The Departments
There is no question that technology has upended the newspaper industry, just as it has nearly every aspect of American life. Yet despite the proliferation of computers and mechanized processes, newspapers need people more than ever before - and more of them.

About 700 people work at The News Tribune. Another 1,700 or so work as independent contractors to deliver the paper to homes and businesses. This is nearly twice as many as when The News Tribune first moved into its facility at 1950 South State Street in 1973, and every indication is that the numbers will continue growing. Here’s a representative sampling of major departments:

Newsroom
Reporters, editors, copy editors, photographers, photo editors, wire editors, page designers, graphic artists, librarians and support staff work in teams to cover specific topics.

Editorial
Three editorial writers and the editorial page editor produce the paper’s Opinion and Editorial pages. The publisher and executive editor are also part of the Editorial Board.

Advertising
Working in teams, the advertising staff sells classified and display ads and other marketing products and services for individual and business customers. They do telephone sales and in-person visits, and create and design advertising for The News Tribune customers.

Interactive Media
Employees in Interactive Media are behind thenewstribune.com, the Web site that connects South Puget Sound’s leading newspaper with the rest of the world.

Pre-Press
The pre-press department receives pages electronically from the newsroom as well as advertising, and prepares them to go on the printing press.

Pressroom
This team operates the printing presses. Each issue of the daily paper requires 40 rolls of paper. Each roll, if unrolled, would stretch 7 miles. It takes about 3 hours to print the day’s paper.

Packaging Center
About half of the packaging department works part time, coming in for several hours to assemble the newspapers and operate the systems that insert preprinted supplements into the newspaper, then bundle and identify the newspapers for delivery trucks.

Maintenance
This staff maintains and repairs the newspaper’s electrical and mechanical systems and equipment.

Circulation
These are the delivery route drivers, district managers, and zone managers who get the papers out to approximately 1,700 carriers and hundreds of vending machines every day. Circulation staff also handle single copy sales and customer service.

Marketing
The marketing department is responsible for market research and promoting the newspaper. In addition, the department’s electronic marketing team produces The News Tribune’s audio and electronic products.

Accounting
These are the employees who manage accounts payable and receivable, produce financial reports, and handle other financial reporting.

Information Systems
Someone has to keep the 500 or so computers and their systems operating at peak performance, and this is the department that does that.

Human Resources
The human resources department handles employee relations, health and safety, payroll, and benefits administration.

Administrative Services
This department keeps The News Tribune running from day to day. Its employees work in purchasing, maintenance, vehicle maintenance, security, and telecommunications.