Suppose that you have been preparing for several hours to travel to another city or country. You are careful enough that you don’t leave anything behind that may be even of secondary importance for the journey. You spend some more time on things such as a shave or a piece of makeup and try to do everything to its possible perfection. Yes, each and every bit counts. A couple of perfume squirts too.

But when you reach the railway station, let’s suppose further, or the airport, you find out that you have missed the train or plane by minutes. Rusing, you may think that if you hadn’t been so meticulous about things of trivial significance, if you had dropped an item or two on your list….

This also happens in newspaper offices. The subeditors and their heads try their best that they do not miss any important news item that their contemporaries may be carrying for the next day – the local reporter or an overseas correspondent may be seeking ‘a little more time’ to finish the report. The metropolitan sections have their own peculiar problems. They have only a single city to gather news and photographs to fill about 20-column space daily. Sometimes they have to compromise on the newsworthiness of an item and, to admit it, sometimes they have to use stale news stories – there is no precedent of leaving white patches in a newspaper except when the country was ruled by Gen Ziaul Haq and government officials pulled out news items just before printing time. The white spaces might have embarrassed the regime immensely as it was a proof of its unabashed curbs on the press.

They also try their level best to ensure that the newspaper is error free, has the best possible and effective wordings in the headlines and the display of news and pictures also looks fresh. But if they fail to meet the deadline, the newspaper might not be printed on time and consequently not reach the readers, frustrating the whole exercise.

To pre-empt any such possibility, the editor and the printer set deadlines (the point of time by which various jobs must be finished) for the various stages of newspaper production. They stress that a flaw in the paper may be acceptable, but not skipping the deadline, which some stressed subeditors consider as the ‘killing line’. But if you manage to accomplish the task to your satisfaction on time, the deadline may turn out to be the ‘relaxing line’.

Some newspapers have edge over others in matters of deadline. If a newspaper caters only to a local or limited readership, it can afford a delay in its printing, whereas the newspaper whose readers are spread far and wide has to be printed earlier to reach its readers. I can assure you Dawn is one such newspaper.

Before the formal launch of Dawn’s Lahore edition in that city, the edition was made up and printed in Karachi and sent to Lahore by air. A special editorial staff shift worked for it to finish it much before the newspaper’s main edition to catch the PIA’s late-night flight. Newspaper bundles were also flown to Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta, etc. Dawn reached late in the morning in some key cities and towns, mainly because of the irregular flight timings.

The deadline phenomenon hits hardest the newsroom people as they work on a daily basis. However, the sections working on a periodical basis also face this stress, though to a lesser degree. They have to plan the periodicals, give assignments to photographers and art designers and commission writers. Occasionally a writer may excuse himself for a promised piece at the last hour, leaving the head of that periodical in trouble. In case of a news magazine, the volatile situations of Pakistan often upset its editorial plans. The magazine may be ready to go to the printing machine when events such as the imposition of emergency rule force it to plan it again to cover the latest developments.

Most newspapers print their magazines and some sections of the paper ahead of the main news pages. When the final pages are printed, the earlier printed and folded pages are put into the last fold.

The TV channels have put the newspapers under further pressure. The channels have the advantage of airing a news item at minutes’ notice and can improve and repeat it in its next bulletins. The newspapers here, on the other hand, have only one chance to print it.

The total computerization of newspaper production, the powerful electricity generators and the backup system (UPSs) have made the challenge of deadline easy to meet. A decade ago, these facilities were hardly available to us. The KESC performance was not as erratic either. But when it defaulted, the staff had no option but to enjoy a stroll outside till the return of the supply. And occasionally the newspaper printing was delayed so much so that the paper could not be sent out to other stations. The deadline, however, continues to exert its pressure on the newsroom staff all the facilities notwithstanding.

The deadline pressure makes its presence felt in every sphere of life. Just observe the frenzied political activity across the country. How the politicians are being driven crazy by the January 8 deadline!