CENTENNIAL SUNDAYS
F-Jet teams bring national events to NM
Editor鈥檚 note: This year marks 100 years since the Pepperday/Lang family purchased the sa国际传媒官网网页入口. The Centennial Sundays features are part of a year-long commemoration celebrating that legacy. Today鈥檚 story focuses on the newspaper鈥檚 coverage of events far beyond New Mexico.
sa国际传媒官网网页入口 may be in the name 鈥渟a国际传媒官网网页入口,鈥� but publisher T.H. Lang didn鈥檛 let that stop the paper from sending news teams across the country to cover major stories.
From the late 1980s to the early 2000s, the newsroom was on alert that if there was a major event 鈥� either natural or man-made 鈥� anywhere in the nation, a Journal team may be called upon to cover it.
What made this possible was the fact that the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Publishing Company owned a jet that could transport reporters and photographers to a scene outside New Mexico within hours of the event. The jet also often ferried rescue teams from New Mexico to impacted areas.
Requiring two pilots, the jet was co-piloted by Lang and for many years Glynn Rice. Because the plane was a Falcon jet, the teams became known as the 鈥淔-Jet鈥� teams.
Donn Friedman, who retired last year as assistant managing editor after 38 years at the Journal, wore many hats throughout his career. One of them was handling the technical logistics of these teams.
鈥淏eing a regional paper, we liked to cover beyond just sa国际传媒官网网页入口 and so, by having the jet we were able to quickly fly places to cover events,鈥� Friedman said.
He pointed out that at the time there was no internet and no social media. National TV stations covered major events but not necessarily their impacts on the communities or people.
鈥淚t was those stories that were not being told," Friedman said. "And the F-Jet let us drop into areas where we were able to go in-depth and tell the stories of the people of these towns and the connections back to sa国际传媒官网网页入口.鈥�
Friedman also helped to create ready packs 鈥� backpacks that could be grabbed by news teams at a moment鈥檚 notice for breaking news far afield. These included a satellite phone, chargers, some energy bars and other gear.
