my fingers are smeared with ink, like I'd voted 10 times in an Iraqi election

[aruan]

I'm about to go sleep the sleep of one who stayed up for the day's first call to prayer, but there was no way we were leaving the makeshift printing hangar without getting a copy of the very first edition of The National.



Yeah, slightly blue, but it's Volume 1, Issue 1! We're finally official! None of us left our seats tonight despite a lighter-than-normal workload because suddenly, after three months of putting out what felt like a college paper with minimal responsibility for the end result, the whole world would see today's edition. Despite standing in heels for four hours, two paper jams and much doubt, we launched a newspaper. I'm not sure anyone will ever get to do that again.

[ETA: Check out the video on CNN.com: Arab answer to The New York Times? In the teaser shot, Mike is in the foreground with my hubby just behind him!]

Comments

[saturn92103.livejournal.com]

Congratulations!!

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Ugh, today was nerve-wracking and crazy, and it was all we could do not to scream and/or cry all night, but when the press started up in earnest there was cheering and applause for this incredible thing we've all shared and built and love dearly.

[wovenindelibly.livejournal.com]

SUCH congratulations! Hell of an accomplishment!

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

It's been an amazing journey. We didn't cure cancer or anything, but I came in not knowing newspaper design at all, and the thing about having an official paper of record here in the UAE is that we have a very real chance to effect change and improve people's lives. Being in the newspaper business here is like stepping back in time 50 years for the rest of the world in all the best ways. I hope people like it, from the bottom of my heart.

[go4it.livejournal.com]

That's fantastic! Congratulations!

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Eee! Thanks so much. Journalism here has a long way to go, but the other side of the coin is a real opportuniyu to change the status quo through accountability. I think the concept deserves every chance to work and really hope people will see our potential to do it.

[without-me.livejournal.com]

Rock on!!!

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

It's so wild. I so badly hope people will like it, because it's such a labor of love on a lot of our behalves, and this region could use some accountability more than pretty much anything else.

[without-me.livejournal.com]

Hee! This was just the link at the top of my gmail page (sadly, I forgot to c/p the description): http://www.cnn.com/2008/BUSINESS/04/17/thenational.mme/index.html?eref=rss_latest

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

There were a LOT more than 20 pages of news - the A section alone was 30 pages. Plus, no love for the feature on taxi decor (the link on the site is to a PDF of the page, gotta have them fix that). Seriously, some of the cabs here are really elaborate, from lime green seat covers to prayer rugs on the dashboard.

[silentfire.livejournal.com]

Look at you! I'm incredibly proud of you, babe. Congratulations.

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

As nervous as I am that people may not like it (the design alone is pretty radical for a newspaper, the huge photos and feature treatments make it look more like a magazine), I'm so enormously excited by the rest of the publishing, journalism and everyday world getting a look at our baby. The last few days have been more stressful than the entire lead-up to the first issue, but it's here and without major flaws and I really, really hope they like us.

[aproposofnothin.livejournal.com]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Yaaaaaaaay! No words at all for how exciting it is for the world to see our baby. I hope people see what we're trying to do and give us a chance to make it happen - I can tell you that the reporters' sources have come a long way from the first month we were here. Given the chance, I think we can do what journalism should be here.

[sassygurl.livejournal.com]

Wow! You are the coolest. (But you knew that already.)

:-)

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Newspapers have been near and dear to my heart since I ate them as a very young child, and being a part of the insanity of launching one has been an amazing journey. Everything was changing right up to the last minute, which reflects in the paper (but only a little, thankfully!) but overall, we love it, and I so hope the world gives it a chance. A good newspaper really could make a difference here, I feel.

Good to see you back on LJ!

[mac-girl.livejournal.com]

What an amazing accomplishment - CONGRATS!!! *hugs*

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

It's huge in the way I have no words for - the faith of our backers that this region needs a better newspaper, the faith of everyone who left their (rapidly diminishing) jobs to move across the world for an unproven venture, and the list goes on. I think we have a chance to do something here that the people of the UAE, both Emiratis and expats, could really use. Hopefully, the world thinks so, too.

[copracat]

Congratulations!

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

[pumps fist] Gotta say, we weren't totally sure it would happen, first with software problems, then mechanical problems (they fixed the press with GAFFE TAPE OMG) but here it is!

[copracat]

What else would you fix a big machine with? It holds the world together, don't you know? Hee!

[science-vixen.livejournal.com]

I was at the airport today, but forgot to check the kiosk which all the daily international papers :(

Still, proficiat!

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Ah, I don't know what kind of international presence we have yet, but there are supposed to be papers in London and New York, at least. Keep an eye out!

[science-vixen.livejournal.com]

I'm at the airport tomorrow, I'll take a look-see.

[science-vixen.livejournal.com]

I checked. They didn't have it at Schiphol. :(

[jenbeth78.livejournal.com]

CONGRATS! That is such an amazing accomplishment. We are all so impressed with you :)

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! Of course every software problem that never happened once in the past three months cropped up on launch night, plus last-minute design changes and we're still training some final hires, but it didn't suck! Yay! Now if I can only start working fandom back into the routine...