Storybrooke Daily Mirror

"The Mirror strikes again! I wanted to bring you the latest edition. I assure you it's one of my better hatchet jobs."

- Sidney Glass to Regina Mills

The Storybrooke Daily Mirror  is a newspaper on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It first appears in the second episode of the first season.

Front Page Headlines

 * "Stranger Destroys Historic Sign"
 * "Coma Patient Wakes Up"
 * "Welcome Home, John Doe"
 * "Ex-Jailbird"
 * "Heartless!"
 * "Reagan: Marines Will Be Staying In Beirut"
 * "Local Paleontologist Gives Lecture On Unusual Fossil"
 * "Mr. Gold To Marry Belle French"
 * "New B&B Regulations"

Characters on the Front Page

 * Belle French
 * David Nolan
 * Emma Swan
 * Mary Margaret Blanchard
 * Mr. Gold

Trivia

 * -|On-screen Notes=

On-screen Notes

 * The name of the newspaper, Daily Mirror, refers to Sidney's Enchanted Forest counterpart, a genie who seals himself into the Evil Queen's mirror after using his last wish.
 * Printed on the newspaper in the same section as the price, town name and date, is the tag "Independent and Locally Owned" which is ironic given the paper's non-independence and subjection to Regina's demands before the curse was broken.
 * During season one, the newspapers do not carry dates. Instead they carry the tag "Printed Today".
 * The price of the newspaper has increased from 30¢ to 75¢ between 1983 and 2011.

Articles

 * In "The Thing You Love Most", the cover story reads (note that the article is just the same block of text repeated three times):

STRANGER DESTROYS HISTORIC SIGN

ALCOHOL INVOLVED

By Michael Wong – staff

Storybrooke, Maine – The "Welcome to Storybrooke" sign on Route 1 was demolished this morning shortly after 3 a.m. when a single car swerved off the road, colliding with the sign as it came to rest. Emma Swan, 28, of Boston was traveling south of Route 1 when she lost control of her 1979 Volkswagen Beetle beetle and left the roadway, Storybrooke Sheriff Graham told. Earlier that evening, Swan was seen getting into her vehicle visibly intoxicated, at which it was suggested to her that she spend the night in town, rather than attempt the drive back to Boston. According to Sheriff Graham, Swan claims that she was not drunk and that she swerved to avoid a large wolf in the road. Swan was wearing her seatbelt and was uninjured. Swan was taken to the Storybrooke Sheriff's office where she was treated and held overnight as a precaution. The sign sustained about $1,200 worth of damage.


 * The name of the news reporter is Michael Wong, who worked as an art director on this episode.
 * The part about getting into her vehicle "visibly intoxicated" and being recommended to spend the night in town refers to a deleted scene from "Once Upon a Time: The Complete First Season".
 * A back headline reads "Sonnet Hill Orchard Park Apple Tree Threatened by Prune Beetle S[four illegible characters]".


 * In "The Price of Gold", the front page shows a photograph of David Nolan in hospital. The main headline (seen upside-down) says "Coma patient wakes up". Another headline says "The 13th zodiac sign?".
 * In "The Shepherd", the cover story on the newspaper says:

WELCOME HOME JOHN DOE!

Storybrooke Daily Mirror

News Staff

STORYBROOKE, MAINE – The as yet, unidentified man in his early 30's - who has become known only by the moniker, John Doe, has finally gone home - directly to a house right here in Storybrooke. "It is truly a miracle that he has survived at all," said hospital volunteer and local schoolteacher, Mary Margaret Blanchard, on the day of his initial admittance to the Storybrooke Hospital. "It has been inter- esting nursing him back to health and we al all [sic] so glad he has pulled through. It is incredible to think how far he has progressed. Not only is he conscious, but he now has a whole new life to live." Details as to the identity of the individual will be released soon. Several days ago, a woman claiming to be his estranged wife made herself known to the Storybrooke Sheriff's Department [obscured] [obscured]


 * The top header of the newspaper says "Comet Marley Makes Debut Appearance". Fittingly enough, the lesson plan on the chalkboard in Mary Margaret's classroom mentions comets, and other astronomical objects.
 * One of the headlines reads "Remnants of Seventeenth Century Colonial Settlement Uncovered at Harestock Bridge". Curiously, the caption does not match the headline. It mentions Storybrooke fishermen who are in an uncertain situation after health officials issue a warning about tide contamination.
 * The newspaper also has an article called "Lyme Disease: A New Understanding". Lyme disease is an infectious disease transmitted to humans by the bite of infected ticks.
 * There is also an article about capsaicin, an active component of chili peppers, that produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact with.
 * Another headline mentions a "Rhododendron Society".
 * A back page article called "Storybrooke Teens Plan Clothing Swap Event for Charity" is adapted from a real article from August 2001 in the online Canadian newspaper Southwestern Ontario:


 * Since the show often uses the names of production crew members on the newspaper props, "Millar" is probably a reference to Sheila Millar, who worked on "The Price of Gold".
 * Another back page article called "Town plants gardens to absorb storm water" is directly adapted from an article by the same name in The Post-Star, a daily newspaper in Glen Falls, New York. The Daily Mirror's version is mostly unreadable on its own, but if you compare it to the real article, you can see that the content is the same, but names of people and geographical names have been changed for the show.
 * The name of the news reporter listed in the show's version (barely readable) is Brian Cunningham, who, like Sheila Millar, worked as a production staff member on "The Price of Gold". He also worked as a concept illustrator for Season One.
 * Also mentioned is a "Supervisor Wayne Power", the transport coordinator on the show.
 * Inside the newspaper, there is an article called "local mining museum falls on hard times".


 * The newspaper article Henry is reading in "Desperate Souls" says:

    EX-JAILBIRD     '''

   EMMA SWAN BIRTHED BABE BEHIND BARS    

 SIDNEY GLASS  

 Editor 

STORYBROOKE, MAINE – The race for the position of local sheriff has just gone into overdrive. The Storybrooke Daily Mirror has recently come into possession of a number of controversial documents that purport to shed an entirely new light onto the character of Storybrooke’s prospective new law enforce- ment official, Emma Swan. Records show that when she was merely a girl of seventeen, Emma Swan found herself, ironi- cally, on the wrong side of the law. She was visiting friends of her foster parents in the town of Worcester, Massachusetts, it would prove to be a trip that that Swan would come to regret. Something that would earn her a juvenile criminal record. On the evening of June 16th, 1996, Swan [image ends]


 * The time and place for Emma's arrest is contradicted in "Tallahassee" and "There's No Place Like Home", which prove Emma was actually arrested in Portland, 2001.
 * There is an article called "Pumpkins Weekends at Storybrooke Farm are seasonal treats for the entire family." What little of the content that can be glimpsed on-screen, is adapted from paragraph one and four of a real newspaper article from October 2010 (updated in January 2011), from the official website of the Daily Herald, a daily newspaper based in Arlington Heights, Illinois.


 * One of the headlines reads "The Placebo Effect".
 * The newspaper also contains a food article about cassoulet. This is a casserole originating in the south of France, containing, among other things, white beans.


 * The Storybrooke Daily Mirror has a website.
 * In "Hat Trick" and "The Stable Boy", one of the main headlines on the cover says "the science of memory". The headline "remembering" can be glimpsed inside the newspaper in "Hat Trick". This is a subtle reference to the haze the Storybrooke residents live in, with their true identities completely wiped.
 * In "The Stable Boy", the main article says:

'''   HEARTLESS! '''

 SCHOOL TEACHER JAILED ON MURDER CHARGES  

Storybrooke Daily Mirror

News staff

A Storybrooke Elementary School teacher, Mary Margaret Blanchard, was arrested yesterday and charged with the murder of Storybrooke resident Katherine Nolan [sic], according to local law enforce- ment. Although the Sheriff’s office will not release the details of the incident, Sheriff Emma Swan says that they have evidence linking Blanchard to a violent struggle with Nolan on the night of Nolan’s disappearance. Blanchard is being held at the Storybrooke Sheriff's and will await trial in the upcoming weeks. Blanchard was charged with felony counts of murder, attempted murder and assault and a misdemeanor count of criminal possession of a weapon, Swan said. She was arraigned in Story- brooke City Court and processed for holding in lieu of $500,000 bail. Although Blanchard’s motives remain unclear, one Storybrooke resident who wishes to [obscured] [obscured]


 * Another headline says "Storybrooke Elementary Girl is Crowned New Champion at Regional Spelling Bee". The girl is named Tenaya Wilkens, and her winning word was "antidisestablishmentarianism", which is a political position that developed in 19th-century Britain in opposition to Liberal proposals for the disestablishment of the Church of England.
 * The picture credit for the photo of Tenaya says Neil Westlake; a graphic designer and production staff member on the show.
 * Neil Westlake is also listed as a complainant in a police report in "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter".
 * He is also listed as a land surveyor on a document in "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree".
 * He is also listed as one of the reviewers on the book blurb for Isaac's novel "Heroes and Villains" in "Operation Mongoose Part 1".
 * Neal Westlake is also listed as a Storybrooke entrepreneur on a sign by the town hall in "Last Rites".
 * He is also the name of the author of the book Robin Hood: Myth & Legend in "Only You".
 * There is an internal feature called "the science of memory"; a subtle reference to the haze the Storybrooke residents live in, with their true identities completely wiped.
 * The newspaper contains an article about probiotics, which are microorganisms that are believed to provide health benefits when consumed.


 * On October 23. 1983, there is an article called "Shelter Dog Adopted by the Couple that Stole him." It is directly adapted from a real news article from October 2012, from the news section on the official website of WMTW, channel 8, an ABC-affiliated television station, serving the Portland, Maine television market.


 * When Henry is looking at apartments in "Kansas", one of the classified ads says:

Apartment for rent Two bedroom, two bath, clocktower views, was a master woodworker in the Enchanted Forest so all cabinets are custom.


 * One of the apartments is described as "charming newly renovated". The ad says, "For enquiries please call Jeanne 604.264.1001 ext. 418". This is a real phone number, which belongs to Noble & Associates Realty Ltd, a property management company in Vancouver, British Columbia, where Once Upon a Time is filmed.
 * There is also an ad for a company called the "Royal Carpet Cleaning".
 * One ad mentions a Storybrooke location called Hunter's Grove, which also appears on a map of Storybooke in "Manhattan", "The Queen Is Dead" and "Lacey".
 * Another ad says:

SIGN, EMBROIDERY SCREENING and Sporting Goods business for sale in Storybrooke, owners are highly motivated $40,000 obo, can be seen on the web, call Jim at 555-0131.


 * Another ad in "Kansas" mentions a company called Storybrooke Realty, which is also mentioned in two newspaper ads in "Birth".


 * A newspaper article about a campaign to encourage people to spend more money in their local Storybrooke shops, is directly adapted from an article in the British newspaper Hampshire Chronicle, a local newspaper based in Winchester, Hampshire. The original article, which is from June 2014, is called "Bishop's Waltham traders to launch new campaign on July 4" (note that the name of the show's version is off-screen), and is about a corresponding, local campaign. Note that due to an oversight, the last paragraph of the show's version mistakenly refers to money as British pounds instead of dollars. Also note that some of the text is off-screen, but parts of it can be seen on an Instagram photo and a post on an external forum post. The missing text is underlined :


 * Sabine Schoppel is the art department coordinator on the show.
 * In the same issue, there is an article called "Volunteers Help rebuild Storybrooke Heritage Trail", which was adapted from a real news article from July 2014, published on the official website of WCSH, a television station in Maine. Again, some of the text that is off-screen can be seen on an Instagram photo. The missing text is underlined :


 * One of the front page headlines in this issue says "Storybrooke Priory's 'laughing' gargoyle" has been vandalized. (Additional text can be glimpsed in the Instagram post.) One of the classified ads in "Birth" is about a house near Storybrooke Priory.


 * One of the properties listed in the classified ads is about a house located near the Storybrooke Heritage Park.

Unseen Articles

 * An unused newspaper prop pictured in an Instagram post by Raphael Sbarge reveals the following article:

LOCAL PALEONTOLOGIST GIVES LECTURE ON 'UNUSUAL FOSSIL'      TRILOBITE VARIANT FOSSIL FOUND AT STORYBROOKE PRIORY

Storybrooke Daily Mirror

News Staff

A regular evening 'constitutional' for T. [image ends] turned into the find of a lifetime for thi[image ends] paleontologist from Storybrooke. He w[image ends] his dog, Caine, at Storybrooke Priory b[image ends] where he lives. It was then that he sa[image ends] and unfamliar shape among the rock [image ends] of the bluff. On closer inspection, he [image ends] was a fossil – but quite unlike any that [image ends] before. The next morning he sent an [image ends] [illegible word] to the Storybrooke Museum. [image ends] "They think we may have a [illegible word / image ends] [illegible word] trilobite at the [illegible word /image ends] all exited about that." The fossil is of a [illegible word / image ends] [illegible word] that had a [two illegible words / image ends] [illegible / image ends]


 * An unused newspaper prop found at the Disney's Hollywood Studios contains an article which was adapted from a real article from January 6, 2015, published in the Bangor Daily News, published in Bangor, Maine:


 * Cheryl Marion is an art director on the show, while Douglas McLean is a production staff member.
 * Another article reads:

Vintage Rocking Horse sells for [illegible] Local Auction

The 1907 child's toy is one of only 7 in the entire world

Storybrooke Daily Mirror

News Staff

STORYBROOKE, Maine – Storybrooke Fine Arts Auctioneers held a 'Memorial of Childhood' charity auction on Saturday – the proceeds of which will directly benefit the maternity ward of Storybrooke General Hospital. The highest selling item in the catalog was a 1907 American-manufactured Kuhn-Hass rocking horse that sold for a sum of $11,000. The highest bidder, who bid by telephone, has chosen to remain anonymous. One of only seven models known to still exist, the elaborately carved and hand-painted child's toy was made in [illegible name], Maryland, by the Kuhn [image ends]


 * -|Cultural References=

Lost

 * In the online list of potential jobs, there is a temporary position as an inventory control specialist for 8 months, a reference to the second Lost number.
 * The newspaper Regina is reading on the morning after the Dark Curse is dated October 23. 23 is the fourth Lost number.
 * In "Kansas", one of the classifieds shows the number 16, the fourth Lost number. Another ad contains the number 08.

Popular Culture

 * The Storybrooke Daily Mirror shares its name with a well-known British tabloid.
 * In "The Shepherd", there is a picture of the Chartres Cathedral on the cover of the newspaper.
 * In "Desperate Souls", there is a picture of Stonehenge on the front page of the newspaper.
 * In "Hat Trick" and "The Stable Boy", a picture of the famous Indian marble mausoleum Taj Mahal appears on the cover.
 * On October 23. 1983, one of the newspaper headlines is "Reagan: Marines Will be Staying in Beirut", referring to the bombing of American and French troops in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War in 1983.


 * -|Set Notes=

Set Dressing

 * There is a Storybrooke Daily Mirror newspaper stand and a Storybrooke Daily Mirror vending machine outside Granny's Diner.
 * An identical vending machine is sitting in the street outside a nearby building.


 * -|Goofs=

Goofs

 * The front page article Emma's car crash, is just the same block of text repeated three times.
 * Kathryn's first name is misspelled "Katherine" in the Storybrooke Daily Mirror.
 * In a newspaper article about a campaign to encourage people to spend more money in their local shops, the last paragraph refers to money as British pounds, not dollars. However, another sum correctly uses dollars.

Appearances
Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.