We printed tens of thousands of extra editions last week – and you snatched them off the racks.
You deluged our editorial offices with calls, letters and e-mails, sharing your grief, outrage, shock and anger.
You called to praise, advise, complain and vent.
And in doing so, you reminded us that at a time of national crisis, a newspaper matters.
No small responsibility. Nothing to be taken cavalierly.
Phoenix resident Wally Straughn wanted to volunteer.
“How can I help?” he asked. Straughn was particularly worried about the potential backlash against Arabs living in the Valley.
He learned of the threats while reading Wednesday’s newspaper.
He was moved, however, when he read reporter Tom Zoellner’s story the following day. Zoellner wrote:
“On Tuesday, Ali Aziz got two bomb threats. On Wednesday, he walked into his Tempe restaurant and almost started crying at what he saw: A generous supply of customers who hadn’t deserted his Middle Eastern eatery.”
Aziz, who emigrated from Iraq 10 years ago, thought: “God bless Americans.”
I never lose my sense of awe when I see a newsroom take on a story like this. The speed. The organization. The creativity. The pressure. The hours.
The efforts of talented news people, some of whom readers will never know – largely anonymous designers, copy editors, wire and photo editors.
They were the ones who really put out Tuesday’s first extra edition, “U.S. Attacked.” Copy editors like Jennifer Johnson, designers like Jason Kieffer, news editors like Christine Mason, wire editors like Ralph Zubiate, and photo editors like Mike Meister, staffers in production and circulation. High-ranking executives and self-styled “grunts,” 30-year employees and staffers new to the newspaper.
“It’s a unique business,” one newcomer said.
A business, yes . . . but a public service, too, providing useful information, offering a sense of shared experience and emotion.
An attentive ear on the other end of the line.
“I drove to eight different stores Tuesday and all were sold out,” Peoria resident Dennis Dixon said.
“I wanted to thank whoever came up with the idea of printing the U.S. flag on the back of the Extra section,” wrote Jeanne Schlemmer of Kingman. “I clipped it out and put it on the window of our house. It made me feel I was doing something useful.”
“Hopefully, The Republic can keep up the calls for help for the victims while dampening anger at our Islamic and Middle Eastern neighbors and citizens,” pleaded Tempe resident Jill Oliver.
“Today’s editorial about ‘testing our mettle’ is about as spineless, middle-of-the-road article as I’ve read,” complained Ray Mangin of Tucson.
And this one, in an e-mail from Meg Becker of Cave Creek:
“Last night at a prayer meeting, I said a special prayer that our media might try to find some good amongst all this evil. The Arizona Republic answered that prayer.”
They were just doing their job, occasionally an important one.
