Heraldnet.com.
And Jim Davis, Scott North and Robert Frank on the city desk made sure there was ample planning for the coverage — something that always improves the staff’s chances of success — including the Herald‘s Boeing reporter, Michelle Dunlop, who doubled as the pool reporter for the event.
Find a gallery of pictures here. Read Michelle’s story here.
Here’s a closer look at page A4…
…and page A5.
At the bottom of A5, there, you can see a column by Jerry Cornfield.
In addition, Neal sends along this picture of…
…Herald photographer Dan Bates, just before the Secret Service hauled him away.
(Actually just mugging after the action was over.)
Find the Herald‘s online coverage of the president’s visit here.
—
Other outstanding examples of small papers covering a visit by the president:
March 4, 2010: Savannah (Ga.) Morning News
March 26, 2010: University of Iowa Daily Iowan
Aug. 19, 2011: Galesburg, Ill., Register-Mail
