New Jerusalem Advertiser - 389 W Wantage Street
The New Jerusalem Bulletin, the forerunner of the Advertiser, first published n 1821. In 1828, the paper changed hands and was renamed The Missituk Valley Gleaner. The Gleaner appeared for four years, then was sold, reappearing as the New Jerusalem Advertiser.
The Advertiser is the more aggressive of the two New Jerusalem papers, even printing extras and what Gedney calls "five-PMs" for New Jerusalem, when news dictates. The Advertiser tends to print more features (especially about technical and scientific wonders, which Gedney favors), comics, and ethnically-slanted international news than does the Journal.
Regular office hours are 8 A.M. to 6 P.M., Monday-Friday. Someone is usually in the office or the pressroom, even at midnight, but everything closes tight from 10 P.M. Saturday to 8 P.M. Sunday. The regular morning edition runs off at 3 A.M. If news warrants, revised editions—extras—run at 8 A.M., or 11:30 A.M., or 4:30 P.M. These later editions are in small quantity, for local street-sale distribution only. A story is rarely big enough to warrant four editions in one day. Only one edition each appears Saturday and Sunday. The Sunday edition is run and distributed Saturday night. Daily editions cost 5 cents; the Sunday paper costs 10 cents. Special editions are printed for the Fourth of July, Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, with as many display ads as Gedney can sell to local businesses.
The publisher and managing editor is 42-year-old Harvey Gedney, whose family has owned the paper since 1832. He employs two full-time reporter/editors, a secretary, a linotypist, a caseman, two pressmen, a circulation manager, an advertising manager, and part-time help and correspondents as needed.
Along two walls behind the secretary's desk is a near complete bound collection of the Advertiser since it began publication. Richard Gedney, who first bought the paper, foolishly discarded the Bulletin and Gleaner years. Some issues can be located at the University's library. Few people are interested in old newspapers, and the staff is always flattered when anyone wants to take a look. Though they would be justifiably furious if someone mutilated a back issue, no one thinks the collection of much value.
Roberta Henry: though Gedney has a stable of stringers in the Missituk Valley, reporter Roberta Henry, just 23 years old, is one of only two full-time reporter/editors on staff.
She has worked there for two years. Gedney likes her assertive style and the way she charms nearly everyone, but to her frustration insists on rewriting her stories which may step on too many toes. With his backing, though, she's presently gathering information on illegal operations in and around New Jerusalem. The stories hint of police corruption.
Often found with Roberta is her off again on again cat, Salton S. Preston mild mannered newscat. Salton sometimes disappears but always returns, if sometimes looking a bit roughed up. Roberta thinks of his as just a sweet, gentle stray and has little idea of what Salton gets up to in his endeavors to see that New Jerusalem's cat and dog population receive hard hitting and topical news. Salton is on good terms with Able Body over at theJournal due to their shared dedication to journalism. Most think Salton a milksop weirdo primarily because he often sports a pair of small spectacles of plain glass that Roberta puts on him as a joke. Other cats scoff that any cat would allow themselves to be so mocked by a mere human - only a couple of wiser individuals know the real reason behind the spectacles.
William Fenner: William is one of the pressman working at the Advertiser, a job he has done for years. As a youngster he was less cautious than he should have been around the machinery and is missing his left pinky as a result; an injury he will often claim had another origin, if he thinks he can impress someone with the claim. William does have stories to tell about working at the paper, most of them boring as would be expected, but he can tell stories about strange things the paper has covered over the years.
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