‘There isn’t anything bigger’: Star preps for election day
It’s not a night for improvisation.
Not for an event that will unfold over just a few hours with Toronto Star journalists and editors working against the clock to bring you the news.
For voters and political candidates, Monday’s federal election marks the culmination of a campaign that began in August. For the Star newsroom, it’s a day that has been the focus of countless meetings to hammer out the plan to deliver the results to readers.
Elections are one of those all-hands-on-deck events that draw in journalists and editors from every corner of the newsroom.
“There isn’t anything bigger,” said Christine Loureiro, the Star’s digital editor. “There’s no single news event like it in terms of planning and staffing.”
Reporting on the election will involve some 25 journalists and columnists, more than 25 editors and some 10 producers working on digital platforms. Plus photojournalists, podcast producers and graphic designers. None of it would be possible without digital product and technology gurus working their magic.
Ottawa bureau journalists will be at the election headquarters of the Liberals, Conservatives, New Democrats and Green party. Others will cover off key ridings in the Greater Toronto Area and across the country.
Key to a smooth election night is the planning. Stories have been assigned, right down to the required lengths, and “z-copy” written. That’s newsroom jargon for background material written by journalists in advance, such as highlights and stumbles of the candidates they will be covering on election day. Such material may never see the light of day, but it provides a backup if results are delayed or other hiccups are encountered.
What can readers expect? The Star’s website — thestar.com — and app will be the source for the latest news. The coverage will start early in the day with stories recapping the campaign and information on how to vote. Around 5 p.m., election stories from various headquarters will begin to roll out, capturing the mood in the hours before polls close.
Once the vote tallying begins, a colour-coded graphic on the home page will make it easy to track overall results, showing which party is in the lead and how close they are to the 170 seats needed for a majority in the 338-seat Parliament. Individual riding results will also be available.
A live blog will capture the all the breaking news, including results in key ridings, especially in the Greater Toronto Area. There’s always an instinct to be quick with the results. But editors understand that more importantly, the Star needs to be correct in its reporting.
Tuesday’s print edition of the Star will feature a package of columns and stories on the results and the implications of the vote. For all the best-laid plans, the editorial team has to be ready for the inevitable election night surprises and able to change plans to account for unexpected wins or losses and other twists.
A nail-biter can make for an exciting night. But for journalists and editors, the possibility of not having a clear result Monday is not a pleasant scenario. Yet the reality is that some races will be too close to call in time for the print deadline. Contingency plans are ready in case there is no clear winner. That’s especially prudent this year, given the cautions from Elections Canada that the pandemic has made for one of the most challenging elections ever. There is also the need to count mail-in ballots, which could prove decisive in close races.
On such nights, the newsroom is usually abuzz. Not this year, though, as Star journalists continue to work remotely. The election coverage will take shape in the same fashion as journalism has throughout this pandemic, with the editors and journalists working from home offices, kitchen counters and family room couches.
After covering the last six federal elections, I’ll be sitting this one out. But like you, I look forward to watching the election night excitement unfold.
Can you spot the error in these sentences published in Star stories?
There’s always an instinct to be quick with the results. But editors understand that more importantly, the Star needs to be correct in its reporting
1. “... even while the province wracked up almost a third of the country’s active cases.”
2. “Relying solely on vaccinations won’t reign in a growing fourth wave ...”
3. “... in an industrial parking lot near St. Clair and Danforth avenues.”
4. “Politicians and health experts have condoned the protests led by a group of alleged front-line nurses, which target hospitals in Ontario and across Canada.”
5. “(Annamie) Paul made history this week as both the first Black person and the first Jewish person to take part in the federal leaders’ debates.”
6. “... one reason for the shortage is a lack of shipping containers and wooden palettes that cases of Champagne are exported on.”
The answers:
1. Racked. 2. Rein. 3. St. Clair Avenue doesn’t intersect with Danforth Avenue. It’s Danforth Road. 4. Condoned should have read condemned. Big difference. 5. Several readers wondered whether David Lewis — who led the federal NDP between 1971 and 1975 — was in fact the first Jewish leader to take part in a national debate. Trick question. There’s no mistake. There was a televised leaders’ debate in1968, prior to Lewis’s time as NDP leader. Surprisingly, the next one wasn’t until 1979, after he had left the position. 6. Pallets.
Thank you, as always, to the readers who reached out.
Bruce Campion-Smith is the Star’s