The Times editor would like to clarify that Robin Dennis is not a slug.
Due to an unfortunate error of rushing and carelessness, a photo of Dennis, on the cover of the Tuesday Bulletin, carried the headline “Slug.” In newspapering, a slug – short for a slug line – generally refers to the name of a story. It’s a holdover from a slug, or line, of lead, from old typesetting days. In this newspaper office specifically, the font that is pre-set to form a photo headline, which appears above photos without a story, is named “stand alone slug” – slug for short. Our silly editor had a momentary brain fog, and was unable to come up with an appropriate headline in the moment. She typed in “Slug” as a placeholder, then forgot to go back and replace it. She is currently weeping in a corner of the pressroom, dying of embarrassment. We hope Robin Dennis, who is definitely not a slug, is not dying of embarrassment as well. The remaining staff at the Times shakes their heads, and apologizes for any inconvenience.
