The 4 page broadsheet that made up the front and back pages was left blank on the 2 inside pages.
The back page was a reuse of the existing back page for the December 22, 1988 edition of USA Today.
The front page has stories based on actual events from May 16, 1989. I have an original copy of this newspaper.
One or two of the actual stories from that day were reused in the prop papers, with some alterations, and I was able to match the ad on the lower back part of the first section to a couple of screencaps from the movie, where you can see the edge of the same page.
The 2015 cover sheet was placed over another real USA Today for filler, and it also had its real front section removed.
I found the name Sarracino on the front page of the prop papers in 2 places, and it seemed odd to me, almost like someone was signing their work. So I searched for any person named Sarracino who worked for USA Today around 1989, and eventually found Ray Sarracino, who confirmed that he was involved in making these prop papers. Here is the message he sent to me regarding his work for BTTF II:
Hi Daniel,
Sorry that it's taken me so long, again, to get back in touch.
I can tell you that the front pages were among the most fun projects we worked on in the Promotion department of USA TODAY.
As I remember it, we contracted with a company called Norm Marshall and Associates to get us placement in films from the mid 80s at least until I left there in 1997. We paid a retainer and when they received a request for a prop USA TODAY, they would forward it to us and we would decide whether it fit with our priorities. (Most of the time it did.)
We used a templated front page and would recreate the requested page as closely as we could while retaining USA TODAY's style pallet. The fun part was the rest of the page, which often resulted in fake articles laced with names and events revolving around friends and family.
Once prepress production was complete and the page was approved, we would print about a hundred or so copies on our advertising proof press - the one and only printing press in the USA TODAY building.
Either that or we would send the films to our sister paper, the San Bernardino Sun, who would arrange to have our prop papers run at the end of their regular daily press run.
It was always exciting to see one's work flash briefly across the screen.
My friend, I thank you for your interest in bringing me back to happy times.
Have a great day and please let me know if you need more information,
Ray
