By: E&P Staff New York's daily papers are boosting their parties and press runs as the Republican National Convention opens up this weekend.
The New York Times may be taking on the most ambitious effort, with no less than 146 credentialed personnel. It is also co-sponsoring a "Salute to Broadway" on Sunday, in which the paper will fund tickets for more than 13,000 delegates, friends, and guests to attend special performances of eight Broadway shows. Times spokesman Toby Usnik declined to reveal the cost, but said the shows are being assigned based on each delegation's home state.
"For one night, thousands of delegates and their guests will get to experience the magic that has touched millions and inspired others to express themselves and enrich their communities," Times Chief Operating Officer Maureen J. Reidy said in a release for the event.
In addition, Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. is hosting an invitation-only party at Jazz inside the new Time Warner building in midtown Manhattan on Monday. The limited gathering is for some media, New York delegates, and other guests, Usnik said.
For the Daily News, Elaine's on the Upper East Side is the site for an invitation-only gathering Sunday night, according to spokeswoman Eileen Murphy, who also would not reveal the cost. "It is intended especially for the media, the New York delegates and some others," she said. "We are proud New Yorkers who want to welcome the media to our town."
On the coverage front, the Daily News has 35 credentialed staffers, Murphy said, adding that most will be deployed as needed to cover the convention and any related protests or other incidents around town, which non-credentialed staff also can report on.
Sunday's Daily News will include a special 16- to 20-page shopping and dining guide, along with a wrap-around convention section. The paper also plans to print an extra 2,600 copies of the Sunday paper for delegates and media.
Monday through Thursday, the Daily News will print an additional 12,000 free copies for delegates, media, and other visitors. The Monday press run also will include a free copy of U.S. News & World Report, which is owned by Daily News Chairman and Co-Publisher Mortimer Zuckerman.
The Times' special coverage kicks off Sunday with a special preview section, featuring articles by Pete Hamill and Christopher Buckley, continuing each day through the end of the convention with a free-standing additional section.
Usnik said the total number of daily pages may only increase by two because the paper is combining the sports and local sections into one for the week, as it did with the Democratic National Convention coverage.
The New York Post and Newsday of Melville, N.Y. -- which circulates and operates news bureaus in New York City -- did not provide information on their plans Friday.
At Dow Jones & Co., which owns The Wall Street Journal, no delegate-friendly bashes are planned, according to spokesman Bob Christie. But he said coverage will be increased.
"We'll have an expanded A section each day to accommodate additional convention and political stories and WSJ.com is doing additional online coverage," he said in a statement, without giving specifics on additional page counts. The extra Web offerings will include a daily column by Al Hunt and convention notebook-type features.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here