Earthweek
Encyclopedia
Earthweek - A Diary of the Planet is a syndicated
newspaper column created by Steve Newman. It is published weekly on various days by subscribing newspapers, and reports on events in Earth's natural history. The feature was the first fully paginated newspaper column to be distributed with placed graphics, thanks to the growing popularity of the Macintosh
platform in newspaper graphics departments during the late 1980s.
Due to the slow modem speeds common in 1988, early versions of Earthweek were limited to low-resolution graphics. Subscribing newspapers maintained a library of individual icons and the base map, which were used by the "wire frame" of the Pagemaker document distributed to them each week. Earthweek is now created in QuarkXPress
with Adobe Illustrator
graphics, and is delivered as a complete, integrated package.
A PDF version of the feature may be downloaded by readers in markets where Earthweek is not published.
Earthweek initial focused mainly on breaking weather news stories, along with a complement of items about volcanic eruptions, El Niño outbreaks and unusual animal stories. That focus has widened in recent years to be more inclusive of global warming issues and how wildlife is reacting to the changing climate.
on Saturday, January 2, 1988, and began syndication through the now-defunct Chronicle Features in early September of that year.
Earthweek moved briefly to Universal Press Syndicate
in 1998, when Andrews McMeel Universal
purchased Chronicle Features. Author Steve Newman moved the column to the Los Angeles Times Syndicate
in June 1998, where its circulation increased and an online version was created.
A subsequent purchase of that syndicate by the Tribune Company
absorbed Earthweek into Tribune Media Services
, which discontinued the online version and oversaw a steady decline in the column's print subscriptions and sales.
Earthweek rejoined Universal Press Syndicate
in June 2003, and is now published by nearly 100 newspapers worldwide. An interactive version was launched by Uclick
in July 2006.
Earthweek is produced by Steve Newman, a broadcast meteorologist for more than 30 years and a frequent contributor for ABC's Good Morning America
.
His Earth Alert bulletins were a weekly component of Discovery News on the Discovery Channel
, and an online feature of Discovery.com.
in 1980 Newman established Earth Environment Service, a weather consulting company that provided forecasts and data to agricultural, insurance and media interests worldwide.
Newman is a member of the American Meteorological Society
and a fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society
. He has also been active in the United Nations World Meteorological Organization
and is a member of the National Association of Science Writers
.
Print syndication
Print syndication distributes news articles, columns, comic strips and other features to newspapers, magazines and websites. They offer reprint rights and grant permissions to other parties for republishing content of which they own/represent copyrights....
newspaper column created by Steve Newman. It is published weekly on various days by subscribing newspapers, and reports on events in Earth's natural history. The feature was the first fully paginated newspaper column to be distributed with placed graphics, thanks to the growing popularity of the Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
platform in newspaper graphics departments during the late 1980s.
Due to the slow modem speeds common in 1988, early versions of Earthweek were limited to low-resolution graphics. Subscribing newspapers maintained a library of individual icons and the base map, which were used by the "wire frame" of the Pagemaker document distributed to them each week. Earthweek is now created in QuarkXPress
QuarkXPress
QuarkXPress is a computer application for creating and editing complex page layouts in a WYSIWYG environment. It runs on Mac OS X and Windows. It was first released by Quark, Inc...
with Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics editor developed and marketed by Adobe Systems. Illustrator is similar in scope, intended market, and functionality to its competitors, CorelDraw, Xara Designer Pro and Macromedia FreeHand....
graphics, and is delivered as a complete, integrated package.
A PDF version of the feature may be downloaded by readers in markets where Earthweek is not published.
Typical Earthweek Content
From man-made occurrences to nature's own news, Earthweek provides a weekly overview of headline events affecting our planet—cyclones, floods, brushfires, oil spills and climate change. Other stories are a bit more unusual—monkey attacks, snake infestations and a bounty of phenomena as diverse as nature itself.Earthweek initial focused mainly on breaking weather news stories, along with a complement of items about volcanic eruptions, El Niño outbreaks and unusual animal stories. That focus has widened in recent years to be more inclusive of global warming issues and how wildlife is reacting to the changing climate.
Distribution of Earthweek
The feature premiered in the San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
on Saturday, January 2, 1988, and began syndication through the now-defunct Chronicle Features in early September of that year.
Earthweek moved briefly to Universal Press Syndicate
Universal Press Syndicate
Universal Press Syndicate, a subsidiary of Andrews McMeel Universal, is the world's largest independent press syndicate. It distributes lifestyle and opinion columns, comic strips and other content. Popular columns include Dear Abby, Ann Coulter, Roger Ebert and News of the Weird...
in 1998, when Andrews McMeel Universal
Andrews McMeel Universal
Andrews McMeel Universal is an American corporation based in Kansas City, Missouri. It was founded in 1970 by Notre Dame alumni Jim Andrews and John McMeel as Universal Press Syndicate and was renamed in 1997 to AMU to reflect the diversification that had taken place since its founding...
purchased Chronicle Features. Author Steve Newman moved the column to the Los Angeles Times Syndicate
Los Angeles Times Syndicate
The Los Angeles Times Syndicate and the Los Angeles Times Syndicate International are newspaper syndicates which sold more than 140 features in more than 100 countries around the world....
in June 1998, where its circulation increased and an online version was created.
A subsequent purchase of that syndicate by the Tribune Company
Tribune Company
The Tribune Company is a large American multimedia corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with ten daily newspapers and commuter tabloids including Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida...
absorbed Earthweek into Tribune Media Services
Tribune Media Services
Tribune Media Services is a syndication company owned by the Tribune Company.The company has two divisions, "News and Features" and "Entertainment Products"...
, which discontinued the online version and oversaw a steady decline in the column's print subscriptions and sales.
Earthweek rejoined Universal Press Syndicate
Universal Press Syndicate
Universal Press Syndicate, a subsidiary of Andrews McMeel Universal, is the world's largest independent press syndicate. It distributes lifestyle and opinion columns, comic strips and other content. Popular columns include Dear Abby, Ann Coulter, Roger Ebert and News of the Weird...
in June 2003, and is now published by nearly 100 newspapers worldwide. An interactive version was launched by Uclick
Uclick
Uclick LLC was an American corporation selling "digital entertainment content" for the desktop, the web and mobile phones...
in July 2006.
Helping Students Monitor a Dynamic Planet
Many educators use the feature in a weekly assignment to elementary and middle school students. By encouraging a close examination of Earthweek's map and summaries, students can increase their understanding of both geography and the environment. Educator Lori Agan wrote an essay in the [National Science Teachers Association] journal Science Scope that documents how her use of Earthweek has benefited her students.About the Author
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
.
His Earth Alert bulletins were a weekly component of Discovery News on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, and an online feature of Discovery.com.
in 1980 Newman established Earth Environment Service, a weather consulting company that provided forecasts and data to agricultural, insurance and media interests worldwide.
Newman is a member of the American Meteorological Society
American Meteorological Society
The American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
and a fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society
Royal Meteorological Society
The Royal Meteorological Society traces its origins back to 3 April 1850 when the British Meteorological Society was formed as a society the objects of which should be the advancement and extension of meteorological science by determining the laws of climate and of meteorological phenomena in general...
. He has also been active in the United Nations World Meteorological Organization
World Meteorological Organization
The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...
and is a member of the National Association of Science Writers
National Association of Science Writers
The National Association of Science Writers was created in 1934 by a dozen science journalists and reporters in New York City. The aim of the organization was to improve the craft of science journalism and to promote good science reportage....
.