Newspapers plan special issues for Obama inauguration

Jan 13, 2009, 19:00 GMT

New York - Many US newspapers are planning special commemorative issues to mark the January 20 inauguration of Barack Obama as president, the trade journal Editor and Publisher reported Tuesday.

The Washington Post is to cover the event with more than 70 reporters and plans to put out a special afternoon edition of the paper on the day of the inauguration. The paper will hit newsstands by 6 pm and will sell for two dollars.

Reflecting what is expected to be intense demand for the historic publications, the Washington Post is making the commemorative editions available in advance for 9.95 dollars.

Obama's hometown paper the Chicago Tribune also plans a special afternoon edition. Special sections are also planned for the two days preceding the event.

The New York Times plans to almost double its print run on the day following the inauguration, with an extra 950,000 copies. The Times and the Post are also publishing special Sunday magazines devoted to the inauguration while USA Today plans a special 48-page magazine-style publication for sale at 4.95 dollars, with special sections on January 20 and January 21.

On the day after Obama's November 4, 2008 election, people stood in line outside newspaper officers for hours at a time over several days to buy the November 5 editions, which went into multiple reprints in major cities around the country.