DOWNTOWN — Kevin Cobb has a hypothesis about the silly things said in Chicago's newsrooms.
"I think it's a combination of the competitive media market and the crazy weather," Cobb said.
Cobb is the man behind the extremely popular "Overheard in the Newsroom" Twitter and Facebook pages, which have a combined 250,000 followers. The sites have grown to the point where Cobb makes and sells letterpress Overheard in the Newsroom posters.
Cobb, a former newspaper designer now living in Washington, D.C., and working at 360 Live Media, started the sites in 2009 as a way to hone his digital and social media skills. While no longer in the newsroom, monitoring the sites helps Cobb "live the newsroom experience."
"Overheard in the Newsroom has grown beyond my wildest dreams," Cobb said. "Fortunately, I'm still able to live the newspaper experience ... just without the midnight deadlines and heartburn from Election Night pizza."
Cobb selected some of his favorite tweets from Chicago newsrooms. As he said, "Chicago journalists keep saying quotable things."
Quote of the day: "I don't know how we can have a lottery w/ no balls." In response to the new digital random number generator. @cbschicago
— Derrick Young (@Derrickcyoung) October 1, 2015
@vincefloress: Everytime I answer that phone a little part of my soul dies. @OHnewsroom pic.twitter.com/u3Hx7K5P5u
— Jeremy Ross (@JeremyAdamRoss) June 19, 2016
Producer: How long are mayoral terms in Chicago?
— Brian Sasser (@ProducerSass) April 8, 2015
Writer: Four years, if you're not indicted.@OHnewsroom
"@redbull doesn't do it for me anymore. I'm that person who breaks glass in their hand just to feel" @JohnOdenthal @OHnewsroom #amnewsers
— Colleen McCormick (@collmccormick) June 17, 2016
Designer: What's your password? Dollar5?
— Sara Amato (@saamato) April 21, 2016
Designer 2: Dollar3. It will be Dollar5 in about 180 days.
--@OHnewsroom
Overheard in the newsroom: "It's the most Monday Monday ever. Facebook is down and I spilled water on my keyboard" @OHnewsroom
— Chicago Tribune Biz (@ChiTribBiz) September 28, 2015
#workingonThanksgiving pic.twitter.com/QwLgWNrWUA
— Patrick M. O'Connell (@pmocwriter) November 26, 2015
.@OHnewsroom: “Alright, coffee. Let’s get the rest of this day done."
— Amina Elahi (@aminamania) August 31, 2015
"I want some guaca-moooo-leeeehh." ♫ #OHnewsroom
— RedEye (@redeyechicago) April 2, 2014
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