The Evening Bos'n

History

Named for one of the many roles of the boatswain on a ship, calling commands via whistle otherwise inaudible over the sounds of the sea, The Evening Bos'n does just that over the political waves of Sandressi. The paper was founded by Donato Shipley, a former boatswain himself, with a focus on investigating claims of meritorious valour which otherwise may have gone overlooked by the Admiralty Board. Quickly, this evolved into a fully investigative post as Shipley and his reporters began diving deeper into the inefficiencies of The Litoric Islands' government. Thus, the first national newspaper to do more than print local events was created.

"After the ship's magazine blew, a tar-covered Prince Calcio Fiorentino swam away with his brother-in-arms clenched between his teeth by his belt, saving his life. He has since declined his much deserved awards." - Donato Shipley, The Evening Bos'n

The first target of The Evening Bos'n's ire was The Ripples Club, a group of boisterous and privileged young midshipmen at the Sandressi Naval War College. Renowned for their end-of-the-year pranks, the paper often went out of their way to find the names of its members and print them alongside whatever antics occurred, always with a shaming tone, even calling out future High Admiral, Vivaldi. Many members of high-society and even the common folk saw these pranks as a demonstration of excellent seamanship and thinking outside the box, representing the only risk to reader numbers in the paper's history.

This was more than made up for through the community based-work of many Evening Bos'n reporters. Despondent mothers would write to the paper in hope of news about the fates of their sons, lost at sea, and a letter equal parts factual and kind would soon follow. However, occasionally the reporters found more than they bargained for in this normally mundane process, and some of the nation's most evocative articles would soon follow.

"At eight this evening, Admiral Iane de Auria was seen rushing from the alabaster halls of the Admiralty Board, war declaration in hand and signed by the High Admiral!" - The Evening Bos'n, 3rd of Mistra, 96AM

The Evening Bos'n truly became the paper of the nation around the advent of the First Frozen War, where even multiple editions were printed daily, allowing readers to follow events as they unfolded in the prelude to war. Throughout the course of this ill-fated conflict, The Evening Bos'n managed to recruit sailors as reporters, who wrote home in code in order to get articles published exposing faulty practices, outrageous injuries, and unjustifiable sacrifices taking place across the northern front.

Today, while greatly respected and widely read, The Evening Bos'n faces ridicule in some circles for their financing of an expedition to the Serpent Sea in order to investigate claims made as long ago as the First Frozen War (96AM) of mysterious creatures burrowing beneath the ice. Whether a sailor's tale or not, the investigative reporters at The Evening Bos'n are here to find out.

Formatting

While its length and breadth of coverage has expanded over time, there are a number of staple features of The Evening Bos'n. Firstly, as newspapers are wont to do, the most urgent breaking news is displayed above the fold. Often times this takes the form of large headlines for articles slipped to the paper in code by its war-correspondent sailors. Secondary to this attention-grabbing yet informative section is room for more in-depth reporting on matters involving sources, anonymity, or hard hitting investigation. Lastly are the sections most important to many readers, obituaries and honor rolls. These are often far ahead of the Fleet's own reports, and honor rolls occasional name those who have not been awarded a medal which The Evening Bos'n feels they should.

An Example Copy

Dissemination

Owing to the unique issues posed in delivering news across a far-flung archipelago, The Evening Bos'n makes use of the unique talents of some Islanders. Owing to the direct creation of man by the gods, some citizens of nations are lucky enough to be born with powers inspired by their respective deities. In the Litoric Islands, one such ability is an almost supernatural skill at swimming. Young men from Sandressi swim with water-tight capsules of a copy of that evening's paper, distributing it to the next island out and handing over their spares to a native of whichever island they swam to, and so on. The copy is then placed prominently in the public square of the largest settlement on whichever island, and disseminated by word of mouth.

"Word To Be Passed"

Founding Date

17AM

Type

Broadcasting, Newspaper / Magazine