Battle for Tripoli: Social media offer a sneak peek at New York Times front page

by Nicole Martinelli
Oct 30, 2018 in Digital Journalism

The revolution may be televised, but news travels faster over social media

Readers following developments in Libya could take a look at the New York Times' historic front page hours before it hit newsstands, thanks to Twitter.

Using the popular iPhone app Instagram, Times staff editor Elias Lopez sent a photo of the front page with victorious Libyan rebels in a prime above the fold spot.

Shortly afterward, Diego Sorbara, copy editor on the foreign/national copy desk at the Times, gave readers a look at the final version before it hit the printers.

"Above the fold of tomorrow's @nytimes front page (the final edition of the night...and what a night)," he said over the microblogging service.

Sure, you can't hold it in your hand with a cup of coffee (or line your recycling bin with it later), but if you live somewhere the paper version of the Times isn't available, these pictures are worth a thousand words.