On the Night News Desk When Trump’s Tweeting Starts

Herr Trump has been a major gift to the media-- assuming that he doesn't destroy it or declare free speech illegal. I've never seen anything like this since Watergate! For a news junkie as a recent grad, it was incredible seeing history being made on an hourly basis. I'm hoping that there will be a repeat when Mr. Mueller is ready to charge the top dogs. Who knows, it might be Herr Trump waving bye bye from a helicopter before his term is up. Let's keep our fingers crossed and pray that the diligent reporters at the NYT dig up the facts. Go get 'em! Let the chips fall where they may.

Thank you journalists for your dedication. Best was reading about Ms. Jakes take on working the night shift. It is wonderful to read about a woman who is both a successful journalist and Mother and how she balances her life. I hope many young women read this. Ms. Jakes personal account added another dimension to reporting whereas Mr. Kenny is more of a flat figure. I would like to hear from a Male journalist who has the night shift and a family with children.

His twitter comments are the longest thing Trump has written since he left military academy and he had to write "I will obey my dorm leader" 325 times.

A big kudos to you for doing a fabulous job covering this disturbed president. I frequently check the NY Times website for updates on the latest horrifying story on Trump, you guys always have it first.

The Times was largely complicit in the abysmally ill considered decision to characterize twitter spasms as news. This happened early on after Trump declared. The Times erroneously thought that deranged twitticisms could be used against him. In fact, for months, the Times ran a sidebar on its digital front page of “Trump’s Twitter Insults.” Somebody on the masthead thought that “Lyin’ Ted Cruz,” “Little Marco Rubio,” “Low Energy Jeb” and the like were somehow amusing, and now every twitter fart is (ill)considered news. Too bad nobody on the masthead ever thought through that you can’t spell “twitter,” without “twit.” The Times owns the decision to characterize tweets as news. Now for that it owes the world an apology.

I say this with VERY high respect for colleagues at the NYT and other contemporary news organizations, and certainly with understanding that the behavior of the Trump administration is unprecedented. But... The kind of 'insider view' of how the Times night shift handles the Trump news environment has been the everyday working life of all-news cable TV operations since my earliest days reporting at CNN in the 1980s. Running a 24-hour news organization, with deadlines - literally - every hour, and with a global audience (CNN's audience was much larger outside the U.S. than inside in the 1980s and 1990s, and that is probably still true today), meant that editorial and production employees were engaging in this kind of work long before web-based news appeared. At CNN, "Breaking news" was never limited to the U.S. audience's (or newspapers') sleep cycle. Welcome to the real world of 24-hour news, Lara Jakes and Steve Kenny (and all your colleagues who do the writing and graphics and photo production overnight), even if it is a few decades later.

We appreciate the fine work of journalists who cut through the fog of, uh, Trump. I wouldn't wish Trump on anyone, but at least we gain insight into his machinations through great reporting. Given Trump's erratic nature, it doesn't look like any of this is going to slow down any time soon. And it's impossible to get away from. With some jobs, you take a vacation, maybe to the Dominican Republic, that successfully makes you forget about work. A Journalist's work is everywhere. It must have been a little slower-paced in the days of pay phones, typewriters and Linotype machines. And no covfefe (auto correct wants to make this "coffee", so maybe that's what Trump was trying to write :-)

I don't think we could get through this without the help of great journalists. Thank you.

See, this is why we should rely on legal proceedings with rules and standards. The purpose that serves is, to the extent humanly possible, to ensure that everyone in a comparable position is treated the same. It's what is called fairness, an ideal that seems to have lost its hold on our collective mentality. That is why the legal process called for in Senate rules should have been afforded to Al Franken and why it's a travesty that it was not. We don't rely on self-appointed groups who round on a person and harangue them into submission. In the long run, the manner of proceeding does not serve the cause of protecting women from sexual harassment in the workplace at all. And it doesn't serve those who are accused at all either. And it certainly doesn't serve the ends of justice and fairness.

Thank you all for your dedication to accurate reporting on short notice. One request: please develop stricter guidelines for when you will report on one of DJT's late-night or early-morning tweets. He is jerking around you, the rest of the media, and the whole country and world by getting us all to react to his outrageous statements. These are deliberate distractions and diversions. Every bit of time and space you spend on an ultimately insubstantial tweet takes away time and space you have for the real, serious stories about what this administration is doing. I don't need or want to hear about most of his tweets. I can follow him myself on Twitter if I want -- if I can stomach that.

Wouldn't it be nice to have access to the Eighteenth Century equivalent of Tweeting? What would King George III of England be saying to his Representatives in the Colonial USA about that Tea Party in Boston? The humor at that time may have been about the continued use of crumpets and tea following the daily auction of human slaves. That American born, European parented military leaders removed the English yoke and their demented King is history. We may be reminded that there was a British House of Commons and House of Lords at the time. The sun never set on the British Empire and exhortations for God to save the King were sang and prayed around the world. Trump has no such support outside the Representative quislings in the Senate and House. Unfortunately for Trump and his footmen/women, the numbers of Kings have been dwindling. Our 21st Century George has a questionable future. Please keep it secret.

Although your perspectives were fascinating, it also would have been helpful to have had more information about what actually happens. Does he tweet endlessly all night? Are most of the messages coherent? Do they seem random? Persistent? Is he just trying to create endless distractions? Is there a pattern or is it different every night? Etc.

What an excellent read this piece is. It also illustrates the value of truly professional journalists. Too many Americans do not understand or appreciate how many of their freedoms they owe to conscientious journalists. I hope this article is widely read. My father was the editor of a major daily newspaper and I remember well the phone calls coming at all hours of the night. He had to be ready for anything at any time. This was before the 24/7 news cycle and the Internet. Throughout this last tumultuous year, I've been concerned for the reporters and editors at The Times and other legitimate news sources, and I now see my worries were justified. It is especially frustrating that advertising revenues continue to decrease and The Times had to cut staff again this year, when it needed to be hiring. We recently received a letter from the editor that the cost for home delivery will increase in January. We understand the need and hope these protectors of our liberties received well-deserved overtime pay -- and some good nights' sleep. Many thanks to The Times for its consistently superb reporting and analysis.

Posterity! What will you ever think of these trump years? Four, eight or some other number of years where a sex predator, a pathological liar, and the most unqualified individual held our land’s highest office. Where tweets qualified as policy, and life changing bills weren’t even read for either lack of time or lack of intellect. Who will be in power then? Will revisionists frame trump as a heroic figure? Will the United States of America have survived in some recognizable form or will it become another Prussia?

In a nutshell, how the MSM has failed to adapt to the non-news cycle. Newsflash: tweets are not news. "Statements" are not news. This is not really new... but in the past, pronouncements have tended to mean something, or at least portended something. From this White House they no longer do, and so they are no longer worth writing up. Where this White House is forced to interact with reality (nominations, hearings), these are news-worthy events as they ever have been. But bloviation is not. Please stop wasting your time and our money on the latter.

Please stop reporting every time Trump has a brain fart (a/k/a "tweet"). Believe it or not, just because he says something doesn't make it "news."

"Steve was in the mothership and decided we needed to storify covfefe..." Storify? Well, I've learned a new word today. According to my all knowing source Wikipedia, "Storify is a social network service that lets the user create stories or timelines using social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram." As was often said by Johnny Carson, "I DID not know that!"

Man, with the number and tenor of the late-night stories, the writers and editors don't even need covfefe!

I admire your dedication, your tenacity and your drive to get the story and get it right. Thank you.

The best of all worlds tweet from Trump would be, "I've had enough of this "leadership" crap. I'm leaving.":

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “In a real dark night of the soul it is always three o'clock in the morning, day after day.” I don’t know how Trump feels, but thanks to him Fitzgerald’s comment is all too true for the rest of us.

In a "nutshell", this interview was most delicious. I had no idea. I just made a call up north to a 40+ year friend who graduated from San Jose State, with a degree in journalism. What accured to me while taking in your passion here, was the fact I had never asked him why, why journalism? His brother answered the phone, as Stan was out. So this note to you lovely people at the Times is just a tad premature, but I can assure you, at the end of the day when gravity takes her way and we snuggle up to that pillow of truth, thank you NY Times, for not only reporting and printing all the news that's fit to print, but as well, showing us that rather lovely underbelly of your profession.

Thank you NY Times and journalists everywhere. You have been our bulwark against the propaganda campaign of our current administration and its cronies in the far right media. I cringe everytime I hear these purveyors of blatant lies denegrate the the NY Times and other respectable media. Journalists, along with the courts, are protecting our democracy. Congress has sold its soul and shown that it cares far more about tax cuts for wealthy people than protecting our democratic norms and institutions. Journalists are my heroes. Thanks for your work 24/7.

"Storify"? Sounds like a portmanteau composed of "story" and "horrify." And it is a horrifying neologism.

What just two people? In this 24 hour world, you need a full staff even at night. I have a clever suggestion. Open a newsroom in Asia and when you are ready to sleep, they are waking up and ready to edit. The internet makes it possible.

Let's face it, Donald Trump is a criminal. perhaps the biggest this country has ever seen. His tweeting is one way to divert attention from the facts that are being uncovered. The Republican Party is playing into his hands for now. When the story comes out the Republican leadership will be lucky if they are not included in some of the charges. As it is they now appear to be siding with Russia as they fervently defend the criminal ways of this administration.

Thanks for this kind of work! It's hard enough for us in reader-land to follow all this news -- so your diligence is appreciated, and needed for us to wade through all the stuff gushing in. So glad to be a subscriber to the NYT!

No one cares about Trump's Tweets. Families are being torn apart. Civilians in the middle east are dying. Americans are going to lose health insurance and be strapped with trillions in debt. We don't need this kind of cute coverage of a tyrant. Hitler also dictated policy in random remarks.

Steve Kenny is brilliant!!!!

"cofefe"? this is now what passes for a story? or at least something we can "storify." good grief

Thank you to all the hardy souls who put in late hours and keep watch over the world's goings-on during these tempestuous times. Your job has never been harder, or more appreciated.

I so appreciate the dedication BUT the problem is that you have adjusted your schedules (and lives) to suit a narcissist. And that's exactly what he wants.

Thank you for sharing this insight. I purchased an electronic subscription right after the election because I knew I'd need to get "real news". The efforts of your staff and editors has been outstanding. Thank you for putting names and processes out there for us to know what it's like behind the scenes, as we only read what you put out there.........and we appreciate every bit of time and intelligence behind every word.

As George Marshall said, "Nobody ever had a good idea after 5 o'clock."

There is nothing worse than working the late desk when quirk work comes to your attention. It's just that such puzzlers didn't use to involve the president of the United States.

Interesting article. Given wonderful progressive events of late, maybe should rethink the use of 'work husband' terminology.

Journalism is not going to be the same, forever. While the guy is the maker of the news, the rest of world follows. He is the President of the United States, so everybody pays attention to him of course. But the enabler is the magic of instant digital communication that traverses the world.

The erratic tweeting is but one more indication that our so called President is slowly woking himself into a nervous breakdown. His eyes and his nervous hand movements betray that this man is petrified of something and I think we all know what.

An excerpt from 'Maltrumpio and the Cork': "Top advisors beg Maltrumpio to make announcements through official palace channels, but he insists on shooting tweeties, tiny darts fired from tiny cross-bows, which happen to fit beautifully into tiny hands. Each tweetie has a hand-written message tied to it, and as soon as these tweeties are found, the message is spread around quickly by independent sub-criers. Considered his true voice, compared to when he reads scrolls prepared for him by underlings, Maltrumpio's tweeties continue to shock and revolt the populace. Greybeards cannot believe that he relentlessly spews lies and insults, even as he craves loyalty and validation. His Adorant Generale, Huckabia, sings the passionate aria, 'Mi amore, crappo di toro Maltrumpio!'"

This brings back memories of my 47 year career in the news business. For 9 of those years I was either the Overnight or Night News Manager at one of the three networks. A good part of this time encompassed the Iran hostage crisis. Every night was wild; hours long phone calls with colleagues in Tehran; chasing down the latest "hostages will be released" story and that's the tip of the iceberg. Some of it happened when CNN began, but I am SO glad, there was no Twitter at the time. My hair would have turned grayer at a much earlier age.

As a retired night city editor and 42 years ink-stained service, albeit on a smallish suburban daily, there were many adrenaline moments (including the terrorist killing of two police officers and a Brink’s guard). I always summoned the ghosts of newspapers past so as not to let the fraternity down. Best damn job in the world.

It was great to get an inside peek into what must indeed be a major adrenaline rush for the Times night shift. However, I think Trump knows less about "work" than any president who's ever held the office. He makes threats, engages in shameful petty battles, brags, and tells flat-out lies that can and have been proven to be so five minutes later. He doesn't read, or ruminate. His "policy" announcements via Twitter, thus far have only proven his bottomless vindictiveness toward his predecessor—a man who actually did know what work was, and had the brains and compassion to makes that work meaningful.

I don't know why we make excuses and prop up these tweets. Obviously some of them are newsworthy, that will happen when someone mentally unstable reacts on whim and tweets it to the world, especially the most powerful person on Earth. If anyone can find a positive benefit coming out of his tweeting (other than letting himself dig his own grave in a future obstruction trial), I would be interested to hear it. All I've seen is this: 1) Tweets are official statements (but don't take them literally, take them seriously, and take the threat he's talking about seriously even if the content is fake, also, sometimes, they're not official, and John Dowd writes them, also, sometimes, apparently, Dan Scavino the 'Director of Social Media' writes them). 2) Tweet as soon a possible, with no information, about ongoing acts of terror in other countries, undermining their own intelligence agencies. 3) Tweet about strong borders ASAP, unless a mass shooter was white, in which case, pray super hard, or say nothing. 4) Attack private citizens 5) Spread disinformation, retweet russian disinformation accounts, or- just lie outright about things. 6) Deflect from Scandal (this one is on you Media... you let him do this). "oh no, something negative in the press, DEFLECTION: STOP KNEELING YA' DIRTY FUTBALL PLAYERS!!!! (29 news cycles later)" Long story short, I have yet to see the tweet that elicits a response of "Wow, look at the great example and tone the American President is setting."

My one wish is that all news outlets would totally and I mean totally ignore djt for an entire 24 hours and see what happens. Or even just one. I now hear so often that news sources are being played by him and they complain about it but no one does anything about it. Somebody, please show some courage!!

Isn't it wonderful how we like to make victims of ourselves and even fake enjoy it? What is it about human nature that makes us work at night, because a madman tweets? Just sleep, the news will stil be there tomorrow morning. Or start thinking about the real problem... That we are all just asking Trump "Jump? How high?" Are we there yet? Have we demonstrated how stupid market pressures and working lives have become? Forget progress... Just think how unable we are to distribute work evenly, during reasonable hours, and must thrive on pointless goals, everyone an overachiever. What good comes out of that? Oh, and whether because Trump misspelled "coverage" and then played you for a fool or otherwise, go back to your family and friends, at night. Enjoy a bit of downtime. Otherwise, he's the masterful puppeteer, and you his puppet. Slave, really... payed slave... if that makes it sound better. NOTHING is worth not sleeping at night, short of real emergencies. Meaning immediate threat to someone's health or life, period. That applies to night shifts at GM and so many other things... Evolution? Colour me unimpressed.

This administration is making journalism cool again. I wouldn’t be surprised to see university journalism programs flourish. For all the bad press Trump is plying on the MSM he certainly is making journalism and the MSM very attractive.

Don't say "Mr. Trump seems to like working long hours." Tweeting is not working. And being up at 4:42 because you're "not under investigation" doesn't count as long hours either.