By: Joe Strupp Chip Tracer Is a Comics Heroine Who Makes Deadline
She's stronger than an overbearing editor. Faster than a deadline-crazed copy
desk. Able to leap rival reporters to any scoop.
Not Batgirl. Not Supergirl. Not even Helen Thomas.
It's Chip Tracer - cyberjournalist and hero to news-loving kids everywhere.
Sprung from the pages of Long Island, N.Y.'s Newsday some four years
ago to bring current events and historical figures to life, young Chip has told tales of Nelson Mandela, Jackie Robinson, and 1996 presidential candidates Bill
Clinton and Bob Dole.
Her most recent adventure, a six-week chronicling of Young Al (Gore) and
Young George (Bush), brought to newish readers the history and backgrounds of
the 2000 major party presidential nominees through comic strips that ran on
Newsday's thrice-weekly "Student Briefing Page."
"It's a multilevel approach to get young people to read the newspaper," said
Veronica Jennings, Newsday's content development project manager.
"She gets young people to read the newspaper, take an interest in current events,
and see that journalism is an interesting career."
The superhero, who also is the subject of five comic books distributed to
youngsters through the Newseum in Arlington, Va., began her latest adventure
last week. The flying superhero kicked off an eight-week story about the life and
times of actor Christopher Reeve, which will eventually become her sixth comic
book.
Newsday editors say the comic strip has been successful because it
promotes accurate and fair reporting and also shows both boys and girls that they
can become journalists.
"I wanted my daughter to be able to look up to journalists," said Bill Zimmerman,
who created Chip Tracer. "Chip is a woman of color, and that is important
because not a lot of superheroes are. She's someone who wants to find truth."
"She is the new image of journalism," said Jennings.
Joe Strupp (jstrupp@editorandpublisher.com) is an associate editor for E&P.
Copyright 2000, Editor & Publisher.
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