In 1978, the Tasmanian office of the ABC's education department produced a series called Tas '78 with the aim of informing young viewers about various vocations they might like to pursue. These included beekeeper, park ranger, television presenter, German Shepherd breeder, folk musician, and even premier of a state (that episode featured a young Doug Lowe, one year into his term as Premier of Tasmania).
The interesting thing about these sorts of educational programs is that although they were originally targeted at young people, their straightforward and informative style means they preserve for posterity a clear record of bygone technological and industrial processes.
This 'Tas '78' segment from November 3, 1978, is about working on a daily newspaper. It takes us through a full 24-hour cycle at The Mercury, from the editor commissioning a story in the morning through to the edition's printing and distribution in the wee hours of the following day. In this excerpt, the journalist writes up the story, the copy goes to the sub-editors, and the layout process begins.
ABC ID: 105519
