Читать книгу Newspaper Writing and Editing - Willard Grosvenor Bleyer - Страница 8
ОглавлениеBuffalo Express, Buffalo, N. Y.
Easthampton, N. Y., Jan. 16.—Western Steel Co.’s mill burning, loss $150,000, two firemen killed. 300. Filed 9:23 P.M.
Wilson.
The telegraph editor can use the facts thus given in the query by turning the dispatch over to the copy desk to be edited for the next edition; and at the same time he may telegraph to Wilson, the Easthampton correspondent, to send 150 instead of 300 words on the fire. The correspondent, on receiving these instructions, telegraphs at once as much of the story as he can in 150 words. He always puts at the end of the dispatch before his signature the hour at which he files the story at the telegraph office, so that he will not be held responsible for any delay in transmitting or delivering the telegram.
When the correspondent has a number of news stories of interest on which he desires to have instructions, he sends his “queries” in the form of a “schedule” in which each story is numbered. For example:
Philadelphia Times, Philadelphia, Pa.
Erie, Pa., March 10.—No. 1. Northern Hospital for Insane burns, all inmates rescued. 800.
2. C. H. Hartman, cashier Miners’ Bank, commits suicide. 250.
3. Principal Walters of high school prohibits football. 100.
4. Mayor Altmeyer removes Health Commissioner Murphy for incompetency. 150.
5. Minister delivers strong sermon on “Is There a Devil?” 300.
R. N. Wilson.
The telegraph editor might reply to this schedule with the following instructions, which would indicate how much the correspondent is to send on each of the stories that he has scheduled, as well as the fact that nothing is wanted on story No. 5.
Philadelphia, Mar. 10.—R. N. Wilson, Erie, Pa. Rush one and two; 50 three; 100 four.
Times.
The correspondent is paid a regular salary if the amount of news that he sends daily is considerable, but more often he is paid every month at a regular space rate for the amount printed of the news that he sends during the month. On some papers the correspondents clip out all of their news stories and paste them together in a “string” which they send in once a month, so that the telegraph editor may pay them according to the length of the “string.” In many offices the telegraph editor keeps a record by crediting every correspondent with what he furnishes, and sends monthly a check for the amount due.
News Associations. Most of the news of the state, nation, and world generally is furnished to newspapers, not by their own correspondents, but through one of the several news or press associations, such as the Associated Press, the United Press, and the International Press Service. The Associated Press is a coöperative news-gathering and news-distributing organization with a membership consisting of many of the leading papers throughout the country. The expenses of the association are divided equally among the newspapers that are members. Each paper that belongs to the association agrees to furnish all the others with the news that it gets in the local field. The Associated Press also has correspondents everywhere in the world, most of whom are paid for what news they furnish, while others at important news centers are regularly employed to gather and send news to the association. To facilitate the handling of the news, the Associated Press has divided the country into four divisions with a central office and a superintendent in each; and in these divisions there is a bureau at every important news center with a correspondent who is responsible for all the news in his district of the division. Associated Press correspondents send the news of the cities, towns, or sections for which they are responsible to the district bureau, or the division office, where it is edited and distributed to the newspapers of the division, and is sent on to the other division offices to be edited and distributed to papers in these divisions. The United Press is a corporation which furnishes its news service to afternoon papers at a rate determined by the distance of the newspaper from the distributing point and by the amount of news sent. It differs from the Associated Press in the fact that it is not a coöperative organization. The International Press Service connected with the papers controlled by Mr. W. R. Hearst also furnishes newspapers generally with news service.
The instructions given by the Associated Press and the United Press to their correspondents, from which the following extracts are taken, indicate the general rules to be followed by a correspondent who is sending out news that is of more than local interest.
Be able always to give a valid reason for sending a dispatch.
File news with the telegraph operator at the earliest possible moment. Dispatches should be filed before 9 A.M. for the noon editions; before 12 M. for the 3 o’clocks; and before 2 P.M. for the 5 o’clocks; nothing should be filed after 2:15 P.M. except night matter, which should be marked N.P.R. (night press rate). If there should be news of great importance, file a bulletin of 100 words at any hour. All matter for afternoon papers should be filed at the earliest possible moment without regard to editions.
When the news is of extraordinary character, or very sensational, file at once a bulletin of 100 words, and wait instructions before sending the details, as the number of words desired will be ordered. Should the news prove to be more important than the facts first available indicated, a second bulletin of 100 words should be filed as soon as the additional facts are known.
The news in every dispatch should be given in the first paragraph, details following. A story should be told as briefly as is consistent with an intelligent statement of the facts.
Notify, if possible, the general office by mail at least a week in advance in regard to the date of every meeting of national and state organizations, and of any gathering or coming event not of a local character, including the state and congressional conventions of political parties announced to be held in your city. Instructions will be given you as to the[Pg 58] number of words to be sent in covering the events designated. All matter should be telegraphed unless “by mail” is specified in an order.
Advance copies of speeches and addresses of public men, and important platforms and resolutions of assemblies and conventions, whenever possible should be secured in advance and mailed to the general office to be held until released. All advance matter is to be sent “subject to release.” The time of release of advance matter should be stated instead of the edition for which the matter is released.
Accuracy, speed, and brevity are what we desire.
The correspondent should be fair toward all interests.
Do not send matter of merely local interest. Any matter sent must be of general or exceptional state interest.
SUGGESTIONS
1 Always have at hand several soft black pencils.
2 Take notes on folded copy paper rather than in a notebook.
3 Keep a pocket date-book for all future events and news possibilities.
4 Get all the news; don’t stop with half of it.
5 Run down every clue whenever the character of the news warrants it.
6 Work rapidly; don’t putter.
7 Don’t make the necessity for speed an excuse for carelessness or inaccuracy.
8 Be especially careful about names, initials, and addresses.
9 Don’t take rumors for facts.
10 Persevere until you get what you were sent for; don’t come back empty-handed.
11 Be resourceful in devising ways and means of getting news.
12 Study your paper to see to what kind of news it gives greatest space and prominence.
13 Familiarize yourself thoroughly with the whole city, and especially with every place on your own run.
14 Never neglect even for a day a news source on your regular run.
15 Make acquaintances among all classes of people with whom your work brings you in contact.
16 Interest your friends and acquaintances in your work so that they will coöperate with you in getting news.
17 Gather all news quietly and unobtrusively.
18 Be tactful with every one; never make an enemy.
19 Never betray a confidence no matter how big the “scoop” would be if you did.
20 Remember that you can always be both a gentleman and a good reporter.
21 Don’t take notes in interviewing.
22 Always know exactly what information you desire before beginning to interview a person.
23 Get advance copies of anything to be quoted directly or indirectly in a news story.
24 Mark the release date plainly at the beginning of all advance copies or stories.
25 Get photographs of persons and events if possible, and write a description on the back of the photographs.
26 File telegraph stories at the earliest possible moment.
27 Always follow instructions.
28 Mail stories, either by regular or special delivery, whenever they will surely reach the newspaper in time for the edition for which they are intended.
29 Never put off till to-morrow sending news that is new to-day.
