At a time in history when American ideals and resourcefulness were put to the test, Freedom's three Metro Division dailies rose to the occasion to produce a special section that brought readers throughout the country in-depth, comprehensive coverage of the terrorist attacks on the United States.
"We pulled together the key people and brainstormed for ideas," said Joe Ames, the Register's project editor. "We listed things we thought were important and voted on a series of themes that came out of 'The Day That Changed America,' with the idea that each paper could localize an element of each theme."
Jeff Thomas, interim editor at The Gazette in Colorado Springs during the crisis, was amazed by what his writers and photographers were able to do in such a compressed time period. "We used each other's strengths and were able to put together a significant piece of journalism very quickly. More than just a postcard of the events, the content was very refined and the look was visually seamless."
The overall product was so impressive that the decision was made to share it throughout Freedom, a move that gratified Freedom Wire Editor Lee Lerner. "The collaborative effort between the three papers was a real rewarding process. It helped those papers provide their readers with a larger, more authoritative presence on a world-changing event." According to Lerner, a total of 15 Freedom papers-the three metros and 12 community—used all or at least a part of the special section.
"There still remain some technical hurdles," said East Valley Tribune Editor Jim Ripley. "But the 9/11 special section was the model for future content sharing. It showed us what we could do if we worked together as a team."
Stories of Success Listing | Table of Contents | 2001 Annual Report | Freedom Communications, Inc.