Monday morning of December 8, 1941 must have been pretty amazing for newspaper employees arriving at the office. With some of the most consequential developments of the 20th century rapidly unfolding around the world, it was a journalistic feast, calling for plenty of judgements about how to play the multiple stories.
Given that Guam was half a world away and largely unknown to most Americans--something that would change during the war--it barely got any attention during the early accounts of the conflict's beginning. Editors had heard of Hawaii, even if they'd never been there. Plus, there were correspondents based there.
The Morning Call of Allentown gets the retro-prize for a comprehensive and clear coverage.
Meanwhile, the New York Times was cranking up its resources to produce a thorough report, which referenced the attack on its front, including a phrase that would later be popularized for other purposes: "Guam Bombed."
