–30–

For the episode of The Wire see –30– (The Wire episode). For the 1959 film, see -30- (film).

–30– is used to indicate the end of a wire service story.^[1]

[edit] Etymology

Possibly a corruption of German fertig - "finished, ready" - or in journalistic context "end of story".

It has been used since the Civil War when telegraphers tapped "XXX", the Roman numeral signifying 30, to end transmissions.^{[citation needed]}

-30-, a motion picture about work in a Los Angeles newspaper, starring Jack Webb and William Conrad
"–30–", the season finale of the television series The Wire for a season concerned with the work of a newspaper.
In several Superman stories from various titles, failure by a Daily Planet employee to use this signature proved to be a plot point revealing a character's impersonation, mind control, etc.
The title of -30-: The Collapse of the Great American Newspaper is taken from this practice.