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diff --git a/25968.txt b/25968.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8fa2ab2 --- /dev/null +++ b/25968.txt @@ -0,0 +1,10082 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Newspaper Reporting and Correspondence, by +Grant Milnor Hyde + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Newspaper Reporting and Correspondence + A Manual for Reporters, Correspondents, and Students of + Newspaper Writing + +Author: Grant Milnor Hyde + +Release Date: July 4, 2008 [EBook #25968] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NEWSPAPER REPORTING *** + + + + +Produced by Jacqueline Jeremy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + + NEWSPAPER REPORTING + AND CORRESPONDENCE + + A MANUAL FOR REPORTERS, + CORRESPONDENTS, AND STUDENTS + OF NEWSPAPER WRITING + + BY + + GRANT MILNOR HYDE, M.A. + + INSTRUCTOR IN JOURNALISM IN THE + UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN. + + + NEW YORK AND LONDON + D. APPLETON AND COMPANY + 1912 + + + COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY + D. APPLETON AND COMPANY + + Printed in the United States of America + + + TO + MY MOTHER + + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +The purpose of this book is to instruct the prospective newspaper +reporter in the way to write those stories which his future paper will +call upon him to write, and to help the young cub reporter and the +struggling correspondent past the perils of the copyreader's pencil by +telling them how to write clean copy that requires a minimum of editing. +It is not concerned with the _why_ of the newspaper business--the editor +may attend to that--but with the _how_ of the reporter's work. And an +ability to write is believed to be the reporter's chief asset. There is +no space in this book to dilate upon newspaper organization, the work of +the business office, the writing of advertisements, the principles of +editorial writing, or the how and why of newspaper policy and practice, +as it is. These things do not concern the reporter during the first few +months of his work, and he will learn them from experience when he needs +them. Until then, his usefulness depends solely upon his ability to get +news and to write it. + +There are two phases of the work which every reporter must learn: how to +get the news and how to write it. The first he can pick up easily by +actual newspaper experience--if nature has endowed him with "a nose for +news." The writing of the news he can learn only by hard practice--a +year's hard practice on some papers--and it is generally conceded that +practice in writing news stories can be secured at home or in the +classroom as effectively as practice in writing short stories, plays, +business letters, or any other special form of composition. Newspaper +experience may aid the reporter in learning how to write his stories, +but a newspaper apprenticeship is not absolutely necessary. However, +whether he is studying the trade of newspaper writing in his home, in a +classroom, or in the city room of a daily paper, he needs positive +instruction in the English composition of the newspaper office--rather +than haphazard criticism and a deluge of "don'ts." Hence this book is +concerned primarily with the writing of the news. + +Successful newspaper reporting requires both an ability to write good +English and an ability to write good English in the conventional +newspaper form. And there is a conventional form for every kind of +newspaper story. Many editors of the present day are trying to break +away from the conventional form and to evolve a looser and more natural +method of writing news stories. The results are often bizarre and +sometimes very effective. Certainly originality in expression adds much +to the interest of newspaper stories, and many a good piece of news is +ruined by a bald, dry recital of facts. Just as the good reporter is +always one who can give his yarns a distinctive flavor, great newspaper +stories are seldom written under the restriction of rules. But no young +reporter can hope to attain success through originality and defiance of +rules until he has first mastered the fundamental principles of +newspaper writing. He can never expect to write "the story of the year" +until he has learned to handle everyday news without burying the gist of +his stories--any more than an artist can hope to paint a living portrait +until he has learned, with the aid of rules, to draw the face of a +plaster block-head. Hence the emphasis upon form and system in this +book. And, whatever the form may be, the embodiment must be clear, +concise, grammatical English; that is the excuse for the many axioms of +simple English grammar that are introduced side by side with the study +of the newspaper form. + +The author offers this book as the result of personal newspaper +experience and of his work as instructor in classes in newspaper writing +at the University of Wisconsin. Every item that is offered is the result +of an attempt to correct the mistakes that have appeared most often in +the papers of students who are trying to do newspaper writing in the +classroom. The seemingly disproportionate emphasis upon certain branches +of the subject and the constant repetition of certain simple principles +are to be excused by the purpose of the book--to be a text-book in the +course of study worked out in this school of journalism. The use of the +fire story as typical of all newspaper stories and as a model for all +newspaper writing is characteristic of this method of instruction. Four +chapters are devoted to the explanation of a single principle which any +reader could grasp in a moment, because experience has shown that an +equivalent of four chapters of study and practice is required to teach +the student the application of this principle and to fix it in his mind +so thoroughly that he will not forget it in his later work of writing +more complicated stories. It is felt that the beginner needs and must +have the detailed explanation, the constant reiteration and some +definite rules to guide him in his practice. Hence the emphasis upon the +conventional form. Since, in the application of the newspaper principle +of beginning with the gist of the story, the structure of the lead is of +greater importance than the rest of the story, this book devotes the +greater part of its discussion to the lead. + +The suggestions for practice are attached in an attempt to give the +young newspaper man some _positive_ instruction. Most reporters are +instructed by a system of "don'ts," growled out by busy editors; most +correspondents receive no instruction at all--a positive suggestion now +and then cannot but help them both. Practice is necessary in the study +of any form of writing; these suggestions for practice embody the method +of practice used in this school of journalism. The examples are taken +from representative papers of the entire country to show the student how +the stories are actually written in newspaper offices. + + Madison, Wisconsin, + June 3, 1912. + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAPTER PAGE + + I. GATHERING THE NEWS 1 + + II. NEWS VALUES 14 + + III. NEWSPAPER TERMS 28 + + IV. THE NEWS STORY FORM 34 + + V. THE SIMPLE FIRE STORY 41 + + VI. THE FEATURE FIRE STORY 50 + + VII. FAULTS IN NEWS STORIES 75 + + VIII. OTHER NEWS STORIES 105 + + IX. FOLLOW-UP AND REWRITE STORIES 125 + + X. REPORTS OF SPEECHES 143 + + XI. INTERVIEWS 169 + + XII. COURT REPORTING 192 + + XIII. SOCIAL NEWS AND OBITUARIES 204 + + XIV. SPORTING NEWS 219 + + XV. HUMAN INTEREST STORIES 233 + + XVI. DRAMATIC REPORTING 259 + + XVII. STYLE BOOK 276 + + APPENDIX I--SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY 294 + + APPENDIX II--NEWS STORIES TO BE CORRECTED 311 + + INDEX 339 + + + + +NEWSPAPER REPORTING AND CORRESPONDENCE + +I + +GATHERING THE NEWS + + +Unlike almost any other profession, that of a newspaper reporter +combines two very different activities--the gathering of news and the +writing of news. Part of the work must be done in the office and part of +it outside on the street. At his desk in the office a reporter is +engaged in the literary, or pseudo-literary, occupation of writing news +stories; outside on the street he is a detective gathering news and +hunting for elusive facts to be combined later into stories. Although +the two activities are closely related, each requires a different sort +of ability and a different training. In a newspaper office the two +activities are rarely separated, but a beginner must learn each duty +independent of the other. This book will not attempt to deal with both; +it will confine itself mainly to one phase, the pseudo-literary +activity of writing news stories. + +However, introductory to the discussion of the writing of newspaper +stories, we may glance at the other side of the newspaper writer's +work--the gathering of the news. Where the newspaper gets its news and +how it gets its news can be learned only by experience, for it differs +in different cities and with different papers. But an outline of the +background of news-gathering may assist us in writing the news after it +is gathered and ready for us to write. + + +=1. Reporter vs. Correspondent.=--There are two capacities in which one +may write news stories for a paper. He may work on the staff as a +regular reporter or he may supply news from a distance as a +correspondent. In the one case he works under the personal supervision +of a city editor and spends his entire time at the regular occupation of +gathering and writing news. As a correspondent he works in a distant +city, under the indirect supervision of the city, telegraph, or state +editor, and sends in only the occasional stories that seem to be of +interest to his paper. In either case the same rules apply to his news +gathering and to his news writing. And in either case the length of his +employment depends upon his ability to turn in clean copy in the form +in which his paper wishes to print the news. Both the reporter and the +correspondent must write their stories in the same form and must look at +news and the sources of news from almost the same point of view. +Whatever is said of the reporter applies equally to the correspondent. + + +=2. Expected and Unexpected News.=--The daily news may be divided into +two classes from the newspaper's point of view: expected and unexpected +news. Expected news includes all stories of which the paper has a +previous knowledge. Into this class fall all meetings, speeches, +sermons, elections, athletic contests, social events, and daily +happenings that do not come unexpectedly. They are the events that are +announced beforehand and tipped off to the paper in time for the editor +to send out a reporter to cover them personally. These events are of +course recorded in the office, and each day the editor has a certain +number of them, a certain amount of news that he is sure of. Each day he +looks over his book to note the events that are to take place during +that day and sends out his reporters to cover them. + +The other class includes the stories that break unexpectedly. Accidents, +deaths, fires, storms, and other unexpected happenings come without +warning and the reporting of them cannot be arranged for in advance. +These are the stories that the paper is most anxious to get and the +things for which the whole staff always has its eyes and ears open. +Seldom are they heard of in time for the paper to have them covered +personally, and the reporting of such stories becomes a separate sort of +work--the gathering and sorting of the facts that can be obtained only +from chance witnesses. + + +=3. News Sources.=--There are certain sources from which the paper gets +most of its tips of expected events and its knowledge of unexpected +events. These every editor knows about. The courts, the public records, +the public offices, the churches, and the schools furnish a great many +of the tips of expected news. The police stations, the fire stations, +the hospitals, and the morgues furnish most of the tips of unexpected +news. Whenever an event is going to happen, or whenever an unexpected +occurrence does happen, a notice of it is to be found in some one of +these sources. Such a notice or a casual word from any one is called a +"tip" and indicates the possibility of securing a story. The securing of +the story is another matter. A would-be reporter may get good practice +from studying the stories in the daily papers and trying to discover or +imagine from what source the original news tip came. He will soon find +that certain classes of stories always come from certain sources and +that there is a perceptible amount of routine evident in the accounts +of the most unexpected occurrences. + + +=4. Runs and Assignments.=--Between the news tip and the finished copy +for the compositor there is a vast amount of news gathering, which falls +to the lot of the reporter. This is handled by a system of runs and +special assignments. A reporter usually has his own run, or beat, on +which he gathers news. His run may cover a certain number of police +stations or the city hall or any group of regular news sources. Each day +he must visit the various sources of news on his beat and gather the +tips and whatever facts about the stories behind the tips that he can. +The tips that he secures furnish him with clues to the stories, and it +is his business to get the facts behind all of the tips on his beat and +to write them up, unless a tip opens up a story that is too big for him +to handle alone without neglecting his beat. + +Assignments are used to cover the stories that do not come in through +the regular sources, and to handle the big stories that are unearthed on +the regular beats. The editor turns over to the reporter the tip that he +has received and instructs him to go out and get the facts. A paper's +best reporters are used almost entirely on assignments, and when they go +out after a story they practically become detectives. They follow every +clue that the tip suggests and every clue that is opened up as they +progress; they hunt down the facts until they are reasonably sure that +they have secured the whole story. The result may not be worth writing, +or it may be worth a place on the front page, but the reporter must get +to the bottom of it. Whether on a beat or on an assignment every +reporter must have his ears open for a tip of some unexpected story and +must secure the facts or inform the editor at once. It is in this way +that a paper gets a scoop, or beat, on its rivals by printing a story +before the other papers have heard of it. + + +=5. Interviews for Facts.=--To cover an assignment and secure the facts +of a story is not at all easy. If the reporter could be a personal +witness of the happening which he is to report, the task would be +simpler. But, outside the case of expected events, he rarely hears of +the occurrence until after it is past and the excitement has subsided. +Then he must find the persons who witnessed the occurrence or who know +the facts, and get the story from them. Perhaps he has to see a dozen +people to get the information he wants. Getting facts from people in +this way is called interviewing--interviewing for facts, as +distinguished from formal interviewing for the purpose of securing a +statement or an opinion that is to be printed with the name of the man +who utters it. Although a dozen interviews may be necessary for a +single story, not one of them is mentioned in the story, for they are of +no importance except in the facts that they supply. + +For example, suppose a reporter is sent out to get the story of a fire +that has started an hour or two before he goes on duty. All that his +editor gives him is the tip from the fire department, or from some other +source, of a fire at such-and-such an address. When he arrives at the +scene there is nothing left but smoldering ruins with perhaps an engine +throwing a stream on the smoking debris and a few by-standers still +loitering about. He can see with his own eyes what kind of building has +burned, and how completely it has been destroyed. A by-stander may be +able to tell him who occupied the building or what it was used for, but +he must hunt for some one else who can give him the exact facts that his +paper wants. Perhaps he can find the tenant and learn from him what his +loss has been. The tenant can give him the name of the owner and may be +able to tell him something about the origin of the fire. He must find +the owner to get the value of the building and the amount of insurance +carried. Perhaps he cannot find any of these people and must ask the +fire chief or some one else to give him what facts and estimates he can. +If the fire is at all serious he must find out who was killed or +injured and get their names and addresses and the nature of their injury +or the manner of their death. Perhaps he can talk to some of the people +who had narrow escapes, or interview the friends or relatives of the +dead. Everywhere he turns new clues open up, and he must follow each one +of them in turn until he is sure that he has all the facts. + + +=6. Point of View.=--The task would be easy if every one could tell the +reporter just the facts that his paper wants. But in the confusion every +one is excited and fairly bubbling over with rumors and guesses which +may later turn out to be false. Each person who is interested in the +incident sees and tells it only from his own point of view. Obviously +the reporter's paper does not want the facts from many different points +of view, nor even from the point of view of the fire department, of the +owner, or of the woman who was rescued from the third floor. The paper +wants the story from a single point of view--the point of view of an +uninterested spectator. Consequently the reporter must get the facts +through interviews with a dozen different people, discount possible +exaggeration and falsity due to excitement, make allowances for the +different points of view, harmonize conflicting statements, and sift +from the mass what seems to him to be the truth. Then he must write the +story from the uninterested point of view of the public, which wants to +hear the exact facts of the fire told in an unprejudiced way. Never does +the story mention any of the interviews behind it except when the +reporter is afraid of some statement and wants to put the responsibility +upon the person who gave it to him. And so the finished story that we +read in the next morning's paper is the composite story of the fire +chief, the owner, the tenant, the man who discovered the fire, the widow +who was driven from her little flat, the little girl who was carried +down a ladder through the smoke, the man who lost everything he had in +the world, and the cynic who watched the flames from behind the +fireline--all massed together and sifted and retold in an impersonal way +from the point of view of a by-stander who has been everywhere through +the flames and has kept his brain free from the terror and excitement of +it all. + +The same is true of every story that is printed in a newspaper. Every +story must be secured in the same way--whether it is the account of a +business transaction, a bank robbery, a political scandal, a murder, a +reception, or a railroad wreck. Seldom is it possible to find any one +person who knows all the facts just as the newspaper wants them, and +many a story that is worth but a stickful in the first edition is the +result of two hours' running about town, half a dozen telephone calls, +and a dozen interviews. That is the way the news is gathered, and that +is the part of the reporter's work that he must learn by experience. But +after all the gathering is finished and he has the facts, the writing of +the story remains. If the reporter knows how to write the facts when he +has them, his troubles are cut in half, for nowadays a reporter who +writes well is considered a more valuable asset than one who cannot +write and simply has a nose for news. + + +=7. News-Gathering Agencies.=--This account of news gathering is of +course told from the point of view of the reporter. Naturally it assumes +a different aspect in the editor's eyes. Much of the day's news does not +have to be gathered at all. A steady stream of news flows in ready for +use from the great news-gathering agencies, the Associated Press, the +United Press, the City Press, etc., and from correspondents. Many +stories are merely summaries of speeches, bulletins, announcements, +pamphlets and other printed matter that comes to the editorial office, +and many stories come already written. Almost everybody is looking for +publicity in these days and the editor does not always have to hunt the +news with an army of ferrets. Cooperation in news gathering has +simplified the whole matter. But it all has to be written and edited. +That is why great reporters are no longer praised for their cleverness +in worming their way to elusive facts, but for their ability to write a +good story. That is why we no longer hear so much about beats and scoops +but more about clean copy and "literary masterpieces." + + +=8. How the Correspondent Works.=--The correspondent gathers news very +much as the reporter does, but he does it without the help of a city +editor. He must be his own director and keep his own book of tips, for +he has no one to make out his assignments beforehand. He has to watch +for what news he can get by himself and send it to his paper of his own +accord, except occasionally when his paper instructs him to cover a +particularly large story. But he gets his tips and runs down his facts +just as a reporter does. Just as much alertness and just as much ability +to write are required of him. + +The correspondent's work is made more difficult by what is called news +values. Distance affects the importance of the facts that he secures and +the length of the stories he writes. He must weigh every event for its +interest to readers a hundred or a thousand miles away. What may be of +immense importance in his community may have no interest at all for +readers outside that community. He must see everything with the eyes of +a stranger, and this must influence his whole work of news gathering +and news writing. This matter will be taken up at greater length in the +next chapter. + + +=9. Correspondent's Relation to His Paper.=--The relations of a +correspondent to the paper or news association to which he is sending +news can best be learned by experience. Every paper has different rules +for its correspondents and different directions in regard to the sort of +news it wants. The rules regarding the mailing of copy and the sending +of stories or queries by telegraph are usually sent out in printed form +by each individual paper to its correspondents. But while gathering news +and writing stories for a distant paper, a correspondent must always +regard himself as a reporter and write his stories in the form in which +they are to appear in print if he wishes to remain correspondent for any +length of time. The following rules are taken from the "INSTRUCTIONS TO +CORRESPONDENTS" sent out on a printed card to the correspondents of the +St. Louis _Star_: + + QUERY BY WIRE ON ALL STORIES you consider are worth + telegraphing, unless you are absolutely certain _The Star_ + wants you to send the story without query, or in case of a big + story breaking suddenly near edition time. If you have not time + to query, get a reply and send such matter as might be ordered + before the next edition time; send the story in the shortest + possible number of words necessary to tell it, asking if + additional matter is desired. + + Write your queries so they can be understood. Never send a + "blind" query. If John Smith, a confirmed bachelor, whose age is + 80 years, elopes with and marries the daughter of the woman who + jilted him when he was a youth, say so in as few words as + possible, but be sure to convey the dramatic news worth of the + story in your query. Do not say, "Bachelor elopes with girl, + daughter of woman he knew a long time ago." In itself the story + which this query tells might be worth printing, but it would not + be half so good a story as the elopement of John Smith, 80, + bachelor, woman hater, with the daughter of his old sweetheart. + + When a good story breaks close to edition time and the + circumstances justify it, use the long-distance telephone, but + first be reasonably certain _The Star_ will not get the story + from another source. + + Write your stories briefly. _The Star_ desires to remunerate its + correspondents according to the worth of a story and not for so + many words. One good story of 200 words with the right "punch" + in the introduction is worth a dozen strung over as many dozen + pages of copy paper with the real story in the last paragraph of + each. Tell your story in simple, every-day conversational words: + quit when you have finished. Relegate the details. Unless it is + a case of identification in a murder mystery, or some similar + big story, no one cares about the color of the man's hair. Get + the principal facts in the first paragraph--stop soon after. + + Send as much of your stuff as possible by mail, especially if + you have the story in the late afternoon and are near enough to + St. Louis to reach _The Star_ by 9 o'clock the next morning. If + necessary, send the letter special delivery. + + Don't stop working on a good story when you have all the facts; + if there are photographs to be obtained, get the photographs, + especially if the principals in the story are persons of + standing, and more especially if they are women. + + Correspondents will appreciably increase their worth to _The + Star_ and enhance their earning capacity by observing these + rules. + + + + +II + +NEWS VALUES + + +Before any one can hope to write for a newspaper he must know something +about news values--something about the essence of interest that makes +one story worth a column and cuts down another, of equal importance from +other points of view, to a stickful. He must recognize the relative +value of facts so that he can distinguish the significant part of his +story and feature it accordingly. The question is a delicate one and yet +a very reasonable and logical one. The ideal of a newspaper, according +to present-day ethics, is to print news. The daily press is no longer a +golden treasury of contemporary literature, not even, perhaps, an +exponent of political principles. Its primary purpose is to report +contemporary history--to keep us informed concerning the events that are +taking place each day in the world about us. + +To this idea is added another. A newspaper must be interesting. In these +days of many newspapers few readers are satisfied with merely being +informed; they want to be informed in a way that interests them. To +this demand every one connected with a newspaper office tries to cater. +It is the defense of the sensational yellow journals and it is the +reason for everything in the daily press. There is so much to read that +people will not read things that do not interest them, and the paper +that succeeds is the paper that interests the greatest number of +readers. Circulation cannot be built up by printing uninteresting stuff +that the majority of readers are not interested in, and circulation is +necessary to success. + +This desire to interest readers is behind the whole question of news +values. News is primarily the account of the latest events, but, more +than that, it is the account of the latest events that interest readers +who are not connected with these events. Further than that, it is the +account of the latest events that interest the greatest number of +readers. Susie Brown may have sprained her ankle. The fact is +absorbingly interesting to Susie; it is even rather interesting to her +family and friends, even to her enemies. If she is well known in the +little town in which she lives her accident may be interesting enough to +the townspeople for the local weekly to print a complete account of it. +However, the event is interesting only to people who know Susie, and +after all they do not comprise a very large number. Hence her accident +has no news value outside the local weekly. On the other hand, had Susie +sprained her ankle in some very peculiar manner, the accident might be +of interest to people who do not know Susie. Suppose that she had +tripped on her gown as she was ascending the steps of the altar to be +married. Such an accident would be very unusual, almost unheard of. +People in general are interested in unusual things, and many, many +readers would be interested in reading about Susie's unusual accident +although they did not know Susie or even the town in which she lives. +Such a story would be the report of a late event that would interest +many people; hence it would have a certain amount of news value. Of +course, the reader loses sight of Susie in reading of her accident--it +might as well have been Mary Jones--but that is because Susie has no +news value in herself. That is another matter. + + +=1. Classes of Readers.=--Realizing that his story must be of interest +to the greatest number of people, the reporter must remember the sort of +people for whom he is writing. That complicates the whole matter. If he +were writing for a single class of readers he could easily give them the +news that would interest them. But he is not; he is writing for many +classes of people, for all classes of people. And he must interest them +all. He is writing for the business man in his office, for the wife in +the home, for the ignorant, for the highly educated, for the rich and +the poor, for the old and the young, for doctors, lawyers, bankers, +laborers, ministers, and women. All of them buy his paper to hear the +latest news told in a way that interests them, and he has to cater to +each and to all of them. If he were simply writing for business men he +would give them many columns of financial news, but that would not +interest tired laborers. An extended account of the doings of a +Presbyterian convention would not attract the great class of men with +sporting inclinations, and a story of a very pretty exhibition of +scientific boxing would not appeal to the wife at home. They all buy the +paper, and they all want to be interested, and the paper must, +therefore, print stories that interest at least the majority of them. +That is the question of news values. The news must be the account of the +latest events that interest the greatest number of readers of all +classes. + +This search for the universally-interesting news is the reason behind +the sensational papers. Although the interests of any individual differ +in almost every aspect from the interests of his neighbor, there is one +sort of news that interests them both, that interests every human being. +That is the news that appeals to the emotions, to the heart. It is the +news that deals with human life--human nature--human interest news the +papers call it. In it every human being is interested. However trivial +may be the event, if it can be described in a way that will make the +reader feel the point of view of the human beings who suffered or +struggled or died or who were made happy in the event, every other human +being will read it with interest. Human sympathy makes one want to feel +joy and pain from the standpoint of others. Naturally that sort of news +is always read; naturally the paper that devotes itself to such news is +always read and is always successful as far as circulation and profits +go. The papers that have that ideal of news behind them and forsake +every other ideal for it are called sensational papers. Whether they are +good or not is another question. + +With this idea of what news values means and the idea that news is worth +while only when it interests the largest number of people of all +classes, we may try to look for the things that make news interesting to +the greatest number of people of all classes. The reporter must know not +only what news is, but what makes it news. He must be able to see the +things in a story that will interest the greatest number of people of +all classes. These are many and intricate. + + +=2. Timeliness.=--In the first place, news must be new. A story must +have timeliness. Our readers want to know what happened to-day, for +yesterday and last week are past and gone. They want to be up to the +minute in their information on current events. Therefore a story that is +worth printing to-day will not be worth printing to-morrow or, at most, +on the day after to-morrow. Events must be chronicled just as soon as +they happen. Furthermore, the story itself must show that it is new. It +must tell the reader at once that the event which it is chronicling +happened to-day or last night--at least since the last edition of the +paper. That is why the reporter must never fail to put the time in the +introduction of his story. Editors grow gray-headed trying to keep up +with the swift passing of events, and they are always very careful to +tell their readers that the events which they are chronicling are the +latest events. That is the reason why every editor hates the word +"yesterday" and tries to get "to-day" or "this morning" into the lead of +every story. Hence, to the newspaper, everything that happened since +midnight last night is labeled "this morning," and everything that +happened since six o'clock yesterday afternoon is labeled "last night." +Anything before that hour must be labeled "yesterday," but it goes in as +"late yesterday afternoon," if it possibly can. Hence the first +principle of news values is timeliness--news is news only because it +just happened and can be spoken of as one of the events of "to-day" or +of "late yesterday." + + +=3. Distance.=--Distance is another factor in news values. In spite of +fast trains and electric telegraphs human beings are clannish and local +in their interests. They are interested mainly in things and persons +that they know, and news from outside their ken must be of unusual +significance to attract them. They like to read about things that they +have seen and persons that they know, because they are slow to exert +their imaginations enough to appreciate things that they do not know +personally. Hence every newspaper is primarily local, even though it is +a metropolitan daily, and news from a distance plays a very subordinate +part. It has been said that New York papers cannot see beyond the +Alleghanies; it is equally true that most papers cannot see more than a +hundred miles from the printing office, except in the case of national +news. Any newspaper's range of news sources goes out from the editorial +room in concentric circles. Purely personal news must come from within +the range of the paper's general circulation, because people do not care +to read purely personal news about persons whom they do not know. Other +news is limited ordinarily to the region with which the paper's readers +are personally acquainted--the state, perhaps--because subscribers +unconsciously wish to hear about places with which they are personally +acquainted. Any news that comes from outside this larger circle must be +nation-wide or very unusual in its interest. A story that may be worth a +column in El Paso, Texas, would not be worth printing in New York +because El Paso is hardly more than a name to most New York newspaper +readers. In the same way, the biggest stories in New York are not worth +anything in Texas, because Texas readers are not personally interested +in New York--they cannot say, "Yes, I know that building; I walked down +that street the other day; oh, you can't tell me anything about the +subway." News is primarily local, and the first thing a correspondent +must learn is how to distinguish the stories that are purely local in +their interest from those that would be worth printing a hundred miles +away in a paper read by people who do not know the places or persons +involved in the story. Colonel Smith may be a very big frog in the +little puddle of Smith's Corners, and his doings may be big news to the +weeklies all over his county, but he has to do something very unusual +before his name is worth a line in a paper two counties away. He is +nothing but a name to people who do not know him or know of him, and +therefore they are not interested in him. Every correspondent must watch +for the stories that have something more than a local interest, some +element of news in them that will carry them over the obstacle of +distance and make them interesting to any reader. + +It would be impossible to analyze news values to the extent of telling +every conceivable element of interest that will overcome the obstacle of +distance. Yet there are certain elements that always make a newspaper +story interesting to any one. + + +=4. Loss of life.=--One of these is the loss of human life. For some +strange reason every human being is interested in the thought of death. +Just as soon as a story mentions death it is worth printing, and if it +has a number of deaths to tell about it is worth printing anywhere. Any +fire, any railroad wreck, or any other disaster in which a number of +persons are killed or injured makes a story that is worth sending +anywhere. There seems to be a joy for the reader in the mere number of +fatalities. A story that can begin with "Ten people were killed," or +"Seven men met their death," attracts a reader's interest at once. As a +very natural result, and justly, too, newspapers have been broadly +accused of exaggeration for the sake of a large number. But at present +many papers are inclined to underestimate rather than overestimate, +perhaps to avoid this accusation. In a number of instances in the past +year, among them the Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York, the first +figures were smaller than the official count printed later. That does +not mean, however, that newspapers do not want stories involving loss of +life. Any story which involves a large number of fatalities will carry a +long distance, if for no other reason. + + +=5. Big Names.=--Another element of news values is the interest in +prominent people. The mere mention of a man or a woman who is known +widely attracts attention. Although Colonel Smith of Smith's Corners has +to do something very unusual to get his name in any paper outside his +county, the slightest thing that President Taft does is printed in every +paper in the country. It is simply because of our interest in the man +himself. Some names give a story news value because the names are widely +known politically or financially, some names because they are simply +notorious. But any name that is recognized at once, for any reason, +gives a story news value. + + +=6. Property Loss.=--Akin to man's love for any account that involves +large loss of human life, is his love of any story that tells about a +huge loss of property. The mere figures seem to have a charm; any story +that can begin with awesome figures, like "Two million dollars," "One +hundred automobiles," "Ten city blocks," has news value. Hence any story +that involves a large loss that can be expressed in figures has the +power to carry a great distance. + + +=7. Unusualness.=--It is safe to say that newspaper readers are +interested in anything unusual. It does not matter whether it is a +thing, a person, an action, a misfortune; so long as it is strange and +out of the range of ordinary lives, it is interesting. Many, if not +most, newspaper stories have nothing but the element of strangeness in +them to give them news value, but if they are sufficiently strange and +unusual they may be copied all over the country. An unusual origin or an +unusual rescue will give an unimportant fire great news value. And so +with every other kind of story. + + +=8. Human Interest.=--Along with the element of the strange and unusual, +goes the human interest element. Any story that will make us laugh or +make us cry has news value. Hundreds of magazines are issued monthly +with nothing in them but fictitious stories that are intended to arouse +our emotions, and newspapers are beginning to realize that they can +interest their readers in the same way. No life is so prosaic that it is +not full of incidents that make one laugh or cry, and when these +stories can be told in a way that will make any reader feel the same +emotions, they have news value that will carry them a long distance. +Obviously their success depends very largely upon the way they are told. + + +=9. Personal Appeal.=--Another element that may give a story news value +is that of personal appeal or application to the reader's own daily +life. Men are primarily egoistic and selfish and nothing interests them +more than things that affect them personally. They can read complacently +and without interest of the misfortunes and joys of others, but just as +soon as anything affects their own daily lives, even a little, they want +to hear about it. Perhaps the price of butter has gone up a few cents or +the gas company has reduced its rates from eighty cents to +seventy-seven. Every reader is interested at once, for the news affects +his own daily life. Sometimes this personal appeal is due merely to the +reader's familiarity with the persons or places mentioned in the story; +sometimes it is due to the story's application to his business life, his +social or religious activities, or to any phase of his daily existence. +That is the reason why political news interests every one, for we all +feel that the management of the government has an influence on our own +lives. The story of any political maneuver--especially if it is one +that may be looked upon as bad or good--carries farther than any other +story. Show that your story tells of something that has even the +slightest effect on the lives of a large number of people and it needs +no other element to give it news value. + + +=10. Local Reasons.=--These factors and many others give news stories a +news value that will carry them a long distance and make them +interesting in communities far from their source. Many local reasons may +enhance the value of a story for local papers. A paper's policy or some +campaign that it is waging may give an otherwise unimportant event a +tremendous significance. If an unimportant person is slightly injured +while leaving a trolley car the story is hardly worth a line of type. +But if such an item should come to a newspaper while it is carrying on a +campaign against the local street railway company, the story would +probably be written and printed in great detail. Any slight occurrence +that may be in line with a paper's political beliefs would receive an +amount of space far out of proportion with its ordinary news worth. News +value is a very changeable and indefinite thing, and there are countless +reasons why any given story should be of interest to a large number of +readers. And the possibility of interesting a large number of readers is +the basis of news value. + + +=11. The Feature.=--In connection with the study of news values the +question of feature is important. In editorial offices one is constantly +hearing the word "feature," and reporters are constantly admonished to +"play up the feature" of their stories. Feature is the word that editors +use to signify the essence of news value. Every story that is printed is +printed because of some fact in it that makes it interesting--gives it +news value. The element in the story that makes it interesting and worth +printing is the feature. The feature may be some prominent name, a large +list of fatalities, a significant amount of property destroyed, or +merely the unusualness of the incident. This feature is the element that +makes the story news; therefore it is used to attract attention to the +story. Every newspaper story displays like a placard in its headlines +the reason why it was printed--the element in it that makes it +interesting. "Playing up the feature" is simply the act of bringing this +feature to the front so that it will attract attention to the story. +Just how this is done we shall see later. But when, as a reporter, you +are looking for a feature to play up in your lead, remember that the +feature to be played up is the thing in the story that gives the story +news value. And few stories have more than one claim to news value, more +than one feature. + + + + +III + +NEWSPAPER TERMS + + +The newspaper vernacular that is used in the editorial and press rooms +of any daily paper is a curious mixture of literary abbreviations and +technical printing terms. It is the result of the strange mingling of +the literary trade of writing with the mechanical trade of setting type. +For that reason a green reporter has difficulty in understanding the +instructions that he receives until he has been in the office long +enough to learn the office slang. It would be impossible to list all of +the expressions that might be heard in one day, but a knowledge of the +commonest words will enable a reporter to get the drift of his editor's +instructions. + +When a young man secures a position as reporter for a newspaper he +begins as a _cub reporter_ and is usually said to be on the _staff_ of +his paper. His sphere of activity is confined to the _editorial_ room, +where the news is written; his relations with the _business office_, +where advertising, circulation, and other business matters are handled, +consists of the weekly duty of drawing his pay. His chief enemies are in +the _printing office_ where his literary efforts are _set up_ in type +and printed. His superiors are called _editors_ and exist in varying +numbers, depending upon the size of his paper. The man who directs the +reporters is usually called the _city editor_, or perhaps the _day_ or +_night city editor_; above him there are managing editors and other +persons in authority with whom the cub is not concerned; and the favored +mortals who enjoy a room by themselves and write nothing but editorials +are called editors or _editorial writers_. There may also be a +_telegraph_ editor, a _sporting_ editor, a _Sunday_ editor, and many +other editors; or if the paper is small and poor all of these editors +may be condensed into one very busy man. On a city daily of average size +there are _desk men_, or _copyreaders_, who work under editorial +direction but feel superior to the reporter because they correct his +literary efforts. + +The reporter's work consists of gathering and writing news. In the +office this is called _covering_ and writing _stories_. He is ordinarily +put on a _beat_, or _run_; this is simply a daily route or round of news +sources which he follows as regularly as a policeman walks his beat. The +reporter's work on a special story outside his beat is called an +_assignment_. Any hint that he may receive concerning a bit of news is +called a _tip_. Any bit of news that he secures to the exclusion of his +paper's rivals is called a _beat_, or a _scoop_. + +Everything that is written for the paper, whether it be a two-line +personal item or a two-column report, is called a _story_, or a _yarn_, +and from the time the story is written until it appears in the printed +paper it is called _copy_. If the story is well written and needs few +corrections it is called _clean copy_. After the story is written it is +turned over to the copyreader to be _edited_. The copyreader corrects it +and writes the headlines or _heads_; then he sends it to the composing +room to be set in type by the _compositor_. The story itself is usually +set up on a linotype machine and the heads are set up by hand. For the +sake of keeping the two parts of the copy together the reporter or the +copyreader ordinarily gives the story a name, such as "Fire No. 2"; the +bit of lead on which the name is printed is called a _slug_ and the +story is said to be _slugged_. If at any time in its journey from the +reporter's pencil to the printed page, the editor decides not to print +the story, he _kills_ it; otherwise he _runs_ it, or allows it to go +into the paper. When the story is in type, an impression, or _proof_, is +taken of it, and this proof, still called copy, comes back to the +copyreader or the proofreader for the correction of typographical +errors. The gathering together of all of the day's stories into the form +of the final printed page is called _making up_ the paper; this is +usually done by some one of the editors. In like manner, the finished +aspect of the paper is called the _make-up_. + +Some stories are said to be _big stories_ because of unusual news value. +When any news comes unexpectedly it is said to _break_; and when any +story comes in beforehand and must be held over, it is said to be +_released_ on the day on which it may be printed. The first paragraph of +any story is called the _lead_ (pronounced "leed"); the word _lead_ is +also used to designate several introductory paragraphs that are tacked +on at the beginning of a long story, which may be of the nature of a +_running story_ (as the running story of a football game), or may be +made up of several parts, written by one or more reporters. In general, +that part of a story which presents the gist or summary of the entire +story at the beginning is called the _lead_. The most interesting thing +in the story, the part that gives it news value, is called the +_feature_, and _playing up the feature_ consists in telling the most +interesting thing in the first line of the lead or in the headline. An +entire story is said to be _played up_ if it is given a prominent place +in the paper. A _feature story_ is either a story that is thus played +up or a story that is written for some other reason than news value, +such as human interest. When a story is rewritten to give a new interest +to old facts it is called a _rewrite story_; when it is rewritten to +include new facts or developments, it is called a _follow-up_, +_second-day_, or _follow story_. + +Because of the close relation between the editorial room and the +printing office many printing terms are commonly heard about the +editorial room. All copy is measured by the _column_ and by the +_stickful_. A column is usually a little less than 1,500 words and a +stickful is the amount of type that can be set in a compositor's +_stick_, the metal frame used in setting type by hand--about two inches +or 100 words. A bit of copy that is set up with a border or a row of +stars about it is said to be _boxed_. Whenever copy is set with extra +space between the lines it is said to be _leaded_ (pronounced +"leded")--the name is taken from the piece of lead that is placed +between the lines of type. The reporter must gradually learn the names +of the various kinds of type and the various proofreader's signs that +are used to indicate the way in which the type is to be set, for the +whole work of writing the news is governed and limited by the mechanical +possibilities of the printing office. The commonest signs used by the +proofreader or the copyreader, together with instructions for preparing +copy, are given in the Style Book at the end of this volume. (A complete +list of proofreader's signs can be found in the back of any large +dictionary.) _Style_ is a word which editors use to cover a multitude of +rules, arbitrary or otherwise, concerning capitalization, punctuation, +abbreviation, etc. A paper that uses many capital letters is said to +follow an _up_ style, and a paper that uses small letters instead of +capitals whenever there is a choice is said to follow a _down_ style. +Every newspaper has its own style and usually prints its rules in a +Style Book; the Style Book given in this volume has been compiled from +many representative newspaper style books. It sets forth an average +style and the beginner is advised to follow it closely in his practice +writing--for, as editors say, "uniformity is better than a strict +following of style." + + + + +IV + +THE NEWS STORY FORM + + +When we come to the writing of the news we find that there are many +sorts of stories that must be written. In the newspaper office they are +called simply stories without distinction. For the purpose of study they +may be classified to some extent, but this classification must not be +taken as hard and fast. The commonest kind of story is the simple news +story. Practically all newspaper reports are news stories, but as +distinguished from other kinds of reports the simple news story is the +report of some late event or occurrence. It is usually concerned with +unexpected news, and is the commonest kind of story in any newspaper. It +is to be distinguished from reports of speeches, interview stories, +court reports, social news, dramatic news, sporting news, human-interest +stories, and all the rest. The distinction is largely one of form and +does not exist to any great extent in a newspaper office where all +stories are simply "stories." + +The simple news story is probably the most variable part of a newspaper. +Given the same facts, each individual reporter will write the story in +his individual way and each editor will change it to suit his individual +taste. No two newspapers have exactly the same ideal form of news story +and no newspaper is able to live up to its individual ideal in each +story. + +But there are general tendencies. Certain things are true of all news +stories; whether the story be the baldest recital of facts or the most +sensational featuring of an imaginary thrill in a commonplace happening, +certain characteristics are always present. And these characteristics +can always be traced to one cause--the effort to catch and hold the +reader's interest. When a busy American glances over his newspaper while +he sips his breakfast coffee or while he clings to a strap on the way to +his office, he reads only the stories that catch his interest--and he +reads down the column in any one story only so long as his interest is +maintained. Hence the ideal news story is one which will catch the +reader's attention by its beginning and hold his interest to the very +end. This is the principle of all newspaper writing. + +The interest depends, in a large measure, on the way the facts are +presented. True, certain facts are in themselves more interesting to a +casual reader than others, but just as truly other less interesting +facts may be made as interesting through the reporter's skill. The most +interesting of stories may lose its interest if poorly presented, and +facts of the most commonplace nature may be made attractive enough to +hold the reader to the last word. The aim of every reporter and of every +editor is to make every story so attractive and interesting that the +most casual reader cannot resist reading it. + +In the old days news stories were written in the logical order of events +just like any other narrative, but constant change has brought about a +new form, as different and individual as any other form of expression. +Unlike any other imaginable piece of writing, the news story discloses +its most interesting facts first. It does not lead the reader up to a +startling bit of news by a tantalizing suspense in an effort to build up +a surprise for him; it tells its most thrilling content first and trusts +to his interest to lead him on through the details that should logically +precede the real news. Therefore every editor admonishes his reporters +"to give the gist of the news first and the details later." + +There are other reasons for this peculiar reversal of the logical order +of narrative. Few readers have time to read the whole of every story, +and yet they want to get the news--in the shortest possible time. +Therefore the newspaper very kindly tells the important part of each +story at the beginning. Then if the reader cares to hear the details he +can read the rest of the story; but he gets the news, anyway. Again, if +the exigencies of making up the stories into a paper of mechanically +limited space require that a story be cut down, the editor may slash off +a paragraph or two at the end without depriving the story of its +interest. Imagine the difficulty of cutting down a story that is told in +its logical order! If the real news of the story were in the last +paragraph it would go in the slashing, and what would be left? Whereas, +if the gist of the story comes first the editor may run any number of +paragraphs or even the first paragraph alone and still have a complete +story. + +The arrangement of news stories in American newspapers is thus a very +natural one, resulting from the exigencies of the business. Just how to +fit every story to this arrangement is a difficult task. However, there +are certain rules that the reporter may apply to each story, and these +are very simple. + +In the first place, almost every story has a feature--there is some one +thing in it that is out of the ordinary, something that gives it +interest and news value beyond the interest in the incident behind it. +No two stories have the same interesting features; if they had, only +one of them would be worth printing and that would be the first. This +extraordinary feature the reporter must see at once. If a building burns +he must see quickly what incident in the occurrence will be of interest +to readers who are reading of many fires every day. If John Smith falls +off a street car the reporter must discover some interesting fact in +connection with Mr. Smith's misfortune that will be new and attractive +to readers who do not know John and are bored with accounts of other +Smiths' accidents. The accident itself may be interesting, but the part +of the accident that is out of the ordinary--the thing that gives the +accident news value--is the feature of the story, and the reporter must +tell it first. + +Thoroughly determined to tell the most interesting part, the gist, of +his story in the first paragraph, the reporter must remember that there +are certain other things about the incident that the reader wants to +know just as quickly. There are certain questions which arise in the +reader's mind when the occurrence is suggested, and these questions must +be answered as quickly as they are asked. The questions usually take the +form of _when?_ _where?_ _what?_ _who?_ _how?_ _why?_ If a man falls off +the street car we are eager to know at once who he was, although we +probably do not know him, anyway; where it happened; when it happened; +how he fell; and why he fell. If there is a fire we immediately ask what +burned; where it was; when it burned; how it burned; and what caused it +to burn. And the reporter must answer these questions with the same +breath that tells us that a man fell off the car or that there was any +fire at all. + +The effort to answer these questions at once has led to the peculiar +form of introduction characteristic of every newspaper story. Newspaper +people call it the lead. It is really nothing but the statement of the +briefest possible answers to all these questions in one sentence or one +short paragraph. It tells the whole story in its baldest aspects and +aims to satisfy the reader who wants only the gist of the story and does +not care for the details. When all his questions have been answered in +one breath he is ready to read the details one at a time, but he won't +be satisfied if he must read all about how the fire was discovered +before he is told what building burned, when it burned, etc. For +example: + + | Fire of unknown origin caused the | + |practical destruction of the famous old | + |"Crow's Nest," at Tenth and Cedar | + |streets, perhaps the best known and | + |oldest landmark in the Second ward, | + |yesterday afternoon.--_Milwaukee Free | + |Press._ | + +This is the lead of an ordinary news story--a newspaper report of a +fire. The lead begins with "Fire" because the story has no unusual +feature--no element in it that is more interesting than the fact that +there was a fire. The reporter considers "Fire" the most important part +of his story and begins with it. As soon as we read the word "Fire" we +ask, "When?"--"Where?"--"What?"--"Why?"--"How?" The reporter answers us +in the same sentence with his announcement, "yesterday afternoon"--"at +Tenth and Cedar Streets"--"the famous old 'Crow's Nest,' perhaps the +best known and oldest landmark in the Second ward"--"unknown origin." +_How_ is not worth answering, in this case, beyond the statement that +the destruction was practically complete. Thus the reporter has told us +his bit of news and answered our most obvious questions about it at the +very beginning of his story--in one sentence. According to newspaper +rules this is a good lead. The order of the answers will be considered +later. For the present we are concerned only with the facts that the +lead must contain. + + + + +V + +THE SIMPLE FIRE STORY + + +The simplest news story is the story which has no feature--which has no +fact in it more important than the incident which it reports--e.g., the +fire at the end of the last chapter. If we recall the various elements +of news value we note that any incident may be given greater news value +by the presence of some unusual or interesting feature--a great loss of +life, an unusual time, a strikingly large loss of property, or simply a +well-known name. Such a story is called a story with a feature, because +its interest depends not so much on the incident itself as upon the +unusual feature within the incident. On the other hand, many news +stories do not have features. Many stories are worth printing simply +because of the incident which they report, without any unusual feature +within them. For example, a building may burn with no loss of life, no +great loss of property, and no striking occurrence in connection with +the burning. Such a fire is worth reporting, but there is no fact in +the story more interesting than the fact that there was a fire; the +story has no feature. + +The leads of these two kinds of stories are different. When a story has +a feature it is customary to play up that feature in the first line of +the lead. If the story has no feature, is simply the record of a +commonplace event, the lead merely announces the incident and answers +the reader's questions about it. + +The commonest of featureless stories is the simple fire story in which +nothing out of the ordinary happens, no one is killed, no striking +rescues take place, and no tremendous amount of property is destroyed. +This may be taken as typical of all featureless stories. The reporter, +in writing a report of such a fire, merely answers in the lead the +questions _when_, _where_, _what_, _why_, and perhaps _how_, that the +reader asks concerning the fire. The most striking part of the story is +that there was a fire; hence the story begins with "Fire." For example: + + | Fire today wrecked the top of the | + |six-story warehouse at 393 to 395 | + |Washington street, used by the United | + |States army as a medical supply | + |store-room for the Department of the | + |East. Capt. Edwin Wolf, who is in charge | + |of the warehouse, says the loss on tents, | + |blankets, cots, and other bedding stored | + |on the floors of the building was | + |large.--_New York Mail._ | + +As one reads down through the rest of the story he finds nothing more +striking than the fact that there was a fire. Therefore there is no +particular feature. No one was killed; no one was injured; the loss was +not extraordinary for a New York fire--nothing in the story is of +greater interest than the mere fact that there was a fire. Hence the +story begins with the word "Fire." Notice that it does not begin "A +fire" or "The fire"--for the simple reason that the word _fire_ does not +need an article before it. The editor will also tell you that it is not +considered good to begin a story with an article, for the beginning is +the most important part of a story and it is foolish to waste that +advantageous place on unimportant words. + +The first word tells the reader that there has been a fire. He +immediately asks where?--what burned?--when?--how much was lost? And the +reporter proceeds to answer his questions in their order of importance. +The reporter who wrote this story apparently thought that the time was +of greatest importance and slipped it in at once--"today." He might just +as well have left the time until the end of the sentence because it is +not of very great interest. He considers the question "_Where_" of next +importance, and answers with "the top of the six-story warehouse at 393 +to 395 Washington Street." The question "what?" he answers with a +clause, "used by the United States army as a medical supply store-room +for the Department of the East." He does not try to answer the question +"_why_?" because, as the rest of the story tells us, no one knew exactly +what caused the fire. And as for the "_How_?" there is nothing +extraordinary in the way that it burned beyond the fact that it burned. +Thus, in one sentence, he has answered all four questions about the +fire, except a little query concerning the amount of the loss. That he +considers worth a separate sentence of details. + +This is not a perfect lead. Many editors would consider it faulty, but +it illustrates one way of writing the lead of a featureless fire story. +Obviously there are faults; for instance, the time is given an undue +amount of emphasis and the cause is omitted. + +Suppose that we construct another lead from the same story--a lead which +would be more in accordance with the logic of newspaper writing. We +shall begin with the word "fire," but after it we shall slip in a little +mention of the cause since to the reader not directly acquainted with +the property that point is always of the greatest importance. Then we +shall tell where the fire was and after that what was burned. And last +of all we shall give the time since that is of least importance to the +average reader. This would be the result: + + | Fire of unknown origin wrecked the top | + |of the six-story warehouse at 393-395 | + |Washington street, used by the United | + |States army as a medical supply | + |store-room for the Department of the | + |East, destroying a large number of tents, | + |blankets, cots, and other bedding, today. | + +We might as well have put the _what_ before the _where_ or altered the +lead in any other way. But we would always begin with the word "fire" +and answer all the questions that the reader might ask--in one short +simple sentence. This constitutes our lead. We have told the casual +reader what he wants to know about the fire. We give him more details +about the fire if he wants to read them, but after we have stated the +case clearly in the lead we no longer reckon his time so carefully and +allow ourselves some latitude in the telling. After the lead we begin +the story from the beginning and tell it in its logical order from start +to finish, always bearing in mind that the editor may chop off a +paragraph or two at the end. + +Hence the second paragraph of the story as it appeared in _The Mail_ +begins: + + | John Smith, a man employed in the | + |stock-room on the sixth floor, saw smoke | + |rolling out of one corner and notified | + |other employees in the building, while | + |Patrolman Hogan turned in an alarm. | + +We are back at the beginning now and telling things as they came. The +next paragraph of the story tells us how they fought the fire, and the +third tells us how they finally brought it under control. The last +paragraph of the story reads: + + | There are three such warehouses in the | + |country, one at St. Louis, another at San | + |Francisco, but the one in this city is by | + |far the largest. In it are kept supplies | + |for the Departments of the East, Gulf, | + |Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philippines. | + +The editor of _The Mail_ had plenty of space that day and saw fit to run +this last paragraph, but we should not have lost much had he chopped it +off. Perhaps the reporter's copy contained still another paragraph +telling about Captain Wolf, but that did not pass the editorial pencil. +Even more of the story might have been slashed without depriving us of +much of the interesting news. + +Judging from the above story a newspaper account is divided into two +separate and independent parts: the lead and the detailed account. The +lead is written for the casual reader and contains all the necessary +facts about the fire; it may stand alone and constitute a story in +itself. The detailed account is written for the reader who wants to hear +more about the incident, and is written in the logical order of +events--with an eye to the danger of the editor's pencil threatening the +last paragraphs. In other words, the reporter tells his story briefly in +one paragraph and then goes back and tells it all over again in a more +detailed way. If the story is of sufficient importance the second +telling may not be sufficient and he may go back a third time to the +beginning and tell it again with still greater detail--but that is +another matter. For the present we shall consider only the lead and the +first detailed account. + +There are certain other points to be noticed in the report of a +featureless fire. Under no condition should it begin with the time. Why? +Because, unless the time is of extreme interest, no one cares +particularly when the fire occurred. And if the time is of great +interest--as, for instance, if a church should burn while the +congregation is in it--then the time becomes a feature to be played up +and the story is no longer a featureless story. We are now considering +stories in which nothing is of greater interest than the mere fact that +there was a fire. + +The same is true of the location. Who cares what street the fire was on +until he knows more about the fire? If the location were of such +significant importance as to be played up, the story would no longer be +a featureless story. + +The paragraphing is also important. Since the lead is in itself a +separate part of the story it should always be paragraphed separately. +Do not let the beginning of the detailed account lap over into the lead, +and do not introduce into the first paragraph any facts which are not +absolutely a part of the lead--that is, facts that are absolutely +essential to a general knowledge of the fire. When once you begin to +tell the story in detail tell it logically and paragraph it logically. +Do not tell us that John Smith discovered the fire and that the loss is +$500 in the same paragraph. Take up each point separately and treat it +fully before you leave it--then begin a new paragraph for the next item. + + * * * * * + +To take a hypothetical case, suppose that misfortune visits the home of +John H. Jones, who lives at 79 Liberty Street. A defective flue sets his +house on fire and it burns to the ground. By inquiry we find that the +house is worth about $4,000 and is fully insured. + +There is nothing particularly striking about the story. We are sorry for +Mr. Jones, but many houses worth $4,000 are set on fire by poor +chimneys and many more houses burn down. No one was hurt, no one was +killed; the most striking part of it all is that there was a fire. We +would begin with the word "Fire." Perhaps our readers would be most +interested in the cause of the fire and we shall tell them that first. +Then we shall tell them what burned, when it burned, and where it stood. +There is nothing else that a casual reader would want to know and the +lead would read: + + | Fire starting in a defective chimney | + |destroyed the residence of John H. Jones, | + |79 Liberty street, at midnight last | + |night, causing a loss of $4,000, covered | + |by insurance. | + +Our casual reader is satisfied. For the reader who wishes to know more +about the fire we add a paragraph or two of detail. First, we may tell +him who discovered the fire; then how the Jones family managed to +escape; and after that how the fire was extinguished, and we might slip +in a paragraph explaining just what trouble in the chimney made a fire +possible. The editor may chop off any number of paragraphs or cut the +story down to the lead, and yet our readers will get the facts and know +just exactly what was the reason for the fire bell and the red sky at +midnight last night. + + + + +VI + +THE FEATURE FIRE STORY + + +A fire story without a feature begins with "Fire" because there is +nothing in the story more interesting than the fact that there has been +a fire. Such was the case in the burning of John Jones's house in the +last chapter. But just as soon as any part of the story becomes more +interesting than the fact that there was a fire, the story is no longer +featureless--it is a fire story with a feature, or, for the purposes of +our study, _a feature fire story_. This feature may be related to the +story in one of two ways. In the first place, the answer to some one of +the reader's questions may be the feature--e.g., the answer to _when_, +_where_, _what_, _how_, _why_, _who_. On the other hand, the feature may +be in some unexpected attendant circumstance that the reader would not +think of; for instance, loss of life, an interesting rescue, or +something of that sort. Such a distinction is entirely arbitrary and +would not be considered in a newspaper office, but it will make the +matter simpler for the purposes of study. + + +A. FEATURES IN ANSWERS TO READER'S CUSTOMARY QUESTIONS + +(_When_, _Where_, _What_, _How_, _Why_, _Who_). + +Suppose that John Jones's house did not burn in the usual way--suppose +that there is some striking incident in the story that makes it +different from other fire stories. The story has a feature. Perhaps the +answer to some one of the reader's customary questions is more +interesting than the answers to the others--so much more interesting +that it supersedes even the fact that there was a fire. Then it would be +foolish to begin with the mere word "fire" when we have something more +interesting to tell. The fire takes a second place and we begin with the +interesting fact that supersedes it. For the present we shall consider +that this interesting fact is the answer to one of the questions that +the reader always asks; for instance, why the house burned or when it +burned. + + +=1. Why.=--Perhaps Mr. Jones's house was set on fire in a very unusual +way. There was a little party in session at the Jones's and some one +decided to take a flash-light picture. The flash-light set fire to a +lace curtain and before any one could stop it the house was afire. Few +fires begin in that way, and our readers would be very interested in +hearing about it. The story has a feature in the answer to the reader's +_Why?_ And so we would begin our lead in this way: + + | A flashlight setting fire to a lace | + |curtain started a fire which destroyed | + |the residence of John H. Jones, 79 | + |Liberty street, at 11 o'clock last night | + |and caused a loss of $4,000. | + +In this way the feature is played up at the beginning of the sentence, +and yet the rest of the reader's questions are answered in the same +sentence and he knows a great deal about the fire. Or, leaving Mr. Jones +to his fate, we may give another example of an unusual cause taken from +a newspaper. This was a big fire, and yet the unusual cause was of +greater interest than the fire itself or the amount of property +destroyed: + + | A tiny "joss stick," the lighted end of| + |which was no larger than a pinhead, is | + |thought to have been responsible for a | + |fire that destroyed the White City | + |Amusement Park at Broad Ripple last | + |night. The loss to the amusement company | + |is $161,000.--_Indianapolis News._ | + + +=2. Where.=--To return to Mr. Jones, there may have been some other +incident in the burning of his house aside from the cause that was of +exceptional interest. Let us say that his house stood in a part of the +town where a fire was to be feared. Perhaps it stood within twenty feet +of the new First Congregational Church. The burning of Jones's house +would then be insignificant in comparison to the danger to the costly +edifice beside it, and our readers would be more interested in an item +concerning their church. The answer to _Where?_ is more interesting than +the fire itself. Hence we would bury, so to speak, Mr. Jones's +misfortune behind the greater danger, and the story would read: + + | Fire endangered the new First | + |Congregational Church on Liberty street, | + |erected at a cost of $100,000, when the | + |home of J. H. Jones, in the rear of the | + |church, was destroyed at midnight last | + |night. | + +Or: + + | The First Congregational Church, | + |recently built at a cost of $100,000, was| + |seriously threatened by a fire which | + |destroyed the residence of John H. Jones,| + |78 Liberty street, within twenty feet of | + |the church, at midnight last night. | + + +Turning again to the daily papers, we can find many fire stories in +which the location of the burned structure is important enough to take +the first line of the lead. Here is one: + + | The Plaza Hotel had a few uncomfortable| + |moments last night when flames from a | + |building adjoining at 22 West Fifty-ninth| + |street were shooting up as high as the | + |tenth story of the hotel and the fire | + |apparatus which responded to the delayed | + |alarm was looking for the blaze several | + |blocks away.--_New York Sun._ | + + +=3. When.=--Sometimes the time of the fire is very interesting. John H. +Jones's house may have caught fire from a very insignificant thing and +its location may have been unimportant, but the fire may have come at an +unusual time. Perhaps Mr. Jones's daughter was being married at a quiet +home wedding in her father's house and in the midst of the ceremony the +roof of the house burst into flames. The unusual time would be +interesting; the answer to _When?_ would be the feature. We might write +the lead thus: + + | During the wedding of Miss Mary Jones | + |at the home of her father, John H. Jones,| + |78 Liberty street, last night, the house | + |suddenly burst into flames and the bridal| + |party was compelled to flee into the | + |street. | + +Or: + + | Fire interrupted the wedding of Miss | + |Mary Jones at her father's home, 78 | + |Liberty street, last night, when the | + |house caught fire from a defective | + |chimney during the ceremony. | + +The daily papers furnish many illustrations of fires at unusual +times--here is one: + + |When the snowstorm was at its height | + |early this morning, a three-story brick | + |building at Nos. 4410-18 Third Avenue, | + |Brooklyn, caught fire, and the flames | + |spread rapidly to an adjoining tenement, | + |sending a small crowd of shivering | + |tenants into the icy street.--_New York | + |Post._ | + + +=4. What.=--(_a_) _The Burned Building._--Many fire stories have their +feature in the answer to the reader's _What?_ Not infrequently the +building itself is of great importance. Naturally "The residence of John +H. Jones" would not make a good beginning, if John Jones is not well +known, because people would be more interested in reading about a mere +fire than in reading about the residence of John H. Jones, whom they do +not know. For it must be remembered that it is the first line that +catches the reader's eye and the interest or lack of interest in the +first line determines whether or not the story is to be read. Now, +suppose that a building that is very well known burns--the City Hall, +the Albany State House, the Herald Square Theater--the mere mention of +the building will attract the reader's attention. Therefore the reporter +begins with the answer to _What?_ the name of the building, as in the +following cases: + + | GLENS FALLS, N. Y., Aug. 17.--The | + |Kaatskill House, for many years a popular| + |Lake George resort, was completely | + |destroyed by fire this forenoon.--_New | + |York Times._ | + + | The First M. E. Church of Chelsea, | + |familiarly known as the Cary avenue | + |church, was damaged last night to the | + |amount of $7,000 by fire.--_Boston | + |Herald._ | + + +(_b_) _The Amount of Property Destroyed._--The answer to _What burned?_ +is not necessarily a building, for the building itself may not be worth +featuring. The contents of the building may be more interesting, +especially if the amount of property destroyed can be put in striking +terms, such as $2,000,000 worth of property, or two thousand chickens, +or fifty-three automobiles, or 7,000 gallons of whisky. These figures +printed at the beginning of the first paragraph catch the reader's eye, +thus: + + | Five automobiles, valued at $5,800, and| + |property amounting to $6,200 were | + |destroyed last evening when fire broke in| + |the repair shop of the G. W. Browne Motor| + |company, 228-232 Wisconsin street, near | + |the North-Western station.--_Milwaukee | + |Sentinel._ | + + +=5. How.=--Very rarely the manner in which a fire burns is quite unique +and deserves featuring. It is inconceivable that John Jones's house +could burn in any very unusual way--"with many explosions," "with a +glare of flames that aroused the whole city," "with vast clouds of oily +smoke"--but some fires do burn in some such a way and are interesting +only for the way they burned. The following story begins with the answer +to _How?_ although the manner might be described more explicitly: + + | Stubborn fires have been fought in the | + |past, but one of the hardest blazes to | + |conquer that the local department ever | + |contended with gutted the plant of N. | + |Drucker & Co., manufacturers of trunks | + |and valises, at the northwest corner of | + |Ninth and Broadway, last | + |night.--_Cincinnati Commercial Tribune._ | + + +=6. Who.=--Just as it would be foolish to begin with "the residence of +John Jones," since the building is not well known, it would not be +advisable to begin with John Jones's name, no matter what part he +played. John Jones is not well known and so to the newspaper he is just +a man and is treated impersonally regardless of what he does or what +happens to him. Our interest in him is entirely impersonal, and all we +want to know about him is what he has done or what has happened to him. +Therefore few reporters would begin a story with John Jones's name. +However, let some man who is well known do or suffer the slightest thing +and his name immediately lends interest to the story--and therefore +commands first place in the introduction. If John D. Rockefeller should +even witness a fire, or if President Taft should be in the slightest way +connected with a fire, the mere fire story would shrink into +significance behind the name. And so, very often it is advisable to +begin a fire story with a name, if the name is of sufficient prominence. +It is not necessary that the well-known man's property be destroyed or +even endangered for his name to have the first place in the first +sentence of the lead; if the well-known man has anything whatever to do +with the fire his name should be featured because to the average reader +the interest in his name overshadows any interest in the fire. In this +example, the name overshadows a striking loss of property and the story +begins with the answer to _Who?_ + + | NEW YORK, Nov. 6.--While Clendenin J. | + |Ryan, son of Thomas F. Ryan, the traction| + |magnate, and a band of volunteer fire | + |fighters--many of them | + |millionaires--fought a blaze which | + |started in the garage of young Ryan's | + |country estate near Suffern, N. Y., early| + |in the morning, three valuable | + |automobiles, seven thoroughbred horses | + |and several outbuildings were totally | + |destroyed.--_Milwaukee Sentinel._ | + +It will be seen that in each of the above feature fire stories some +incident in the fire, or connected with the fire, overshadows the mere +fact that there was a fire and makes it advisable to begin the story of +the fire with the fact or incident of unusual interest. Furthermore, in +each of these stories the unusual feature in the story is a direct +answer to one of the reader's questions--_when?_ _where?_ _how?_ _what?_ +_why?_ _who?_ In other words, the reporter in answering these questions, +as he must in the lead of every story, finds the answer to one question +so much more interesting than the answer to any of the other questions +that he puts it first. In every fire story, however, the feature is not +so easily discovered. + + +B. FEATURES IN UNEXPECTED ATTENDANT CIRCUMSTANCES + +There are other things in the day's fire stories, besides the answers to +the reader's questions, that may overshadow the rest of the story and +deserve to be featured. Very often there are unexpected attendant +circumstances occurring simultaneously with the fire or resulting from +the fire to command our interest. Perhaps a number of people are killed +or injured; then we want to know about them first, and the reporter +neglects to answer our questions for the moment while he tells us the +startling attendant circumstances that we had not expected. Even so, +while giving first place to the feature, he does not forget our +questions but answers them in the same sentence. Hence the introduction +of a fire story with significant attendant circumstances begins with the +startling fact resulting from the fire and then goes on to answer the +reader's questions--in the same sentence. + +This is not so difficult as it may sound. Suppose that when John Jones's +house burns there is a stiff breeze blowing and the chances are that all +the other houses in the block will go with it. All of his neighbors +become frightened and work with feverish haste to move their household +goods out into the street. In the end the fire department succeeds in +confining the fire to Mr. Jones's house and his neighbors promptly carry +their chattels back indoors thanking the god of good luck. Now the mere +fact that John Jones's house burned down is rather insignificant beside +the fact that a dozen families were driven from their homes by the fire. +Therefore the reporter would begin thus: + + | Twelve families were driven from their | + |homes by a fire which destroyed the | + |residence of John H. Jones, 78 Liberty | + |street, at 11 o'clock last night. The | + |fire was at length kept from spreading | + |and the neighboring residences were | + |reoccupied. | + +Or to take an incident from the daily press in which the neighbors were +not so fortunate; although they might have entirely lost their homes: + + | Twenty-two families in the six-story | + |tenement at 147 Orchard street were | + |routed out of the house twice early today| + |by fires which caused a great deal of | + |smoke, but little real damage.--_New York| + |Mail._ | + + +=1. Death.=--(a) _Number of Dead._--The most usual attendant +circumstances that will come to our notice is death in the fire. Let us +say that Mr. Jones's three children were alone in the house and burned +to death. Their death would be of more interest to us than the burning +of their father's house--and our story would necessarily begin in this +way: + + | Three children were burned to death in | + |a fire which destroyed the home of their | + |father, John H. Jones, 78 Liberty street,| + |last night. | + +So common is death in connection with fire that almost every day's paper +contains one or more stories beginning "Ten persons were cremated----" +or "Four firemen were killed----" And in every case the loss of human +life is considered of greater importance than any other incident in the +story, and the number of dead always takes precedence over many another +startling feature. Here are a few examples: + + | JOHNSTOWN, Pa., Jan. 18.--Seven men | + |were cremated in a fire that burned to | + |the ground three double houses near | + |Berlin, Somerset County, early this | + |morning.--_New York Sun._ | + + | Three children of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard | + |Lindberg, 3328 Nineteenth avenue south, | + |were cremated in a fire which destroyed | + |their home shortly after 12 o'clock | + |yesterday. The children had been left | + |alone in the house, shut up in their | + |bedroom, etc.--_St. Paul Pioneer Press._ | + + | One fireman was killed, another fireman| + |and a woman were injured and eight people| + |escaped death by a narrow margin Saturday| + |night in a fire which destroyed the, | + |etc.--_Milwaukee Sentinel._ | + + | NEW YORK, March 27.--One hundred and | + |forty-one persons are dead as a result | + |of the fire which on Saturday afternoon | + |swept the three upper floors of the | + |factory loft building at the northwest | + |corner of Washington place and Greene | + |street. More than three-quarters of this | + |number are women and girls, who were | + |employed in the Triangle Shirt Waist | + |factory, where the fire | + |originated.--_Boston Transcript._ | + +(b) _List of Dead._--When the number of dead or injured reaches any very +significant figure it is customary to make a table of dead and injured. +This table is usually set into the story close after the lead, but very +often the list is put in a "box" and slipped in above the story. In +writing the story, however, the reporter disregards the table and begins +his lead as if there were no table: e.g., "Twelve firemen were killed +and fourteen injured in a fire----" The list usually gives the name, +address (or some other identification), and the nature of the injury, +thus: + + | =Injured Firemen:= | + | | + |Capt. Frank Makal, Engine Co. No. 4, | + |cut by glass. | + | | + |Acting Captain W. E. Brown, fire boat | + |No. 23, cut by glass. | + | | + |Peter Ryan, No. 15, flying | + |glass.--_Milwaukee Free Press._ | + +Or: + + | =The Dead:= | + | | + |Mrs. Charles Smith, 14 W. Gorham | + |street. | + | | + |John Johnson, 1193 Chatham street. | + | | + | =The Injured:= | + | | + |Thomas Green, 1111 Grand street; face | + |cut by flying glass. | + | | + |James Brown, 176 Orchard avenue; | + |internal injuries; may die. | + +(c) _Manner of Death._--A number of fatalities at the beginning always +attracts attention. Not infrequently the manner or the cause, especially +in the case of a single death, is worth the first place in the lead--not +as "One man killed----" but as "Crushed beneath a falling wall, a man +was killed." If a man burns to death in a very unusual way, or for an +unusual reason, we are more interested in the way he was burned, or the +reason that he burned, than in the mere fact that he was burned to +death. The first line then tells us how or why he was burned. Thus: + + | To save his money, which he hoped would| + |some day raise him from the rank of a | + |laborer to that of a prosperous merchant,| + |Hing Lee, a Chinese laundryman, ran back | + |into his burning laundry at 3031 Nicollet| + |avenue today, after he was once safe from| + |the flames, and was so badly burned that | + |physicians say he cannot | + |live.--_Minneapolis Journal._ | + + +=2. Injuries.=--Very often no one is killed in a fire but some one is +injured. For example, five firemen are overcome by ammonia fumes or two +men are seriously injured by a falling wall. This then becomes the +feature. Injuries to human beings, if serious or in any considerable +number, take precedence over other features, just as loss of human life +does. Here is an example from the press in which all the injuries are +gathered together at the beginning: + + | Six firemen and two laborers were | + |overcome by smoke, while three other | + |firemen received minor injuries by flying| + |glass in a fire which broke out yesterday| + |morning at 10:30 o'clock in the | + |Wellauer-Hoffman building, at, | + |etc.--_Milwaukee Free Press._ | + + +=3. Rescues.=--(a) _Number of People Rescued._--When people are rescued +from great danger in a fire their escape makes a very good feature. If +many of them are rescued or escape very narrowly, the mere number of +people saved deserves the first place, as: + + | More than 150 men and women were saved | + |from death today in a fire at 213-217 | + |Grand street by toboganning from the roof| + |of the burning structure on a board chute| + |to the roof of an adjoining five-story | + |building.--_New York Mail._ | + +(b) _Manner of Rescue._--But more often the manner of their escape +interests us most. If a man slides down a rope for four stories to +escape death by fire we are more interested in how he saved himself than +in the fact that he didn't burn, and so we tell how he escaped, in the +first line. In the same way, if unusual means are used to save one or +more persons, the means of rescue is usually worth featuring. For +example: + + | Overcoats used as life nets saved the | + |lives of a dozen women and children in a | + |fire of incendiary origin in the | + |three-story frame tenement house at 137 | + |Havemeyer avenue, Brooklyn, to-day, | + |etc.--_New York Mail._ | + + +=4. Property Threatened.=--Death and injury are the commonest unexpected +circumstances in fire stories, but they are not the only ones that may +be worth featuring. There is an inconceivable number of things that may +happen at a fire and overshadow all interest in the fire itself. A good +feature may be found in the property that is threatened. Often the fire +in itself is insignificant, but because of a high wind or other +circumstances it threatens to spread to neighboring buildings or to +devastate a large area. In such a case the amount of property threatened +or endangered deserves a place in the very first line, especially if it +exceeds the amount of property actually destroyed and if it can be put +in a striking way; _i. e._, the entire waterfront district, or +twenty-five dwelling houses, or $5,000,000 worth of property. When +contrasted with the small amount of damage actually done, the amount +that is threatened becomes more important. Thus: + + | Fire that for a time threatened | + |$2,000,000 worth of property destroyed | + |$15,000 worth of lumber owned by the | + |Milwaukee Lumber Company, 725 Clinton | + |street, yesterday.... | + | | + |The territory between Mitchell street | + |and the Kinnickinnic river and Reed | + |street, to the lake, containing | + |manufactories, dwellings and stores, was | + |menaced.--_Milwaukee News._ | + + +=5. Fire Fighting.=--Not unusually a serious fire results from the fact +that it was not checked for some reason or other during its earlier +stages. Perhaps the whole thing might have been avoided, or, on the +contrary, a big fire may be extinguished with unexpected ease or unusual +skill. In rare cases this matter of very efficient or very inefficient +fire fighting is of sufficient importance to take the first place in the +lead. For example: + + | Almost total lack of water pressure is | + |blamed for the big loss in a fire started| + |by a firebug to-day in the five-story | + |factory building of Lamchick Brothers, | + |manufacturing company, 400-402 South | + |Second street, Williamsburg.--_New York | + |Mail._ | + | | + | Rotten hose, which burst as fast as it | + |was put in use, imperiled the lives of | + |more than a score of firemen to-day at a | + |blaze which swept the three-story frame | + |flat house at Third avenue and | + |Sixty-seventh street, Brooklyn, from | + |cellar to roof, etc.--_New York Mail._ | + + +=6. Crowd.=--Not uncommonly in the city a tremendous crowd gathers to +watch a fire and blocks traffic for hours. In the absence of other +significant incidents--death, great loss, etc.--the reporter may begin +his story with an account of the crowd present or the blockade of +traffic. Such a beginning should always be used only as a last resort +when a fire has no other interesting phase, for crowds always gather at +fires and only a very serious blocking of traffic is worth reporting. +Thus: + + | Fully 15,000 persons were attracted to | + |the scene of the fire in the portion of | + |the plant of the Greenwald Packing | + |Company, Claremont Stock Yards, which was| + |discovered at 4:56 yesterday | + |afternoon.--_Baltimore American._ | + | | + | Twenty-five thousand people jammed | + |Broadway between Bleecker and Bond | + |streets yesterday noon and had the | + |excitement of watching 250 girls escape | + |from a twelve-story loft building which | + |was afire.--_New York Sun._ | + + +=7. Miscellaneous.=--There is an infinite number of things that may +happen at a fire and overshadow the mere fire interest. These are the +things that make one fire different from another, and whenever they are +of sufficient importance they become the feature to be played up in the +first line of the introduction. It would be impossible to enumerate all +the unexpected things that might happen during a fire. It is this +element of unexpected possibilities that makes the reporting of fires +interesting, and an alert reporter is ever on the lookout for a new and +unusual development in the fire to be used as the feature of his story. +Here are the leads of a few fire stories clipped from the daily +newspapers: + + | With her home on fire and the smoke | + |swirling around her head, Mrs. B. B. | + |Blank, a well-known leader of the | + |social set of Roland Park, bravely | + |stood by her telephone and called upon | + |the Roland Park Fire Company for aid | + |shortly after 8 o'clock this | + |morning.--_Baltimore Star._ | + | | + | Four charming young women attired in | + |masculine apparel were the unexpected | + |and embarrassed hosts of four companies | + |of fire department "laddies" last night, | + |when fire broke out, etc.--_Milwaukee | + |Free Press._ | + | | + | For the first time since its | + |installation the high-pressure water | + |power system was relied upon solely last | + |night to fight a Broadway fire, and | + |Chief Croker said that he was well | + |satisfied with its work. The fire began | + |on the third floor of the six-story, | + |etc.--_New York Times._ | + + +C. FIRE STORIES WITH MORE THAN ONE FEATURE + +It would appear from the foregoing examples that almost every fire story +has a feature. And so it usually has. The great majority of fires that +are worth reporting at all have some unusual incident connected with +them that overshadows the mere fire itself. Sometimes the features are +not of great significance, but it is only as a last resort that a +reporter begins his story with "Fire"--only when the most ordinary of +fires is to be covered. + +Unusual features are so common in connection with fires that very often +a single fire has more than one unusual feature. Perhaps the cause of +the fire is exceptionally striking and at the same time the amount of +property destroyed is of great news value in itself. Or the time and +some unexpected attendant circumstance are both worth the first place. +In that case the reporter has to choose between the two features and +begin with the one that seems to him to be the more striking. The other +feature or features may often be arranged in the order of importance +immediately after the most striking fact at the beginning, provided that +this does not make the lead unduly complicated. + +For instance, a cold storage warehouse burns and four firemen are +overcome by the fumes from the ammonia pipes. Next door is a hospital +and the flames frighten the patients almost into a panic. Either one of +these incidents is worth the first line of the story. But which one is +of the greater importance? Naturally the element of danger to human life +must be considered first and the actual disabling of four firemen is of +greater significance than a possible panic in the hospital. Following +that line of logic our story would begin: + + | Four firemen were overcome by ammonia | + |fumes and a panic in the St. Charles | + |Hospital was narrowly averted, as a | + |result of a fire which destroyed the cold| + |storage warehouse of, etc. | + +Such a lead would not be too complicated for practical purposes. But +suppose that around the corner from the cold storage warehouse is a +livery in which fifty horses are stabled. The flames frighten the horses +and they break loose and stampede in the streets. The story now has +three features of striking interest. It would be possible to combine +them all in the lead and to begin in this way: + + | Four firemen were overcome by ammonia | + |fumes, a panic was narrowly averted in | + |the St. Charles Hospital, and fifty | + |frightened horses stampeded in the | + |streets as a result of a fire, etc. | + +But see how far from the beginning the fire, the actual cause of it all, +is placed. The fire is buried behind a mass of details and the reader is +confused. The lead is not a happy one. The only thing to do is to break +up the mass of details and put part of them immediately after the lead. +The arrangement is a matter that must be left to the judgment of the +reporter. + +This, however, is an extreme case because the various features are so +disconnected and separate. The reporter would have little trouble if the +several features were more alike. For instance, if one of the walls of +the building had fallen and killed three firemen the case would have +been simpler. The death of these men so far overshadows the other +unusual incidents that it drives them out of the lead altogether. For we +do not care about horses and frightened patients when men are crushed +beneath falling walls. All that we are concerned with in our lead now is +the dead and injured--with a feature like this we can trust our readers +to go into the story far enough to pick up the other interesting +features; we would begin in this way: + + | Three firemen were killed by falling | + |walls and four others were overcome by | + |ammonia fumes in a fire which destroyed | + |the cold storage, etc. | + +The combination of dead and injured makes a good beginning, and it is +always advisable to begin with such an enumeration whenever it is +possible. Where the features are not so significant as death and +injuries the matter of arranging more than one striking detail at the +beginning of the lead becomes a greater problem. It must be left to +one's own judgment and common sense. The lead must not be too long or +complicated, and one must hesitate before burying the really important +facts of the story behind several lines of more or less unusual details. +Just as soon as the lead becomes at all confusing take out the details +and put them into the story later. + + + + +VII + +FAULTS IN NEWS STORIES + + +Before we go on to the consideration of other kinds of news stories it +will be well to consider in greater detail the facts we have learned +from writing up fires. Our fire stories should have taught us a number +of things about the form of the news story. Let us sum them up. + +=Paragraph Length.=--We have seen that newspaper writing has a +characteristic style of its own. In the first place notice the length of +a newspaper paragraph. Count the number of words in an average paragraph +and compare it with the number of words in a literary paragraph. We find +that the newspaper paragraph is much shorter. There is a reason for +this. Imagine a 150-word literary paragraph set up in a newspaper. There +are about seven words to the line in a newspaper column and one hundred +and fifty words would make something over twenty lines. Try to picture a +newspaper made up of twenty-line paragraphs; it would be extremely +difficult to read. We glance over a newspaper hastily and our haste +requires many breaks to help us in gathering the facts. Hence the +paragraphs must be short; the very narrowness of the newspaper column +causes them to be shortened. The average lead, you will find, contains +less than fifty words and the paragraphs following it are not much +longer. + +=Sentence Length.=--Notice sentence lengths as compared with literary +sentences. You will find that newspaper sentences usually fall into two +classes: the sentences in the lead and the sentences in the body of the +story. The first sentence is usually rather long--thirty to sixty words. +But the sentences in the body of the story are much shorter than most +literary sentences. Why is this? It results from exactly the same thing +that makes the newspaper paragraphs short--the need of many breaks. +Thus, after we finish a lead, we must fall into short sentences. They +need not be choppy sentences, but they must be simple and easy to read. + + +THE LEAD AND THE BODY OF THE STORY + +Our study of the fire story has shown that newspaper stories always have +two separate and distinct parts: the lead and the body of the story. In +writing the story a reporter must consider each part separately, +although the reader does not distinguish between the two parts. Before +writing a word the reporter must decide exactly what facts and details +he is to put in the lead and exactly what fact he is going to play up in +the first line, taking care to begin with the most interesting part of +the story. After the lead is finished he writes the main body of the +story in accordance with the rules of ordinary English composition. Each +part must be separate and independent of the other. + +=The Lead.=--The lead itself is always paragraphed separately. Usually +it consists of a single sentence, although it is much better to break it +into two than to make the sentence too long and complicated. As we have +said before, the lead must not only tell the most interesting fact or +incident in the story, but it must answer the natural questions that the +reader immediately asks about this matter; i.e., when, where, what, why, +who, and how. These questions must be answered briefly and concisely in +their order of importance, and the most unusual answer or the most +striking part of the story must precede all the rest. Beyond the answers +to these questions there is no space for details in the lead. Every word +must have a purpose and a necessary purpose or it must be cut out and +relegated to the body of the story. No space should be given to +explanations of minor importance. State the content of the news story +as completely, accurately, and concisely as possible so that the reader +may know just what happened, when it happened, where, to whom, and +perhaps how and why it happened. Then begin a new paragraph and start +the body of the story. + +Many editors require that the lead consist of one long sentence and yet +it must be grammatical. Many reporters forget all about English grammar +in their attempt to crowd everything they know into one sentence. But +mere quantity does not make the lead good; it must be grammatical and +easy to read. The verb must have a grammatical subject and, if it is an +_active_ verb, it must have a grammatical predicate. Clauses and +modifiers must be attached in a way that cannot be overlooked. Dangling +participles and absolute constructions should be shunned. All of the +modifying clauses must be gathered together either before or after the +principal clause. Everything must be compact and logical. Many papers +disregard this matter, as will be seen in some of the extracts quoted in +this book, but the best papers do not. + +Every lead should be so constructed that it may stand alone and be +self-sufficient. Never should a reporter trust to headlines to enlighten +his readers upon the meaning of the lead--the exact reverse of this +must be true. The story is written first and the headlines are written +from the facts contained in the lead--and usually by another man. In +writing the lead disregard the existence of headlines, for many readers +do not read them at all. This is but an amplification of the old rule of +composition that any piece of writing should be independent of its +title. The title may be lost, but the essay must be clear without it. + +There are many ways of beginning a lead in order to embody the feature +in the first line. At first glance the operation of putting the emphasis +of a sentence at the beginning, rather than at the end, may seem +difficult, but with a clear idea of the rules of dependence in English +grammar a reporter may transpose any clause to the beginning and thus +play up the content of the clause. For instance, in this lead, + + | Fire, starting in a moving picture | + |theatre, 4418 Third avenue, drove the | + |tenants of the building out into the icy | + |street while the snowstorm was at its | + |height shortly before 12 o'clock last | + |night. | + +the striking feature of the story is buried--we do not get the unusual +picture of a little group of people shivering in the street during a +blinding snowstorm while they watch their homes burn. A simple +transposition of the _while_-clause puts the feature in the first line. +Thus: + + | While the snowstorm was at its height | + |shortly before 12 o'clock last night, | + |fire, starting in a moving picture | + |theatre, 4418 Third avenue, drove the | + |tenants of the building out into the icy | + |street. | + +The lead is not perfect now; it might be greatly improved, but it is +better than before. + +A few of the possible beginnings for a lead are: + +1. _Noun._--The simplest beginning of a lead is of course the use of a +noun as subject of the principal verb. For example, "Fire destroyed the +residence of----" or "A flashlight setting fire to a lace curtain +started a fire----" or "The Plaza Hotel had a few uncomfortable moments +last night----" etc. The subject of the verb may of course have its +modifiers--adjectives and phrases--but it should not be separated too +widely from its verb. One point is to be noted in the use of a simple +noun at the beginning; an article should not precede the noun if it can +be avoided, for the very simple reason that an article is not worth the +important space that it takes at the beginning of the lead. In the case +of fire no article is necessary. In other cases it is usually possible +to put in an adjective or some other word that will take the article's +place. However, never begin a story like this: "Supreme Court of the +United States decided----" or "Young man in evening dress was arrested +last night----" or "House of John Smith was destroyed yesterday----". +Obviously something is lacking and, if no other word will supply the +lack, use the article, _the_ or _a_. When the _noun_-beginning is used +the reporter must never forget that two or more nouns, however +different, if subject of the same verb, require a plural verb. The verb +may be active or passive, whichever is more convenient, but rarely is +the object of an active verb put first--simply because English cannot +bear this transposition of subject and predicate. + +2. _Infinitive._--Other parts of speech aside from nouns may be subjects +of verbs and so other parts of speech as subjects of the principal verb +of the lead may be placed at the beginning of the lead. An infinitive +with its object and modifier may occupy the first line as subject of the +main verb; e.g.: + + | To rescue his own son during the | + |burning of his own house was a part of | + |yesterday's work for Fireman Michael | + |Casey, who, etc. | + +Here the infinitive "to rescue" and its object are the subject of the +verb "was," and the construction is perfectly grammatical. +Unfortunately the English language has another infinitive which very +much resembles a present participle--the infinitive ending in _-ing_; +e.g., _rescuing_. Without an article this part of speech must, of +course, be used only as an adjective, but with an article it becomes an +infinitive, to be treated as a noun; e.g., _the rescuing of_. It would +be perfectly grammatical to begin the above lead in this way: "The +rescuing of his own son ... was the work, etc." But it would be +ungrammatical to begin it thus: "Rescuing his own son was the work, +etc." For in the second case the word "rescuing," if used with an +object, is not an infinitive but a participle, and must be used only as +an adjective, thus: "Rescuing his own son, Fireman Casey performed his +duty, etc.," or "In rescuing his own son, Fireman Casey performed his +duty." The two uses should never be confused. + +3. _Clause._--Another expression that may be used as subject of the +lead's principal verb is a clause--usually a _that_-clause. For +instance, "That the entire wholesale district was not destroyed by fire +last night is due to, etc." Here the _that_-clause is subject of the +verb is and the expression is entirely grammatical as well as very +useful as a beginning. + +4. _Prepositional Phrase._--When the feature of a story is an action +rather than a thing, a noun can hardly be used to express it. Very +often this lead may be handled by means of a prepositional phrase at the +beginning. For example, one of the stories in the last chapter begins: +"With her home on fire and with smoke swirling around her head, Mrs. +John, etc." In this case the prepositional phrase modifies the subject +and should not be far from it. Another variation of this is the +prepositional phrase of time, modifying the verb; e.g., "During the +wedding of Miss Mary Jones, last night, the house suddenly caught fire, +etc." This beginning is effective if it is not overworked, but the +reader should never be held back from the real facts of the story by a +string of complicated phrases, intended to build up suspense. + +5. _Participial Phrase._--Very much like the prepositional phrase +beginning is the participial beginning. "Sliding down an eighty-foot +extension ladder with a woman in his arms, Fireman John Casey rescued, +etc." It must be borne in mind that the participial phrase must modify a +noun and there should be no doubt in the reader's mind as to the noun +that it modifies. It would of course be absurd to say "Sliding down an +eighty-foot extension ladder, fire seriously burned John Casey----," but +such things are often said. Never should this participial phrase be used +as the subject of a verb, as "Returning home and finding her house in +ashes was the unusual experience of Mrs. James, etc." The phrase must +always modify a noun just like an adjective. + +6. _Temporal Clause._--A feature may often be brought to the beginning +of the lead by a simple transposition of clauses. Should the time be +important a subordinate _when_ or _while_ clause may precede the +principal clause of the sentence; i.e., "When the snowstorm was at its +height early this morning, a three-story brick building burned, etc.," +or "While 15,000 people watched from the street below, 250 girls escaped +from the burning building at, etc." + +7. _Causal Clause._--Should the cause of an action or an occurrence be +attractive enough for the first line, a _for_ or a _because_ clause may +begin the lead. "Because a tinsmith upset a pot of molten solder on the +roof of pier No. 19, two steamers were burned, etc." + + * * * * * + +This does not exhaust the list of possible beginnings. There are a dozen +possible constructions for the beginning of any story; these are merely +the commonest ones. Anything unusual or of doubtful grammar should be +avoided because of the many possible alternatives that present +themselves. And in every lead correct grammar should be considered +above all else. If a lead is ungrammatical no clever arrangement of +details can make it effective or other than ludicrous. For instance, +this lead, taken from a newspaper, illustrates an unfortunate attempt to +crowd too many details into a short lead: + + | Bitten by a rattlesnake, Myrtle Olson's| + |leg was slashed with a table knife, | + |washed the wound with kerosene, then | + |covered the incision with salt by her | + |mother. Myrtle still lives. | + +Another paper tried to arrange it more happily, thus: + + | Bitten by a rattlesnake, Myrtle Olson's| + |mother slashed her daughter's leg with a | + |table knife, washed the wound with | + |kerosene, then covered the incision with | + |salt. Myrtle still lives. | + +There is evidently something wrong in this. It would be a good exercise +to try to express the idea grammatically. + + * * * * * + +Before we go on to the consideration of the body of this story a few +_Don'ts_ in regard to writing leads may be in order. + +Don't begin a lead with a person's name unless the person is well known. +We are always interested in anything unusual that a man may do or +anything unusual that he may suffer, but unless we know the man we are +not at all interested in his name. Suppose that a man performs some +thrilling act or suffers some unusual misfortune in a city of 100,000 +people. Probably not more than one hundred people know him, and of that +number only one or two will read the story. Then why begin with his name +when his action is of greater interest to all but a few of our readers? +And yet every reader wants to know whether the victim is one of his +friends. Therefore the man's name must be mentioned in the lead, +although it should not come at the beginning. On the other hand, if the +man is prominent in the nation or the community and well known to all +our readers, his name adds interest to the story and we begin with the +name. There is a growing tendency among American newspapers to begin all +of their stories with a name. The tendency appears to be the result of +an attempt to break away from the conventional lead and to begin in a +more natural way--also an easier way. But the name beginning is after +all illogical, and any reporter is safe in following the logical course +in the matter. If the name is not important begin with something that is +important. + +Don't waste the main verb of the sentence on a minor action while +expressing the principal action in a subordinate clause. This is a +violation of emphasis. For example, "Fatally burned by an explosion in +his laundry, Hing Lee was taken to the hospital." Naturally he would be +taken to the hospital, but why put the emphasis of the whole sentence on +that point? + +Don't resort to the expression "was the unusual experience of----" "was +the fate of----" or any like them. Every word in the lead must count, +and here are five words that say nothing at all. Use their place to tell +what the unusual experience was. For instance, don't say "To stand in a +driving snowstorm and watch their homes burn to the ground was the +unusual experience of two families, living at, etc."; say instead, +"Standing in a driving snowstorm two families watched their homes burn +to the ground." The latter says the same thing more effectively in less +space. The use of this expression--"was the unusual experience of"--is +always the mark of a green reporter. + +Don't overwork the expression "Fire broke out." All fires "break out," +but usually we are more interested in the result of the fire than in its +"breaking out." Try to use some expression that will give more definite +information. + +Don't be wordy. Editors are always calling for shorter and more concise +leads. If you can say a thing in two words don't use half a dozen. For +example, "Four members of the local fire department were rendered +unconscious by the deadly fumes from bursting ammonia pipes." This takes +three times as much space as "Four firemen were overcome by ammonia +fumes," and it does not express the idea any more effectively. + +Don't introduce minor details into the lead. If the reader wants the +details he may read the rest of the story. Take the following lead as an +example: + + | Rushing back into his burning laundry, | + |a one-story brick building, to rescue | + |from the flames his savings, amounting to| + |$437, with which he hoped to raise | + |himself from the rank of laborer to that | + |of a prosperous merchant, and which was | + |hidden under the mattress of his bed in | + |the back room of the laundry, Hing Lee, a| + |Chinaman, who lives at 79 Nicollett | + |avenue and has been in this country but | + |three months, was overcome by smoke and | + |so seriously burned that he had to be | + |removed to the St. Mary Hospital and may | + |not live, when his establishment was | + |destroyed by a fire which, starting from | + |the explosion of the tank of the gasolene| + |stove on which he was cooking his dinner,| + |gutted his laundry, entailing a loss of | + |$1,000, shortly before noon to-day. | + +It is entirely grammatical, but if the reader succeeds in wading through +it there is nothing left to tell about the fire. Why not begin the +story in this way and leave something for the rest of the story? + + | Because he rushed back into his burning| + |laundry to rescue his savings, Hing Lee, | + |a Chinese laundryman, 79 Nicollett | + |avenue, was seriously burned to-day. | + +Don't waste the first line of the lead on meaningless generalities. Get +down to the facts at once. For instance, "The presence of mind and +bravery of Fireman David Mullen saved Mrs. Daniel Looker from being +burned to death in her flat, etc." We are willing to grant his bravery +and presence of mind, but we want to know at once what he did: "By +sliding down an eighty-foot extension ladder through flames and smoke +with an unconscious woman in his arms, Fireman David Mullen rescued Mrs. +Daniel, etc." Equally useless is the beginning, "A daring rescue of an +unconscious woman from the fourth story of a blazing flat building was +made by Fireman David Mullen to-day, etc." Tell what the daring rescue +was and let the reader manufacture a fitting eulogy. + +Don't exaggerate the facts to make a feature. When a few persons are +frightened don't turn it into a dreadful panic. Every little fire is not +a holocaust and the burning of a small barn does not endanger the +entire city, unless your imagination is strong enough to guess what +might have happened had there been a high wind and no fire engines. A +narrow escape from death does not always excuse the beginning, "Scores +killed and injured would have been the result, _if_----" All beginnings +of this kind give a false impression and do not tell the truth. If a +story has no striking feature be satisfied to tell the truth about it +without trying to make a world-wide disaster out of it for the sake of a +place on the front page. Exaggeration for a feature is one of the bad +elements of sensational journalism. For example, seven lives were lost +in this fire, but this is the way the story was written, for the sake of +a three-column scare-head: + + | That 500 sleeping babes and 100 more | + |who were kneeling in prayer in St. | + |Malachi's Home, a Roman Catholic | + |institution for the care of orphans at | + |Rockaway Park, are alive to-day is due to| + |the coolness of the nuns in charge and | + |the children's remembrance of their | + |teacher's fire drills. | + +The suspense is built up in such a way that at the end of the lead we do +not know what happened and read on with breathless interest to find that +there was a small fire at the Home and seven children were burned. + + +=The Body of the Story.=--"A good beginning is half done," according to +the proverb. In writing a news story a good beginning is more than half +done--two-thirds at least. The lead is the beginning, and when that has +been written we are ready to go on to the body of the story with a clear +conscience. + +Our lead has told the reader the main facts of the case and the most +unusual feature. If he reads further he is looking for details. In +giving him these we return to the ordinary rules of narration. We start +at the very beginning of the story and tell it logically and in detail +to the end. We tell it as if no lead preceded it and repeat in greater +detail the incidents briefly outlined in the lead. Never should the body +of the story depend upon the lead for clearness. If the feature of the +story is a rescue and you have briefly described the rescue in the lead, +ignore the lead and describe the rescue all over again in the body of +the story in its proper place. The number of details that are to be +introduced into the story is limited only by the space that the story +seems to be worth. But no point should be mentioned in the story unless +space permits of its being made clear. + +The ordinary rules of English composition apply to the writing of the +body of the story. The copy must be paragraphed, cut up into paragraphs +that are rather shorter than ordinary literary paragraphs, since the +narrowness of the newspaper column makes the paragraph seem longer. +Heterogeneous details must not be piled together in the same paragraph, +but the facts must be grouped and handled logically. No paragraph should +be noticeably longer than the others, and it is decidedly bad to +paragraph one sentence alone simply because it does not seem to go in +with any other sentence. If the fact is important expand it into a +paragraph by the introduction of further details; if it is unimportant +either cut it out of the story altogether or attach it to the paragraph +to which it seems most logically to belong. + +One fact, already stated, must be borne in mind as the body of the story +progresses. The report should be built up in such a way that the editor +can slash off a paragraph or two at the end without injuring the +story--without sacrificing any important facts. To do this the reporter +should bring the important parts of the story as near the beginning as +the logical order will permit. The interest of a perfect news story is +like an inverted cone. The interest is abundant at the beginning and +gradually dwindles out until there is nothing more to say when the end +is reached. Just how far the dwindling should be carried depends upon +the amount of space that the story seems to be worth in the paper. + +This may seem difficult. It may be hard to see how a story can be told +in its logical order while at the same time the most interesting facts +are placed at the beginning, even if they logically belong near the end. +For example, we may take the story of an unusual robbery. A well-dressed +man goes into a grocery store to get some butter and tries to rob the +grocer. In the ensuing scuffle the would-be robber escapes. A young +woman who happens to be passing sees the end of the fight and pursues +the robber down the street until he runs into a saloon. She calls a +policeman who is standing on the corner and the officer rushes into the +saloon, up three flights of stairs and finds the robber on the roof +behind a chimney. The officer shouts to another policeman, and together +they arrest the robber. + +Now, what is the most interesting thing in the story? Probably the +pursuit--a young woman chasing a robber down the street. Our lead might +be written in this way: + + | After being chased down Sixth street by| + |a young woman, a robber, who had | + |attempted to rob the grocery store of | + |Charles Young, 1345 Sixth street, was | + |arrested on the roof of a saloon at 835 | + |Sixth street, at 7 o'clock last night. | + +The lead might be arranged in a different way, but these are the facts +that it would contain. Before we consider the arrangement of the body of +the story it may be well to go back to the interviews by which we +secured the story. In getting the facts we would probably talk to Young, +the groceryman, and to the saloonkeeper into whose establishment the +robber fled. We could probably interview the policeman who made the +arrest, but let us suppose that the young woman could not be found. The +groceryman would tell us about the attempted robbery and the escape, +with the girl in pursuit. The saloonkeeper would tell us how the man +fled into his saloon and ran up the stairs to the roof; then how two +policemen came and made the arrest. The policeman could tell us how a +young woman ran up to him and told him that a robber had fled into the +saloon; then he would describe the arrest. None of these stories is told +just as we want the newspaper story--each one tells us only a part of +the story. If the finished story were written by a green reporter it +would probably tell the story in the order in which it was obtained. +That is if the reporter saw the policeman first, then the saloonkeeper, +and lastly the groceryman; his story would tell in the first paragraph +what the policeman said, in the second paragraph what the saloonkeeper +said, and in the last paragraph what the grocer said. At least that is +the way in which green reporters in the classroom attempted to write +the story. + +But, obviously, that is not the logical way to tell the story. The +finished account should be written in the order in which it happened: +i.e., first the robbery, then the pursuit, and lastly the arrest. This +would be the ideal way to tell the story--according to the rules of +English composition--if we could be sure that the entire story would be +printed. But if it were written in this way and the editor decided to +slash off the last paragraph, what would go? Obviously the arrest would +not be printed; and the arrest was quite interesting. We must find some +way to bring the arrest nearer to the beginning. This may be done by +selecting the most interesting parts of the story--by picking out the +high spots, as it were. In this story the high spots are the attempted +robbery, the pursuit, and the arrest. The details that fill in between +are interesting, but not so interesting as these high spots. Hence these +high spots of interest must be pushed forward toward the beginning. +After the lead the story would begin at the beginning and tell the +affair briefly by high spots in their proper order. It might be +something like this: + + | As Charles Young was closing his | + |grocery last evening a young man came in | + |and asked for a pound of butter. Young | + |turned to get it and his customer struck | + |him over the head with a chair. The | + |grocer grappled with his assailant and | + |they fell through the front door. In the | + |scramble, the robber broke away and ran | + |down Sixth street. A young woman who was | + |passing screamed and ran after him until | + |he disappeared into a saloon. | + | | + |The young woman called Policeman Smith, | + |who was standing nearby on Grand avenue, | + |and the latter found the would-be robber | + |on the roof of the saloon. After a | + |struggle, Smith arrested the man, with | + |the aid of another policeman. | + +The above account tells us briefly the most interesting parts of the +story. A copyreader might not find it perfect, for the assault is +allotted too much space and the pursuit too little, but it tells the +story in its baldest aspect. This, with the lead, could be run alone. +However, perhaps the story is worth more space; at any rate, many +interesting details have been omitted. If so, go back to the most +interesting part of the story--the assault, perhaps, or the pursuit--and +tell it with more details. Then retell some other part with more +details. If your readers are interested enough to read beyond the first +three paragraphs they want details and will not be so particular about +the order--for they already know how the story is going to end. + +This is one way of meeting the requirements of logical order and +dwindling interest. This is a particularly hard story to arrange in the +conventional way since we must have the whole story to be interested in +any single part--it has too many striking incidents in it. On the other +hand, a story which contains only one striking incident is much easier +to handle. Suppose that we are reporting a fire which is interesting +only for its cause or for a daring rescue in it. Our lead would suggest +this interesting element and the first part of our story would be +devoted entirely to the cause or to the rescue, as the case might be. +But it is better to sketch briefly, immediately after or very close to +the lead, the entire story, for our readers want to know how it ends +before they can be interested in any particular part. If we sketch the +whole story and show them that there is only one important thing in the +story, they will be satisfied to read about the one striking incident +without wondering if there is not something more interesting further on. +If we leave the conclusion of the story to the end of our copy the +editor may cut it off and leave our story dangling in midair. Every +story must be treated in its own way, according to its own incidents and +difficulties; no two stories are alike in substance or treatment. In +every one our aim must be to keep to the logical order and at the same +time to put the most interesting parts of the story near the beginning. + +The construction of the body of a story may be illustrated more clearly +by a fatal fire story--since fire stories are more uniform, and hence +easier to write than other news stories. Let us suppose that the story +is as follows: At four o'clock in the afternoon a fire started from some +unknown cause in the basement of a four-story brick building at 383-385 +Sixth Street, occupied by the Incandescent Light Company. Before the +fire company arrived the flames had spread up through the building and +into an adjoining three-story brick building at 381 Sixth Street, +occupied by Isaac Schmidt's second-hand store and home on the first and +second floors and by Mrs. Sarah Jones's boarding house on the third. The +Schmidts were away and Mrs. Jones's lodgers escaped via the fire +escapes. Her cook, Hilda Schultz, was overcome by smoke and had to be +carried out by Jack Sweeney, a lodger. Mrs. Jones fell from the fire +escape and was badly bruised. Meanwhile the firemen were at work on the +roof of the burning four-story building. Blinded by the smoke, one of +them, John MacBane, stepped through a skylight and fell to the fourth +floor. His comrades tried to rescue him by lowering Fireman Henry Bond +into the smoke by the heels; they were unsuccessful and Bond broke his +arm in the attempt. The fire was confined to the lower floors of the two +buildings and extinguished. In searching for MacBane, the firemen found +him suffocated on the fourth floor where he had fallen. + +The feature of the story is evidently the one death and the three +injuries. Our lead might be written as follows: + + | One fireman was suffocated and three | + |other persons were injured in a fire in | + |the Incandescent Light Company's plant, | + |383-385 Sixth street, and an adjoining | + |three-story building, late yesterday | + |afternoon. | + +This lead would suggest to the reader many interesting details to come +in the body of the story, and evidently the details are not all of equal +importance. The story could be told in its logical order, but, since the +death is more interesting than the origin of the fire and the injuries +are more significant than how the fire spread, it is obvious that it +would not be best to tell the story in the order in which it is told +above. + +Disregarding the lead, we must cover the following details in the body +of our story: + + Description of buildings and occupants. + Origin of fire. + Discovery of fire. + Spread of flames. + Injury of Mrs. Jones. + Rescue of Hilda Schultz. + Death of MacBane. + Injury of Bond. + Fire extinguished. + +This is the order in which things occurred at the fire. However, in our +lead, we have drawn attention to our story by announcing that it +concerns a fire in which a man was killed; the death therefore should +have first place in the body of the story. Hence, in the second +paragraph immediately after the lead, we must tell how MacBane fell +through the skylight and was suffocated. Along with his death we may as +well tell how Bond broke his arm trying to rescue MacBane. Our lead has +also announced two other injuries and, hence, they must be included +next--that is, our third paragraph must be devoted to the injury of Mrs. +Jones and the rescue of the unconscious Hilda. But as yet our details +are hanging in the air because we have not said anything about the +buildings or the fire itself. In the next paragraph it would be well to +describe the buildings and their occupants and to give a very brief +account of the course of the fire--perhaps in this way: + + | Flames were first discovered in the | + |basement of the Incandescent building and| + |before the fire department arrived had | + |spread through the lower floors and into | + |the adjoining three-story building. The | + |absence of elevator shafts and air-shafts| + |enabled the firemen to extinguish the | + |blaze before it reached the upper floors.| + +This tells the main course of the fire, but there are some interesting +details to add: first, the origin of the fire; next, the discovery; then +more about how the fire spread; and lastly, how the fire was +extinguished. Our story by paragraphs would read as follows: + + 1st Paragraph--The lead. + + 2d Paragraph--Death of MacBane and injury of Bond. + + 3d Paragraph--Mrs. Jones's injury and Hilda's rescue. + + 4th Paragraph--Buildings, occupants, brief course of fire. + + 5th Paragraph--Detailed account of origin of the fire. + + 6th Paragraph--How the fire was discovered. + + 7th Paragraph--More about the spread and course of the fire. + + 8th Paragraph--How the fire was extinguished. + + 9th Paragraph--Loss, insurance, extent of damage. + +Thus, while telling the story almost in its logical order, we have +picked out the high spots of interest and crowded them to the beginning. +Our readers will get the facts just about as fast as they wish to read +them and in the order in which they wish them. Our story may be run in +nine paragraphs or even more; or the editor may slash off anything after +the fourth paragraph without taking away any of the essential facts of +the fire. This method of telling would fulfill all the requirements of +an ideal news story. A similar outline of the facts that any story must +present will often help a reporter to tell his story as it should be +told. After listing the details he may number them in their order of +importance and check them off as he has told them. + + * * * * * + +This idea of throwing the emphasis and interest to the beginning applies +to the individual paragraphs and sentences of the story, as well. Each +paragraph must begin strongly and display its most interesting content +in the first line. The emphatic part of each sentence should be the +beginning. A glance at any newspaper column shows why this is necessary. + +The body of a news story is the place for the reporter's skill and +style. He is given all the liberties of ordinary narration and should +make the most of every word. His individual style comes into play here. +If the interest can be increased by a bit of dialogue the reporter may +put it in. If the facts can be presented more effectively by means of +direct quotation, the words of any one whom the reporter has interviewed +may be of interest. However, these things must not be overworked because +every trick of writing loses its effectiveness when it is overworked. + +Dialogue used only to give facts which might be told more clearly in +simple direct form should seldom be used. Dialogue in a news story is +used only to color the story and not to reproduce the interviews by +which the facts were obtained. In gathering the facts of a story it is +sometimes necessary to interview a number of people, but these +interviews should not be quoted in the resulting story. Many a green +reporter tries to give his story character by telling what the policeman +on the corner, the janitor, and a small boy in the street told him about +the incident. He succeeds only in dragging out the length of his story +and confusing the reader. After all, the purpose of a newspaper is to +give facts--and the clearer and the more direct the method the better +will be the result. + +In striving for clearness and interest a reporter must remember that one +of his greatest assets is concreteness of expression. Of all forms of +composition newspaper writing possesses probably the greatest +opportunity for definiteness. Facts and events are its one concern; +theories and abstractions are beyond its range. Hence the more definite +and concrete its presentation of facts, the better will be its effect. +The reporter should never generalize or present his statements hazily +and uncertainly--a fact is a fact and must be presented as such. He must +try to avoid such expressions as "several," "many," "a few"--it is +usually possible to give the exact number. He must continually ask +himself "how many?" "what kind?" "exactly when?" "exactly what?" +Expressions like "about a dozen," "about thirty years old," "about a +week ago," "about a block away," are never so effective as the exact +facts and figures. Definite concrete details make a news story real and +vivid. The real reporter of news is the one who can see a thing clearly +and with every detail and present it as clearly and distinctly. + + + + +VIII + +OTHER NEWS STORIES + + +The fire story is obviously not the only news story that is printed in a +daily newspaper, but a study of its form gives us a working knowledge of +the writing of other news stories. The fire story is probably the +commonest news story, and it is by far the easiest story to handle, for +its form has become somewhat standardized. We know just exactly what our +readers want to know about each fire, and within certain limits all +fires, as well as the reports of them, are very much alike. There is +seldom more than one fact or incident that makes one fire different from +another and that fact we always seize as the feature of our report. +However, the fire story has been taken only as typical of other news +stories. Now we are ready to study the others, using the fire story as +our model in writing the others. + +There is a vast number of other stories that we must be able to write, +and they lack the convenient uniformity that fires have. Not only does +every story have a different feature, but it is concerned with a +different kind of happening. One assignment may call for the report of +an explosion, another the report of a business transaction, and another +a murder. In each one we have to get the facts and choose the most +striking fact as our feature. Never can we resort to the simple +beginning "Fire destroyed," but we must find a different beginning for +each assignment. + +Just as in the fire story, the lead of any news story is the most +important part. It must begin with the most striking part of the event +and answer the reader's _Where?_ _When?_ _How?_ _Why?_ and _Who?_ +concerning it. All the rules that apply to the fire lead apply to the +lead of any story. + +It would be impossible to classify all the news stories that a newspaper +must print. The very zest of reporting comes from the changing variety +of the work; no two assignments are ever exactly alike--if they were +only one would be worth printing. Newspapers themselves make no attempt +to classify the ordinary run of news or to work out a systematic +division of labor; a reporter may be called upon to cover a fire, a +political meeting, a murder, a business story, all in the same day. Each +one is simply a story and must be covered in the same way that all the +rest are covered--by many interviews for facts. For our study it may be +well to divide news stories into a few large groups. The groups overlap +and are not entirely distinct, but the stories in each group have some +one thing in common that may aid us in learning how to write them. At +most, the list is only a very incomplete summary of the more important +kinds of news stories and is intended to be merely a suggestive way of +supplying the student with necessary practice. + + +=1. Accidents.=--Accident stories may be anything from a sprained ankle +to a disastrous railroad wreck, but they all depend upon one element for +their interest. They are all printed because people in general are +interested in the injuries and deaths of other people--physical calamity +is the common ground in all these stories. + +The number of possible accidents is infinite, but there are some common +types that recur most often. Among these are: railroad, trolley, +railroad crossing accidents; runaways; electrocutions; explosions; +collapse of buildings; marine disasters; cave-in accidents; elevator, +automobile, aviation accidents. + +The feature of any accident story is always, of course, the thing that +made the story worth printing, and that is usually the human life +element. The feature of an accident story is almost always the number of +dead and injured. Most reports of railroad wrecks begin with "Ten +persons were killed and seventeen were injured in a wreck, etc." The +same is true of any accident story; if more than one person is killed it +is usually safe to begin with the number of fatalities. In this +connection it may be noted that the death of railroad employees seldom +makes a story worth printing; they may be included in the total number, +but if no passengers are killed, fatalities among trainmen seldom give a +story any news value. + +Accident stories of course have many other possible features; newspapers +report many accidents in which no one is killed. In that case some other +element gives the story news value and that element must be played up as +the feature. Perhaps it is the manner in which the accident happened or +the manner in which a person was killed or injured, as in an automobile +accident. The cause of the accident may be the most interesting part of +the story: train-wreckers or a broken rail in a railroad wreck, or the +cause of an explosion. Very often an accident is reported simply because +some well-known person was connected with it in some way; the name then +becomes the feature and comes into the first line. A story may be worth +printing simply because of the unusual manner of rescue; such a feature +is often played up in stories of marine accidents, cave-ins, etc. Not +infrequently some of the unusual attendant circumstances give a story +news value: e.g., a policeman dragged from his horse and run over by an +automobile while he is trying to stop a runaway. + +Here are some accident stories from the newspapers: + +Fatalities: + + | Six men were killed and a dozen | + |seriously injured early to-day by an | + |outbound Panhandle passenger train | + |crashing into the rear end of a Chicago, | + |Milwaukee and St. Paul stock train at | + |Twelfth and Rockwell streets.--_Chicago | + |Record-Herald._ | + +Manner: + + | Run down by her own automobile, which | + |she was cranking, at First and G streets,| + |northwest, Dr. Alma C. Arnold, a | + |chiropractic physician, 825 Fifteenth | + |street, northwest, was forced against the| + |wheel of a passing wagon and seriously | + |injured this morning.--_Washington | + |Times._ | + +Cause: + + | Over-balanced by a granite stone | + |weighing four tons, the entire cornice | + |over the west portico of the new west | + |wing of the capitol fell to the ground | + |this afternoon, carrying with it Daniel | + |Logan, foreman for the Woodbury Granite | + |Company.--_Madison Democrat._ | + +Attendant Circumstances: + + | With a blast that shook the entire city| + |and was believed by many to be an | + |earthquake, three boilers in the new | + |engine house of the Pabst brewery on | + |Tenth street, between Chestnut street and| + |Cold Spring avenue, exploded at about 4 | + |o'clock this morning.--_Milwaukee Free | + |Press._ | + + +=2. Robberies.=--Another large class of news stories is concerned with +robberies of various kinds. Unfortunately for the reporter, very few +robberies are alike; beyond the common ground of the interest in the +amount stolen and the cleverness of the robber's work, there is seldom +any one thing that may be looked for as the feature of a robbery story. +The reporter must decide what in the story makes it worth printing. + +Robbery stories may include anything from petty thievery to bank +defaulting. Some of the possibilities are horse and automobile stealing, +burglary, hold-ups, train and street-car robbery, embezzlement, fraud, +kidnapping, safe-cracking, shop and bank robbery. It is well for the +reporter who has to cover a story of this class to acquaint himself with +the distinctions that characterize the various kinds of robbery and the +various names applied to the people who commit this sort of crime: e.g., +robber, thief, bandit, burglar, hold-up man, thug, embezzler, defaulter, +safe-cracker, pick-pocket. + +In general the chief interest in robbery stories is in the result of +the work--the amount taken--usually accompanied by a term to designate +the sort of robbery. Just how the crime was committed is often the +feature, as in a train robbery or a clever case of fraud. If the victim +or victims are at all well known their names may become the most +interesting thing in the story--or even the name of a well-known +criminal or band of robbers. In some stories, especially if another +paper has already covered the story, the pursuit or capture of the +criminals is often interesting; the stories of bank robberies often +begin in this way. Other attendant circumstances, such as the number of +persons who witnessed the crime, may be the feature. In hold-ups, +burglaries, and crimes of that sort, the death or wounding of the victim +is often played up. Sometimes the reason for the crime, as in a +kidnapping case, is of great significance. In the case of a robbery of a +bank or any other institution which depends upon credit for its +business, the story usually begins with, or at least mentions near the +beginning, the present condition of the robbed institution. It is safe +to say that in no case is the name of the criminal, the manner of his +arrest (if it is not unusual), the police station to which he was taken, +or the charge preferred against him worth a place in the lead. + +Some robbery stories from the daily press: + +Amount taken: + + | Furs worth $40,000 were stolen in the | + |early hours of yesterday morning within a| + |stone's throw of Madison Square. | + |Apparently a gang in which there was a | + |woman expert in choosing only the best | + |furs carried off the costly skins, | + |etc.--_New York World._ | + +Manner of hold-up: + + | Seized by thugs in broad daylight as he| + |was crossing the railroad tracks at the | + |foot of First avenue east, Fred Butzer, a| + |stonemason of Butler, Minn., was thrown | + |to the ground, a gag placed in his mouth,| + |his pockets were rifled of $36.--_Duluth | + |News-Tribune._ | + +Unusual sort of pickpocket: + + | A young man in evening dress, who was | + |going down into the subway station at | + |Times Square with the theater crowd that | + |filled the entrance just outside of the | + |Hotel Knickerbocker early last night, | + |paused, knocked a woman under the chin | + |and took away her silver chatelaine purse| + |containing $20 as deftly as he might have| + |flicked the ash off his cigarette. Then | + |he disappeared.--_New York Times._ | + +Unusual thieves: + + | Two girl thieves not more than twelve | + |years old and small in stature for their | + |age have been operating with great | + |success in the different stores in the | + |neighborhood of Amsterdam avenue and | + |Seventy-ninth street. Five or six thefts,| + |etc.--_New York Telegram._ | + +Pursuit and capture: + + | After a chase along Forty-second street| + |and up the steps of the Hotel Manhattan, | + |a woman, who said she was Sadie Brown, | + |thirty-three years old, of No. 215 West | + |Forty-sixth street, was arrested early | + |today on suspicion of having picked the | + |pocket of a man at, etc.--_New York | + |Telegram._ | + +Present conditions of robbed bank (second paragraph of an embezzlement +story): + + | Banking Commissioner Watkins this | + |afternoon declared that he found the bank| + |perfectly sound, that all commercial | + |paper was found intact, that none of the | + |accounts have been juggled and that no | + |erasures of any kind were | + |discovered.--_Philadelphia Inquirer._ | + +Unusual sort of burglar: + + | Wearing a Salvation Army uniform, a | + |burglar was caught early yesterday in the| + |home of Walter Katte, a vice-president of| + |the New York Central railroad, at | + |Irvington-on-the-Hudson.--_New York | + |World._ | + + +=3. Murder.=--The reports of crimes of this sort can hardly be +classified, for there are so many things that may be worth featuring in +any murder case. The story itself is usually of such importance that the +mere fact that a murder has been committed gives it news value even if +there is nothing unusual in the crime--just as in the case of a +featureless fire story that begins with "Fire." The handling of a crime +depends upon the character and circumstances; the reporter must weigh +the facts in each case for himself. However, we usually find a feature +in the number of persons murdered, the manner in which the crime was +committed, the name of the victim, if he or she is well known, the +reason for the deed, or in some of the many attendant circumstances, +such as arrest, pursuit, etc. One rule must always be followed in the +reporting of a murder story: the reporter must confine himself to the +necessary facts and omit as many of the gruesome details as possible. He +must tell it in a cold, hard-hearted way without elaboration, for the +story in itself is gruesome enough. Just as soon as a murder story +begins to expand upon shocking details it becomes the worst sort of a +yellow story. + +Examples of murder stories from the newspapers: + +Manner: + + | After crushing in the head of his | + |superior officer with an axe, James | + |Layton, boatswain of the Liverpool | + |sailing ship Colony, refused to submit to| + |arrest, and, still waving the bloody | + |weapon, committed suicide by jumping into| + |the sea.--_New York Mail._ | + +Motive: + + | In revenge for a beating he received | + |the day before, Gaetona Ambrifi yesterday| + |shot and instantly killed Frank | + |Ricciliano, a sub-section foreman on the | + |Pennsylvania Railroad, while they were | + |working on the roadbed near Peddle | + |street, Newark.--_New York Sun._ | + +Prominent name: + + | Mayor William J. Gaynor of New York | + |City was shot and seriously, perhaps | + |fatally, wounded on board the steamer | + |Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse at 9:30 as he | + |was sailing for Europe. | + +Resulting pursuit: + + | The police of Brooklyn have another | + |murder mystery to unravel through the | + |finding early today of the body of Peter | + |Barilla on Lincoln road, near Nostrand | + |avenue, Flatbush. There were two bullet | + |wounds in the body and four stab wounds | + |in the back.--_Brooklyn Eagle._ | + +Attendant circumstances: + + | A hundred or more persons who were | + |about to take trains witnessed the | + |shooting to death of a Jersey City | + |business man in the Pennsylvania Railroad| + |station there this afternoon.--_New York | + |Mail._ | + + +=4. Suicide.=--What is true of murder stories is also true of suicide. +Each individual case has an unusual feature of its own. We ordinarily +find a good beginning in the manner of the suicide, the name of the +person who has killed himself if he is well known, the reason for the +act, or some one of the attendant circumstances--often the manner of +resuscitation if the crime is unsuccessful. For some unexplained reason +many papers do not print accounts of ordinary suicides, except when the +individual is prominent. At any rate the story must be told without +gruesome details and as briefly as possible. + +Examples from the press: + +Name: + + | William L. Murray of Rockview avenue, | + |North Plainfield, paying teller of the | + |Empire Trust Company of New York, | + |committed suicide at Scotch Plains early | + |this afternoon by shooting himself in the| + |head. No reason is assigned for the | + |act.--_New York Sun._ | + +Motive: + + | Driven insane by continued brooding | + |over ill health, Miss Ada Emerson, a | + |former teacher in the Beloit city | + |schools, killed herself in a crowded | + |interurban car Saturday afternoon by | + |slashing her throat with a | + |razor.--_Beloit Free Press._ | + +Here the manner is the feature, but it is not played up in the first +line because it is too horrible. + + +=5. Big Stories.=--The big stories of catastrophes are usually handled +on a large scale--played up, as the newspaper men say. The story in +itself is of sufficient importance to make it unnecessary to play up any +single feature of the story. However, the reporter, in looking for a +good beginning, often finds it in the most startling fact in the story. +If he is reporting a riot he usually begins with the number of killed +or injured, the amount of property destroyed, the character of the riot, +or the cause, as in this example: + + | In an effort to bring about the | + |reinstatement of one of their number who | + |had been discharged for non-unionism, a | + |hundred or more journeymen bakers wrecked| + |the bakeshop of Pincus Jacobs, at No. | + |1571 Lexington avenue, early this | + |morning.--_New York Evening Post._ | + +In the case of a storm the human life element is of greatest importance, +then the damage to property, and last, the peculiar circumstances. For +example: + + | CLEVELAND, Dec. 11.--Fifty-nine lives | + |were the cost of a storm which passed | + |over Lake Erie Wednesday night and | + |Thursday, and more than $1,000,000 worth | + |of vessel property was destroyed.--_New | + |York Evening Post._ | + +If the story is concerned with a flood the human-life element is first, +then the damage, the cause, the freaks of the flood, or the present +situation. For example: + + | PARKERSBURG, W. Va., March 10.--Three | + |persons are known to have perished in a | + |flood which swept down upon the city on | + |Friday when two water reservoirs on | + |Prospect Hill burst without warning. | + |Forty houses were destroyed and many | + |persons are missing. The property damage | + |will be nearly $500,000. | + + +=6. Police Court News.=--The ordinary run of police court news is in a +class by itself. Usually the only news value in the story depends upon +some unusual incident or circumstance that attracts the attention of the +reporter. This is of course the source of many of the stories of crime, +mentioned before, but many stories turn up at the police courts which +are not concerned with crime, although in some cases they are concerned +with criminals. In this field of reporting there are many opportunities +for the human-interest story which will be taken up in a later chapter. +When the incident is reported in an ordinary news story the feature is +usually in some attendant circumstance and the story might well be +classed with one of the above groups. Here are two examples from the +daily press: + + | Because he did not have sufficient | + |money to buy flowers for his sweetheart, | + |Henry Trupke, aged 21 years, forged a | + |check for $22.50 on a grocer, J. | + |Sieberlich, 781 Third street, and after a| + |week's chase was caught last night as he | + |got off a Wisconsin Central | + |train.--_Milwaukee Sentinel._ | + + | But a few hours before receiving a | + |sentence of two years in the house of | + |correction for stealing furs from the | + |store of Lohse Bros., 117 Wisconsin | + |street, John Garner, self-confessed | + |thief, was married to Rose Strean, one | + |of the witnesses in the case, which was | + |tried yesterday in the municipal | + |court.--_Milwaukee Free Press._ | + + +=7. Reports of Meetings, Conferences, Decisions, etc.=--This group +includes all reports of meetings, or conferences, of bodies of any sort, +political or otherwise, reports of judicial or legislative hearings or +decisions, or announcements of resolutions passed. Such as: + + | WASHINGTON, Jan. 15.--Acquisition of | + |the telegraph lines by the government and| + |their operation as a part of the postal | + |system is the latest idea of Postmaster | + |General Hitchcock. Announcement was made | + |today that a resolution to this effect | + |will be offered to Congress at the | + |present session.--_Wisconsin State | + |Journal._ | + +There is always one thing in these stories that gives them news +value--the purpose or result of the conference, hearing, or +announcement. This purpose or result, of course, must be played up. The +one point that the reporter should remember is that a well-written lead +begins with the result or purpose of the meeting or announcement rather +than with the name of the meeting or the name of the body that makes the +announcement. Never begin a story thus: "At a meeting of the Press Club +held in the Auditorium last night it was resolved that----" Transpose +the sentence and begin with a statement of what was resolved. In the +following story the order is wrong: + + | The Supreme Court of the United States,| + |through the opinion delivered by Justice | + |Vandevanter, today declared | + |constitutional the employers' liability | + |law of 1908. | + +The import of the decision is buried; it should be written thus: + + | The employers' liability law of 1908 | + |was today declared constitutional by the | + |Supreme Court of the United States. | + |Justice Vandevanter delivered the opinion| + |of the court, made in four cases. | + +In these stories, as in all other news stories, the lead must begin with +the fact or statement that gives the story news value. Burying this fact +or statement behind two or three lines of explanation spoils the +effectiveness of the lead. A student of journalism may gain very good +practice in the writing of news stories by looking over the leads that +appear in the daily papers and transposing those leads which bury their +news behind explanations. The first line of type in a lead is like a +shop's show window and it must not be used for the display of packing +cases. + + +=8. Stories on Other Printed Matter.=--A large part of a newspaper's +space, especially in smaller cities, is devoted to stories based on +printed bulletins, announcements, city directories, legislative bills, +and published reports of various kinds. Sometimes a news story is +written upon a pamphlet that was issued for advertising +purposes--because there is some news in it. In all of these stories the +reporter must look through the pamphlet to find something of news value +or something that has a significant relation to other news. Smaller +papers often print stories on the new city directory; the increase or +decrease in population is treated as news and a very interesting story +may be written on a comparison of the names in the directory. In +university towns the appearance of a new university catalog or bulletin +of any sort is the occasion for a story which points out the new +features or compares the new bulletin with a previous one. Reporters and +correspondents in political centers, like state capitals, get out +stories on committee and legislative reports and on new bills that are +proposed or passed by the legislature. The writing of these stories is +very much like the reporting of a speech, which will be discussed later. +The newest or most interesting feature in the report or bill is played +up in the lead as the feature of the story, followed by the source of +the story, the printed bulletin upon which the story is based; thus: + + | A new plan for placing the control of | + |all water power in the state in the hands| + |of the legislature was proposed in the | + |minority report of Senators J. B. Smith | + |and L. C. Blake, of the special | + |legislative committee on drainage, issued| + |today. | + +These eight classes of news stories do not include all the news stories +that a newspaper prints, but they are in a way typical of all the others +that are not mentioned. It will be noted from these that all news +stories, just like the fire story, are usually written in about the same +way. Each one has a lead which begins with the feature of the +story--i.e., the fact or incident in the story which gives it news value +and makes it of interest--and concludes by answering the reader's +questions, when, where, who, how, why, concerning the feature. Each +story begins again after the lead, and in one or more paragraphs +explains, describes, or narrates the incident in detail and in logical +order. This body of the story which follows the lead, while following in +general the logical order, is so written that its most interesting facts +are near the beginning and its interest dwindles away toward the end. +This is to enable the editor in making up his paper, to take away from +the end of any story, as we have seen before, a paragraph or more +without spoiling the story's continuity or depriving it of any of its +essential facts. The form of the conventional fire story may be used as +a model in the writing of any news story. + +In writing the body of a story to explain, describe, or narrate the +incident mentioned in the lead, every effort should be directed toward +clearness. This is particularly true of stories which are in the main +narrations of action. The number of facts that may be included must +depend upon the length of the story; if all of the facts cannot be +included without overburdening the story, cut out some of the details of +lesser importance, but treat those that are included in a clear readable +way. Short sentences are always much better in newspaper writing than +long involved sentences. Pronouns should always be used in such a way +that there can be no doubt in regard to their antecedents. If a +relative clause or participial expression sounds awkward make a separate +sentence of it. In other words, be simple, concise, and clear--that is +better in a newspaper than much fine writing. + + + + +IX + +FOLLOW-UP AND REWRITE STORIES + + +The terms "rewrite story" and "follow-up, or follow, story," are names +which newspaper men apply to the rehashed or revised versions of other +news stories. A large newspaper office employs one or more rewrite men +who spend their entire time rewriting stories. To be sure, a part of +their work consists of rewriting, or simply recasting, poorly written +copy prepared by the reporters. But the major part of their work, the +part that interests us, involves something more than that. It involves +the rejuvenation of stories that have been printed in a previous edition +or in another paper, with the purpose of bringing the news up to the +present moment. + +News ages very rapidly. What may be news for one edition is no longer +news when another edition goes to press an hour later. A feature that +may be worth playing up in a morning paper would not have the same news +value in an evening paper of the same day. The news grows stale so +quickly because new things are continually happening and new +developments are continually changing the aspect of previous stories. +If a story has been run through two or three editions and new +developments have changed it, the story is turned over to a rewrite man +for consequent alteration. A story in a morning paper is no longer news +for an evening paper of the same date, but a clever rewrite man, with or +without new developments added to the story, can recast it so that it +will appear to contain more recent news than the original story. The +story of an arrest in a morning paper begins with the particulars of the +arrest; but when the evening paper's rewrite man has rearranged it for +his paper it has become the story of the trial or the police court +hearing which followed the arrest. Perhaps the evening paper sends a man +to get the later developments in the case, but every rewrite man knows +the steps that always follow an arrest and he can rewrite the original +story without additional information. His account of the later +developments is called either a rewrite or a follow-up story, depending +upon the method employed. The same fundamental idea of rejuvenating the +former story governs the preparation of both the rewrite and the +follow-up story, but while the rewrite story contains no additional +news, the follow-up presents later facts in addition to the old news. + + +=1. The Rewrite Story.=--The rewrite story is primarily a rehashing of a +previous news story without additional facts. It attempts to give a new +twist to old facts in order to bring them nearer to the present time. +Without the aid of later facts the rewrite man can only select a new +feature and revise the old facts. For example, suppose that a $100,000 +grain elevator burns during the night. The fire would make a big story +in a city of moderate size and the papers next morning would treat it at +length. If no one were killed or injured the story would probably begin +with a simple announcement of the fire in a lead of this kind: + + | Fire destroyed the grain elevator of | + |the H. P. Jones Produce Company, First | + |and Water streets, and $50,000 worth of | + |wheat at 2 o'clock this morning. The | + |total loss is estimated at $150,000. | + +Then the reporter would describe the fire at length, including all +obtainable facts. By afternoon almost every one in the city has read the +story--and yet the afternoon papers must print something about the big +fire. If no new facts can be obtained the previous story must be +rehashed and presented with a new feature that will make it appear to be +a later story. It is useless to begin the evening story with a mere +announcement of the fire, for that is no longer news, and the rewrite +man must find a new beginning to attract the attention of his readers. +Perhaps in looking over the morning story, he finds that the fire was +the result of spontaneous combustion in the grain stored in the +elevator. In the morning story this fact was rather insignificant in the +face of the huge loss, and most readers passed over it hastily. The +rewrite man, however, who has no later facts at his command, may seize +it as a new feature. Instead of beginning his story with the fact of the +fire, which is already known, he begins with the cause, which appears to +be later news. His lead may be as follows: + + | Spontaneous combustion in the wheat | + |bins of the H. P. Jones Produce Company's| + |elevator, First and Water streets, | + |started the fire which destroyed the | + |entire structure with a loss of $150,000 | + |this morning. | + +Or if the rewrite man is not so fortunate as to discover a new feature +as good as this, he may have to resort to beginning with a picture of +the present results of the fire--thus: + + | Smouldering ruins and a tangled mass of| + |steel beams are all that remain of the H.| + |P. Jones Produce Company's $100,000 | + |grain elevator, First and Water streets, | + |which was destroyed by fire this morning.| + +It will be noticed that, while these new rewrite leads begin with a new +feature, each new lead contains all the facts presented in the previous +lead and is told with an eye to the man who has not read the earlier +account. After the lead the rewrite man retells the whole story for the +benefit of readers who did not see the morning papers and rearranges the +facts so that they appear new to those who read the previous stories. +Facts which the other papers buried he unearths and displays; details +which appear to be later developments he crowds to the beginning. The +whole story is sorted and rewritten in a new order and with a new +emphasis. The result is a rewrite story which appears to be later, +although it contains no new facts at all. It is seldom, of course, that +such a rewrite story is used for local news, for very rarely is it +impossible for a later paper to discover new facts. But in the case of +news from the outside world, from other cities, the simple method of +rehashing old facts must often be resorted to. If the story is based +upon a single dispatch announcing an earthquake in Hawaii or a shipwreck +in mid-ocean, many rewrite stories must be printed on the same facts +before another message brings later news and additional details. An +example of this is the treatment of the first few stories of the wreck +of the White Star liner _Titanic_. The story was a big one, but the +first dispatches were very meager and many rehashings of these few facts +had to be printed before later and more definite news could be obtained. + +The simple rewriting of an old story ordinarily involves a condensation +of the facts. If a morning paper printed two thousand words on the grain +elevator fire above, an afternoon paper of the same day would hardly +treat the story at such length. For the story is no longer big news. If +a story has run through the first editions of a morning paper it would +be cut down, as well as rehashed, in the later editions of the same +paper. The story of the fire loses its initial burst of interest after +the first printing, and only the essential facts and the facts that can +be rejuvenated can be reprinted. The 2,000-word version in the morning +paper may be worth only five hundred words or less four hours later. + + +=2. The Follow-up Story.=--If new facts are added to a story between +editions the new version is no longer a simple rewrite story. It becomes +a follow-up story, for it follows up the subsequent developments in the +previous story and corresponds to the second or succeeding installments +of a serial novel in which each installment begins with a synopsis of +previous chapters. For example, if, in the grain elevator fire story, +the body of a watchman were found in the ruins after the morning papers +have gone to press, the story would immediately have a different news +value for the evening papers. The story of the big fire is old, but the +discovery of the body is new. Hence the rewrite man would begin with the +later development--perhaps thus: + + | The body of a watchman was found this | + |afternoon in the ruins of the H. P. Jones| + |Produce elevator, which burned to the | + |ground this morning with a loss of | + |$150,000. | + +The new story, while retelling the principal facts in the previous +account, would give prominence to the latest news, the discovery of the +body. As an example from a newspaper, let us take the follow-up of a +murder mystery. The first stories on this murder simply said that a +grocer had been found dead in the cellar of his store and murder had +been suggested. The follow-up on the next day (printed here) deals with +a new development--has a new feature--and carries the story one step +further in the attempt to unravel the mystery: + + | Developments yesterday in the story of | + |the killing of James White, the Park | + |street grocer, tended to support the | + |contention of Coroner Donalds and the | + |police that White was not murdered, but | + |died by his own hand. | + + +=3. Analysis.=--So far we have treated the rewrite story and the +follow-up story separately, but for the purposes of analysis and study +they may be treated together, because the same fundamental idea governs +both. Dissection of the follow-up story will also show us what the +rewrite story is made of. + +From the above clippings it will be seen that the lead of the follow-up +story is very much like that of any news story. The lead has its feature +in the first line and answers the reader's questions concerning that +feature. It is simply a new story written on an old subject which has +been given a new feature to make it appear new. Furthermore, it will be +noticed that the lead of the follow-up story is complete in itself, +without the original story that preceded it. Although the whole idea of +the follow story is based on the supposition that all readers have read +every edition of the paper and are therefore acquainted with the +original story, yet for the benefit of those readers who have not read +the previous story, the follow-up must be complete and clear in itself. +New facts are introduced into the follow story, but its lead tells the +main facts of the original story so that no reader will be at loss to +understand what it is all about--in other words, it gives a synopsis of +previous chapters. In many follow-up stories the new developments are +supplemented by an entire retelling of the original story. This is +especially true when one paper is rewriting a story which broke too late +for its preceding edition and was covered by a rival paper. At any rate, +every follow-up story, like every other news story, must be so +constructed as to stand by itself without previous explanation. + + | Of the 142 bodies of victims of the | + |Triangle Waist Company's fire on | + |Saturday, that had been taken to the | + |morgue up to noon yesterday when it was | + |decided that all the dead had been | + |recovered, all but 45 had been identified| + |today. | + +This is a follow-up of a story two days before. Every reader of the +paper probably knew everything that had been printed previously about +the fire, and yet this lead very carefully recalls the fire to the +reader's mind. Later in the story the principal facts of the original +story are retold as if they were new and unknown. + +It is interesting to see what in any given newspaper story can be +followed up for a later story. The would-be reporter may get good +practice in writing follow-up stories from the mere attempt to study out +the next step in any given new story. With this next step as his feature +he may try to write a follow-up story without additional information, +and then compare it with other follow-up stories. For every news story +contains within it clues to what may be expected to follow. + +When any serious fire occurs certain additional facts may always be +expected to follow. The finding of more dead, the unravelling of a +mysterious origin, the re-statement of the loss, and the present +condition of the injured are some of the possibilities that a rewrite +man considers when he tries to prepare a follow-up story on a fire. The +Washington Place fire in New York on March 25, 1911, furnished admirable +material for the study of the rewriting of fire stories. The fire +occurred on Saturday afternoon too late for anything but the Sunday +editions. The original story as it appeared in the Sunday papers and the +Monday issues, of papers which had no Sunday editions, began like this: + + | One hundred and forty-one persons are | + |dead as a result of a fire which on | + |Saturday afternoon swept the three upper | + |floors of the factory loft building at | + |the northwest corner of Washington place | + |and Greene street. More than | + |three-quarters of this number are women | + |and girls, who were employed in the | + |Triangle Shirt Waist factory, where the | + |fire originated.--_Boston Transcript, | + |Monday._ | + +The Monday stories on the fire followed up various phases as shown in +the following. Each one while indicating that the story was a follow-up +retold the principal incidents in the fire. + + | The death list in the Washington place | + |and Greene street fire was swelled today | + |to 145, a majority of the victims being | + |young girls.--_Monday morning--second | + |story._ | + + | At dawn today it was estimated that | + |25,000 persons had visited the temporary | + |morgue on the covered pier at the foot of| + |East Twenty-sixth street, set aside to | + |receive the bodies of those who perished | + |in the Washington place fire on Saturday | + |afternoon.--_Monday morning--second | + |story._ | + + | The horror of the fire in the ten-story| + |loft building at Washington place and | + |Greene street late Saturday afternoon, | + |with its heavy toll of human lives, grows| + |blacker each succeeding hour.--_Monday | + |afternoon._ | + + | Of the 142 bodies in the morgue as a | + |result of the Triangle Shirt Waist | + |factory fire, all but fifty had been | + |identified this morning.--_Monday | + |afternoon._ | + +On Tuesday other lines opened up for the rewrite man: + + | Sifting down the great mass of | + |testimony at their disposal, city and | + |county officials hoped today to draw | + |closer to the source of responsibility | + |for Saturday's factory fire horror in | + |which 142 persons lost their lives. | + |Investigations started | + |yesterday.--_Tuesday afternoon._ | + + | With all but twenty-eight of the | + |victims of the Triangle Shirt Waist | + |factory horror identified, District | + |Attorney Whitman continues steadily | + |compiling evidence. Funerals for scores | + |of victims are being held today, while | + |the relief fund, etc.--_Tuesday | + |afternoon._ | + + | Borough President McAneny of Manhattan,| + |the district attorney's staff, the fire | + |marshal, the coroner and the state labor | + |department are bending every energy | + |toward fixing the blame for the loss of | + |the 142 lives in the, etc.--_Tuesday | + |afternoon._ | + + | Union labor, horrified by the full | + |realization that the waste of human life | + |in the Triangle Waist factory fire might | + |have been saved had existing laws been | + |enforced, today arranged for a monster | + |demonstration of protest, etc.--_Tuesday | + |afternoon._ | + +And so the stories ran for many days until newspaper readers had lost +all interest in the fire. Most of the stories were simply retellings of +the original story with a new bit of information in the lead. People +were ravenous for more details about the fire and the follow stories +supplied them until they were satisfied. Rarely is a fire worth so many +retellings. + +A serious accident is often followed up in one or more editions. If many +people are killed or injured, the revised list of dead or the present +condition of the injured always furnishes material for a follow-up. +Sometimes the fixing of the blame, as in a railroad accident, or other +resulting features are used as the basis of the rewriting. + +In the case of a robbery the commonest material for a follow-up story is +the resulting pursuit or capture. Very often a final report of the loss, +the present condition of a robbed bank or public institution, or perhaps +the regaining of the booty, makes a feature for a new story. But usually +the follow-up is concerned with the pursuit, capture, or trial. This is +especially true if the original story has been told by an earlier paper +and another later paper wishes to print a more up-to-date story on the +robbery, such as: + + | MINOCQUA, Wis., Oct. 22.--It now begins| + |to look as if the bandits who robbed the | + |State Bank of Minocqua early Tuesday | + |morning would make their escape with the | + |booty. (This is followed by a re-telling | + |of the entire story of the robbery and an| + |account of the pursuit.) | + +The most usual follow-up of a murder story is interested in the pursuit, +capture, or trial of the perpetrator of the deed. For example: + + | Following the discovery of the body of | + |Pietro Barilla, an Italian, of Woodhaven,| + |Long Island, who was stabbed to death by | + |four men, presumably Black Hand members, | + |in Lincoln Road, near Flatbush, early | + |yesterday morning, the police arrested | + |three men yesterday. | + +Very often the present condition of the victim of an attempted murder +calls for a new story. The stories following the attempted murder of +Mayor Gaynor of New York are good examples of the latter. If a mystery +surrounds the crime a possible solution is grounds for a new story. The +stories which might follow the unraveling of the mystery surrounding the +fictitious death of the grocer, mentioned at the beginning of this +chapter, would be second-day murder stories. The original story, let us +say, was something like this: + + | James White, a groceryman, was found | + |dying yesterday with a bullet wound in | + |his abdomen, in the cellar of his grocery| + |store at 1236 Park street. | + +The next story on the murder would be concerned with the unraveling of +the mystery, thus: + + | The preliminary inquiry yesterday by | + |Coroner John F. Donalds, into the | + |mysterious death of James White, the Park| + |street grocer, resulted in the conclusion| + |that White was murdered. | + +And so the stories might run on day after day following the solution of +the case like the succeeding chapters of a continued novel, and each one +gives the synopsis of the preceding chapters in its lead, as every good +follow-up story should do. + +Suicide stories seldom offer material for follow-up stories unless there +is some mystery surrounding the case. Sometimes the present condition of +a resuscitated victim of attempted suicide or the disposition of the +estate of a suicide offers material for rewriting. + +Serious storms and floods are usually followed up for several days. +Readers are always interested in the present condition of the devastated +region. Very often the list of dead and injured is revised from day to +day, and any attempt to lend aid to the unfortunate victims is always a +reason for a later story. + +Any meetings, conferences, trials, conventions, or the like must be +followed up day by day with succeeding stories. Each story is complete +in itself, but each one adds one more chapter to the report of the +meeting. This method of following a continued proceeding calls for a +series of follow-up stories; examples of the stories that follow a +continued legal trial will be given later under Court Reporting. + + * * * * * + +Many other illustrations might be given of follow-up stories that appear +daily in the newspapers. In the last analysis, the follow-up or the +rewrite story is nothing more than an ordinary news story, and as such +must be written in the same way. It begins with a lead which plays up a +feature and answers the reader's questions about the subject; the body +of the story runs along like the body of any news story. But it is +different in being a later chapter of a previous account; while complete +in itself, it must not only indicate the previous story, but must tell +its most important facts for readers who may have missed the previous +story. It is simply a news story which is tied to a previous story by a +string of cause and effect. + + +=4. Following Up Related Subjects.=--In this connection it may be well +to mention another kind of follow-up story that is usually written in +connection with big news events. It is written to develop and follow up +side lines of interest growing out of the main story. In its most usual +form it is a statistical summary of events similar to the great event of +the day--such as similar fires, similar railroad wrecks, etc., in the +past. Any big story attracts so much attention among newspaper readers +that the facts at hand are usually not sufficient to supply the public's +demand for information on the subject. To satisfy these demands editors +develop lines of interest growing out of the main event. They interview +people concerning the event and concerning similar events; they describe +similar events that have taken place in the past; they summarize and +compare similar events in the past--in short, they follow up every line +of interest opened up by the big story and write stories on the result. +These stories are of the nature of follow-up stories in that they grow +out of, and develop, the main story in its greatest extent. + +For example, the wreck of the ocean liner _Titanic_ called for +innumerable side stories because the public's interest demanded more +facts than the newspapers had at hand to supply. Hence, the papers wrote +up similar shipwrecks in the past, gathered together summaries of the +world's greatest shipwrecks, interviewed people who had been in any way +connected with shipwrecks or with any phase of this shipwreck, described +glaciers and icebergs, estimated the depth of the ocean where the +_Titanic_ sank, described the White Star liner and other liners, +pictured real or imaginary shipwrecks, and developed every other related +subject. The real news in all this mass of material was very meager, but +the related stories satisfied the greedy public and helped newspaper +readers to understand and to picture the real significance of the meager +news. + +In the same way a disastrous fire, like the burning of the Iroquois +Theater, calls for innumerable outgrowing stories. Even when the event +reported in the main news story is not sufficiently important to call +for related stories, it is often accompanied by a list (usually put in a +box at the head of the story) of other similar events and their results. +These follow-up stories of related subjects are, in form, very much like +feature stories, although they usually conform to the follow-up idea of +mentioning in their leads the main news event to which they are +related. + + + + +X + +REPORTS OF SPEECHES + + +Every profession has its disagreeable tasks; journalism has perhaps more +disagreeable tasks than any other profession. All of a reporter's work +is not concerned with running down thrilling stories and writing them up +in a whirl of breathless interest. Our readers demand other kinds of +news, and it is the reporter's task to satisfy them faithfully. There is +probably no phase of the work that is quite so irksome as the reporting +of speeches, lectures, sermons, etc., and there is probably no phase of +the work about which most reporters have fewer definite rules or ideas. +Read the reports of the same speech in two different papers and note the +difference. They seldom contain the same things and more seldom do they +tell what the speaker said, in the way and the spirit in which he said +it. It is irksome work and difficult work to condense an hour's talk +into three stickfuls, and few reporters know exactly how to go about +it. + +The report of a speech or a sermon or a lecture may come to a newspaper +office in one of two ways. A copy of it may be sent to the paper or the +reporter may have to go to hear the address and take notes on it. Very +often the speaker kindly sends a printed or typewritten copy of his +speech to the editor a few days in advance with the permission to +release it--or print it--on a certain date, after the speech has been +delivered in public. If the speech is to be printed in full, the task is +a mere matter of editing and does not trouble the reporter. Very few +speeches receive so much space. The others must be condensed and put in +shape for printing. + +After all, the usual way to get a speech is to go to the public delivery +of the speech and bring back a report of it. At first sight this is a +difficult task and green reporters come back with a very poor resume. +However, a word or two of advice from the editor or some bitter +experience eases the way. Some advice may be given here to prepare the +would-be reporter beforehand. + +Some reporters who know shorthand prefer to make a stenographic report +of the entire speech and rearrange and condense it in the office. This +method is advisable only in the case of speeches of the greatest +importance; it is too laborious for ordinary purposes, since the account +includes at most only a part of the speech. The best way, doubtless, to +get a speech is to take notes on it. And yet this must be done properly +or there is a danger of misinterpretation of statements or of undue +emphasis upon any single part of the speech. The report of a speech +should be as well balanced and logical as the speech itself, differing +from the original only in length and the omission of details. The speech +report must be accurate and truthful or the speaker may appear at the +office in a day or two with blood in his eye. A few rules may be +suggested as an aid to accuracy and truthfulness. + +In the first place, do not try to get all the speech; do not try to get +more than a small part of it--the important part. There are two ways of +doing this. If the speech is well arranged and orderly it is easy to +tell when the speaker has finished one sub-division and is beginning +another. Each division and subdivision will naturally contain a topic +sentence. Watch for the topic sentences and get them down with the +briefest necessary explanation to make them clear. Political speeches or +impromptu talks are, on the other hand, not always so logically +arranged. Sometimes it is possible to get the topic sentences, but more +often it is not. Then watch for the interesting or striking statements. +You will be aided in this by the audience about you. Whenever the +speaker says anything unusually striking or of more than ordinary +interest the audience will show it by signs of assent or dissent. Watch +for these signs, even for applause--and take down the statement that was +the cause. If the statement interested the original audience it will +interest your readers. Naturally, mere oratorical trivialities must not +be mistaken for striking statements. + +When you get back to the office to write up the report of the speech you +will feel the need of direct quotations--in fact, the length of your +report will be determined by the number of direct quotations that you +have to use in it--as well as by editorial dictum. It would be entirely +wrong to quote any expressions of your own because they are somewhat +like the speaker's statements, and it is impossible to quote anything +less than a complete sentence in the report of a speech. Hence you will +need complete sentences taken down verbatim in the exact words of the +speaker. Make it a point to get complete sentences as you listen to the +speech. Whenever a striking statement or an interesting part of the +speech seems worth putting in your story get it down completely. You +will find yourself writing most of the time because, while you are +writing down one important sentence, the speaker will be uttering +several more in explanation and may say something else of interest +before you have finished writing down his first statement. Strict +attention, a quick pencil, and a good memory are needed for this kind of +work, but the reporting of speeches will lose its terrors after you have +had a very small amount of practice. + +Just as any news story begins with a lead and plays up its most striking +fact in the first line, the report of a speech usually begins with the +speaker's most striking or most important statement. As you are +listening to his words watch for something striking for the +lead--something that will catch the reader's eye and interest him. But +you must exercise great care in selecting the statement for the lead. +Theoretically and practically it must be something in strict accordance +with the entire content of the speech and, if possible, it should be the +one statement that sums up the whole speech in the most concise way. +Somewhere in the discourse, at the beginning, at the end, or in some +emphatic place, the speaker will usually sum up his complete ideas on +the subject in a striking, concise way. Watch for this summary and get +it down for the lead. However, there may be times when this summary, +though concise, will be of little interest to the average reader and you +will be forced to use some other striking statement. Then it is +perfectly permissible to take any striking statement in the speech and +use it for the lead, provided that the statement is directly connected +with the rest of the discourse. But be fair to the speaker. Do not play +up some chance remark as illustrative of the entire utterance; don't +bring in an aside as the most interesting thing in his speech. If a +preacher forgets himself to the extent of expressing a chance political +opinion, it would obviously be unfair to him for you to play up that +remark as the summary of his sermon. Your readers would get a false +impression and the preacher would be angry. If he considers the chance +remark of real importance in his sermon he will back it up with other +statements that will give you an excuse for using it. In brief, watch +for the most interesting and most striking statement in the entire +speech, and in selecting this statement be fair and just and try to +avoid giving a false impression of the speaker or of the speech. If you +follow this rule you will never be in any danger of getting your paper +into difficulties. + +Another rule in reporting lectures, speeches, etc., applies to the +writing of all newspaper stories. Write your report at once while the +speech is still fresh in your mind. Your report must preserve the logic +and continuity of the speech--it must be a fair resume. Your notes will +be at best mere jottings of chance sentences here and there. Do not +allow them to get cold and lose their continuity. Write the report at +once. + + * * * * * + +The writing of the report of a speech, lecture, or sermon is the same +whether it is taken from a printed or stenographic copy of the discourse +or from notes. It is perhaps easier to write from your notes because you +have the important parts of the speech picked out, ready for use, by the +aid of the rest of the audience. Before you can resume a printed copy of +the speech you must go through it and pick out the important sentences +which you wish to quote and decide upon the most striking statement for +the lead. There is no definite rule that can be followed in this except +to take the topic sentences whenever they are stated with sufficient +clearness. When you have decided on the statements that you wish to +quote you have really reduced the speech to a form practically identical +with the notes taken from verbal utterance, and the writing in either +case is the same. + +The lead of the report is very much like the lead of any other news +story--for the report of a speech is really a news story. As soon as the +speech is mentioned, the reader unconsciously asks a number of questions +about it and the reporter must answer them in the first sentence. As in +any other news story the questions are: _What?_ _Who?_ _Where?_ _When?_ +and perhaps _How?_ and _Why?_ Reduced to the case of the speech report, +they amount to what did he say, who said it, where did he say it, when, +and perhaps how and why did he say it. You may answer the _what_ by +giving the subject of the discourse or by giving a striking statement in +it. In every report the answer to some one of the questions is of +greater interest and must be placed in the first line. If the speaker is +of more than ordinary prominence his name makes a good beginning. If an +ordinary person makes a speech at some meeting of prominence the _when_ +or _where_ takes precedence over his name. But in most cases the +reporter will find that none of these things is of sufficient importance +for the beginning. Most public utterances that he will be called upon to +report will be made by ordinary men in ordinary places and at ordinary +times, and the most interesting part of the story will be what was said. +Sometimes it suffices to give the title of the speech, but more often a +striking statement from the speech makes the best beginning. However, +although the speaker, the time, the place, etc., are overshadowed in +importance by the subject or content of what the speaker says, they must +be included in the same sentence with the title or striking statement. +That is, in short, we catch the reader's interest with a striking +statement from the speech and then delay the rest of the report while we +tell who said it, when, where, etc. The necessity of this is obvious. + +In accordance with the foregoing there are several possible ways in +which to begin the lead of the report of any speech. It would be wrong +to say that any one is more common or better than the others; the choice +of the beginning must rest with the reporter. And yet there are various +things to be noted in connection with each of these beginnings. + + +=1. Direct Quotation Beginning.--Sentence.=--The quotation that is to +have the first line must of course be the most striking or the most +interesting statement in the speech. If it consists of a single +sentence--and it cannot be less than a sentence--the report may begin +thus: + + | "Participation in government is not | + |only the privilege, but the right, of | + |every American citizen and should be | + |considered a duty," said the Rev. | + |Frederick W. Hamilton, president of Tufts| + |College, who spoke on "The Political | + |Duties of the American Citizen" at the | + |monthly men's neighborhood meeting in the| + |Roxbury Neighborhood House last | + |night.--_Boston Herald._ | + +Here the reporter has given us a sentence that is practically a summary +of the speech, has told us who said it, when and where, and has +completed the paragraph with the title of the speech. Sometimes the +title of the speech is not of great importance and its place in the lead +may be given to a little summary as in the following: + + | "The modern man isn't afraid of hell," | + |was the concise explanation which W. | + |Lathrop Meaker gave in Franklin Union | + |Hall yesterday afternoon and evening of | + |the fact that the churches are losing | + |their grip on the average man.--_New York| + |Sun._ | + +A question which embodies the content of a speech may often be quoted at +the beginning; thus: + + | "Will the Baptist church continue to | + |maintain an attitude of timidity when | + |John D. Rockefeller of Standard Oil is | + |mentioned?" asked the Rev. R. A. Bateman,| + |from East Jaffrey, N. H., of the | + |ministers assembled in Ford Hall last | + |evening at the New England Baptist | + |conference.--_Boston Herald._ | + +The opening quotation may sometimes be made an excuse for a brief +description of the speaker or his gestures as in the following. This is +good at times but it may easily be overworked or become "yellow" in +tone. + + | "There is no fire escape," remarked | + |Gypsy Smith, the famous English | + |evangelist, yesterday before the | + |fashionable audience of the Fifth Avenue | + |Baptist Church. He held aloft a Bible as | + |he made this declaration during an | + |eloquent sermon on the possibility of | + |losing faith and wandering from the | + |narrow way.--_New York World._ | + + +=2. Direct Quotation Beginning.--Paragraph.=--You notice that in each of +the foregoing the quoted sentence is incorporated grammatically into the +first sentence of the lead. It is followed by a comma and the words +"said Mr. ----," "was the statement of ----," "declared Mr. ----," etc. +This construction is possible only when the quoted sentence is short and +simple. When it is long or complex, it is well to paragraph it +separately and to put the explanations in a separate paragraph, thus: + + | "If the United States had possessed in | + |1898 a single dirigible balloon, even of | + |the size of the one now at Fort Myer, | + |Virginia, which cost less than $10,000, | + |the American army and navy would not have| + |long remained in doubt of the presence of| + |Cervera's fleet in Santiago harbor." | + | | + |This statement was made today by Major | + |G. O. Squier, assistant chief signal | + |officer of the army, in an address on | + |aeronautics delivered before the American| + |Society of Mechanical Engineers at 29 | + |West Thirty-ninth street.--_New York | + | Mail._ | + +This same construction must _always_ be used when the statement quoted +in the lead consists of more than one sentence, as in the following: + + | "The climate of Wisconsin is as good | + |for recovery from tuberculosis as that of| + |any state in the union. It is not the | + |climate, but the out-of-doors air that | + |works the cure." | + | | + |So said Harvey Dee Brown in his | + |tuberculosis crusade lecture in Kilbourn | + |park last night.--_Milwaukee Free Press._| + +It is to be noted that the statement quoted in the lead is never split +into two parts, separated by explanation. The quotation is always +gathered together at the beginning and followed by the explanation. + + +=3. Indirect Quotation Beginning.=--This method is best adapted to the +playing up of a brief resume of the content of the speech. It is +sometimes called the "_that_-clause beginning" because it always begins +with a _that_-clause which is the subject of the principal verb of the +sentence--"was the statement of," "was the declaration of," etc. The +_that_-clause may contain a resume of the entire speech or only the most +striking statement in it. Here is one of the latter: + + | That the cruise of the battleship fleet| + |around the world has taught the citizens | + |of the United States that a powerful | + |fleet is needed in the Pacific was the | + |statement of Rear Admiral R. C. Hollyday,| + |chief of the bureau of yards and docks of| + |the navy, at a luncheon given to him by | + |the board of trustees of the Chamber of | + |Commerce at the Fairmont Hotel | + |yesterday.--_San Francisco Examiner._ | + +It is not always necessary to use the phrase "was the statement of." A +variation from it is often very good: + + | That it is the urgent mission of the | + |white people of America, through their | + |churches and Sunday-schools, to educate | + |the American negro morally and | + |religiously, was the sentiment of the | + |twelfth session of the International | + |Sunday-school Convention last night, | + |voiced with special power and eloquence | + |by Dr. Booker T. Washington, the chief | + |speaker of the evening.--_Louisville | + |Courier-Journal._ | + + | That the Irish race has a great destiny| + |to fulfill, one greater than it has | + |achieved in its glorious past, was the | + |prophecy of Prof. Charles Johnston of | + |Dublin university in his lecture at the | + |city library Sunday | + |afternoon.--_Wisconsin State Journal._ | + +It is perfectly good usage to begin such a lead with two _that_-clauses +or even with three. The two clauses in this case are of course treated +as a singular subject and take a singular verb. It is usually best not +to have more than three clauses at the beginning and even three must be +handled with great care. Three clauses at the beginning, if at all long, +bury the speaker's name too deeply and may become too complicated. +Unless the clauses are very closely related in idea, it is usually +better not to use more than two. Naturally when more than one +_that_-clause is used in the lead, all of the clauses must be gathered +together at the beginning; never should one precede and one follow the +principal verb. Here is an example of good usage: + + | NEW YORK, Feb. 25.--That America is | + |entering upon a new era of civic and | + |business rectitude and that this is due | + |to the awakening of the moral conscience | + |of the whole people was the prophecy made| + |here tonight by Governor Joseph W. Folk | + |of Missouri.--_Chicago Record-Herald._ | + + +=4. Summary Beginning.=--This is a less formal way of treating the +indirect quotation beginning. It is simply a different grammatical +construction. Whereas in the _that_-clause beginning the principal verb +of the sentence is outside the summary (e. g., "That ... was the +statement of"), in the summary beginning the principal verb of the +sentence is the verb of the summary and the speaker is brought in by +means of a modifying phrase; thus: + + | MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 1.--Both the free | + |trader and the stand-patter are back | + |numbers, according to Senator Albert J. | + |Beveridge of Indiana, who delivered a | + |tariff speech here tonight.--_Milwaukee | + |Free Press._ | + + | Federal control of the capitalization | + |of railroads is the solution of the | + |railroad problem suggested by E. L. | + |Phillipp, the well-known Milwaukee | + |railroad expert, in the course of a | + |speech at the third annual banquet of, | + |etc.--_Milwaukee Free Press._ | + +The summary beginning may be handled in many different ways and allows +perhaps more grammatical liberty than any other beginning. The summary +may even be given a sentence by itself as in the following. This kind of +treatment may easily be overdone and should be handled with great +caution: + + | If you have acute mania, it is the | + |proper thing to take the music cure. Miss| + |Jessie A. Fowler says so, and she knows. | + |Miss Fowler discussed "Music | + |Hygienically" before the "Rainy Daisies" | + |at the Hotel Astor yesterday and | + |prescribed musical treatment for various | + |brands of mania.--_New York World._ | + + +=5. Keynote Beginning.=--Very closely related to the summary beginning +is the keynote beginning, in which the subject of the main verb is an +indirect presentation of the content of the speech. Whereas the summary +beginning displays its resume in a complete sentence, the keynote +beginning puts the content of the speech in a single noun and its +modifiers. Thus: + + | The ideal state university was the | + |theme of a speech delivered by, etc. | + + | The mission of the newspaper to tell | + |the truth, to stand for high ideals, and | + |to strive to have those ideals adopted by| + |the public was the keynote of an address | + |delivered by, etc. | + + +=6. Participial Beginning.=--This is less common than the other kinds of +indirect quotation beginnings but it is often very effective. The +summary of the speech or the most striking statement is put into a +participial phrase at the beginning and is made to modify the subject of +the sentence (the speaker). It must of course be remembered that such a +participial phrase can be used only to modify a noun, as an adjective +modifies a noun, and can never be made the subject of a verb. Here is an +example of good use of this beginning: + + | Upholding the right of public criticism| + |of the courts on the theory that there | + |can be no impropriety in investigating | + |any act of a public official, Judge | + |Kennesaw M. Landis last night addressed | + |the students of Marquette College of Law | + |and many members of the Milwaukee | + |bar.--_Milwaukee Free Press._ | + +Just as it is perfectly possible to begin an indirect quotation lead +with two _that_-clauses instead of one, it is also possible to use two +participial phrases in the participial beginning; as: + + | Pleading for justice and human | + |affection in dealing with the delinquent | + |child, and urging the vital need of | + |legislation which shall enforce parental | + |responsibility, Mrs. Nellie Duncan made | + |an address yesterday which stirred the | + |sympathies of an attentive audience in | + |the First Presbyterian Church.--_San | + |Francisco Examiner._ | + +Although the participial phrase usually gives the summary of the speech, +not infrequently the participial construction is used to play up the +name of the speech or some other fact and the summary comes after the +principal verb of the lead; thus: + + | Paying tribute to the memory of | + |President William McKinley last night at | + |the Metropolitan Temple, where exercises | + |were held to dedicate the McKinley | + |memorial organ, Judge Taft told in detail| + |of his commission to the Philippine | + |service and his subsequent intimate | + |connection with the President.--_New York| + |Tribune._ | + + +=7. Title Beginning.=--There are two reasons for beginning the report of +a public utterance with the speaker's subject or title. The title itself +may be so broad that it makes a good summary of the speech, or it may be +so striking in itself that it attracts interest at once. In the +following examples the title is really a summary of the speech: + + | NEW YORK, Dec. 15.--"The Compensation | + |of Employes for Injuries Received While | + |at Work" was taken by J. D. Beck, | + |commissioner of labor of Wisconsin, as | + |the theme of his address before the | + |National Civic Federation here | + |today.--_Milwaukee Free Press._ | + + | "The Emmanuel Movement" was the subject| + |of an address by Rabbi Stephen S. Wise of| + |the Free Synagogue yesterday | + |morning.--_New York Evening Post._ | + +In the following stories the reporter began with the title evidently +because it was so strikingly unusual and also because it was the title +of a strikingly unusual speech by an unusual man. This kind of title +beginning is always very effective: + + | "Booze, or Get on the Water Wagon," was| + |the subject on which Rev. Billy Sunday, | + |the baseball evangelist, addressed an | + |audience of over 4,000 persons at the | + |Midland Chautauqua yesterday afternoon. | + |For two hours Sunday fired volley after | + |volley at the liquor traffic.--_Des | + |Moines Capital._ | + + | "If Christ Came to Milwaukee" was the | + |subject of the Rev. Paul B. Jenkin's | + |Sunday night in Immanuel Presbyterian | + |Church.--_Milwaukee Sentinel._ | + + +=8. Speaker Beginning.=--It is obvious that this is the easiest +beginning that may be used in the report of a speech. But just as +obviously it is the beginning that should be least used. Just as in +writing news stories a green reporter always attempts to begin every +lead with the name of some person involved, in reporting a public +discourse he has a strong desire to put the name of the speaker before +what the speaker said. But the same tests may be applied to both cases. +Are our readers more interested in what a man does than in the man +himself; do our readers go to hear a given speaker because they wish to +hear what he has to say or because they wish to hear _him_? Whenever the +public is so interested in a man that it does not care what he says, +then you may feel safe in beginning the report of what he says with his +name. This test may be altered, especially in smaller cities, by +previous interest in the speech; if the speech has been expected and +looked forward to with interest, then, no matter if the speaker is the +President himself, his name is not as good news as what he has to say. +Even if the lead does begin with the speaker's name, the reporter +usually tries to bring a summary of the speech or the most striking +statement into the first sentence after the name. For example: + + | Speaker Joseph G. Cannon placed himself| + |on record last night in favor of a | + |revision of the tariff in accordance with| + |the promise of the Republican party | + |platform and declared that so far as his | + |vote was concerned he would see to it | + |that the announced policy of revision | + |would be written in the national laws as | + |soon as possible. The words of the | + |speaker came at a luncheon given to six | + |rear admirals of the United States navy | + |by Alexander H. Revell of Chicago in the | + |Union League Club, at which the need of | + |more battleships and increased efficiency| + |of the fighting forces of the republic | + |were the principal themes of discussion. | + +This example was chosen because, while it is written in accordance with +the rules of the speaker beginning, it is obviously too long and +complicated--over 110 words. It would be better to gather it together +and condense it as in the following: + + | Chief Forester Gifford Pinchot opened | + |the second day's session of the national | + |conservation congress yesterday by an | + |address in which he expressed his entire | + |satisfaction and his confidence in the | + |attitude of President Taft toward | + |conservating the national | + |resources.--_Milwaukee Sentinel._ | + + | ST. PAUL, Minn., Feb. 10.--Booker T. | + |Washington of Tuskegee, Ala., in an | + |address at the People's Church tonight | + |predicted that within two years the | + |liquor traffic would be driven out of all| + |the southern states but two.--_Milwaukee | + |Sentinel._ | + +There are obviously other beginnings that cannot be classed under any of +the above heads. Some of them, much like the "freak" leads that may be +seen in many newspapers of the present day, may be called free +beginnings for want of a better name. These free beginnings are quite +effective when properly handled but the novice must use them with fear +and trembling. They may be witty or they may be sarcastic, but they are +usually dangerous. The difference in the eight beginnings discussed +above is mainly one of grammatical construction; the same fundamental +ideas govern them all. Their purpose is always to play up a striking +statement or a summary of the speech report and to give at the very +outset the necessary explanation concerning the speech. + + +THE BODY OF THE REPORT + +The body of the report of a speech is not so distinct from the lead as +the body of an ordinary news story. In the news story it is safe to +assume that many readers will not go beyond the lead, but in the report +of a speech this is not so true. It is less possible to give the main +facts in the lead of a speech report and the rest of the story is more +necessary. Hence it must be written with as great care as the lead. + +The body of the report should consist of direct quotation in so far as +possible. The reader is interested in what the speaker said and it is +impossible to make a summary in indirect discourse as convincing as the +actual quotation of his words. Be sure that the quotations are the +speaker's exact words or very nearly his exact words, so that he cannot +accuse you of misquoting him. The spirit of his words must be in the +quotation, anyway. + +In these quotations nothing less than a complete sentence should be +quoted. Do not patch together sentences of indirect and direct +quotation, like the following--He said that some of us are prone to let +things be as they are, "because the philanthropic rich help in our times +of trouble and in sickness." Such quotation is worse than no direct +quotation at all. Of course, this does not mean that one cannot add +"said the speaker" to a direct quotation, but it means that "said the +speaker" can be added only to quotations that are complete sentences. +Furthermore whenever it is necessary to bring in "said the speaker," or +similar expressions, they should be added at the end of the quoted +sentence--the least emphatic part of a newspaper sentence. + +Obviously a condensed report of a speech can only quote sentences here +and there throughout the speech--the high spots of interest, as we +called them before. These must not be quoted promiscuously and +disconnectedly. The original speech had a logical order and set forth a +logical train of thought. These should be followed as far as possible in +the report. Bring in the quotations in their true order and fill the +gaps between them with indirect discourse to knit them together and to +give the report the coherence of the original speech. But do not carry +this indirect explanation to the extent of making your copy a report of +the speech in indirect discourse with occasional bits of direct +quotation to illustrate. Remember that, after all, the direct quotation +is the truly effective part of the speech. + +Whenever a paragraph contains both direct and indirect quotation, the +direct quotation should always precede the indirect. But it is much +better to paragraph the two kinds of quotation separately, making each +paragraph entirely of direct, or entirely of indirect, quotation. If a +paragraph must contain both, begin it with the direct so that as the +reader glances down the column he will see a quotation mark at the +beginnings of most, if not all, of the paragraphs. By the same sign, +when your notes are lacking in direct quotations, bring in as many of +the quotations as possible at the beginning of the report and let the +indirect summary occupy the end where it may be cut off by the editor if +he does not wish to run it. + +Here is a good illustration of a part of the body of a good speech +report--it is the second paragraph of one of the stories quoted under +the "Speaker" beginning above: + + | "I can not account for the moral | + |revolution that is sweeping over the | + |South," he continued. "The sentiment | + |against whisky is deeper than the mere | + |desire to get it away from the black man.| + |That same sentiment is found in counties | + |that contain no negro population. People | + |who say that the law will not be enforced| + |have not been in the South.--B. T. | + |Washington's speech, _Milwaukee | + |Sentinel._ | + +You will notice that although the above paragraph is composed entirely +of direct quotation it has no quotation mark at the end. This is, of +course, in accordance with the old rule of rhetoric which says that in a +continuous quotation each paragraph shall begin with a quotation mark +but only the last shall be closed by a quotation mark. + +To illustrate the errors that may be made in reporting speeches we might +write the above paragraph as follows: + + + | Mr. Washington continued by saying that| + |he could not account for the revolution | + |that is sweeping over the South. "The | + |sentiment against whisky is deeper than | + |the mere desire to get it away from the | + |black man." He says that "the same | + |sentiment is found in counties that | + |contain no negro population." People who | + |say that the law will not be enforced | + |"have not been in the South," according | + |to Booker T. Washington. | + +The clumsiness of this mingling of direct and indirect quotation is very +clear, as is the weakness of beginning with an explanation that is +really subordinate. + +Much more could be said about the reporting of speeches. Very few things +will make a man so angry as the misquoting of his words. Therefore, +whatever other faults your report of a speech may have, let it be +accurate and truthful. + + + + +XI + +INTERVIEWS + + +If you compare any interview story with any speech report in any +representative newspaper, you will readily see how a discussion of +interviews easily becomes an explanation of the differences between +interview stories and speech-reports; that is, how the report of an +interview differs from the report of a public utterance of a more formal +kind. There are few differences in the written reports. Each usually +begins with a summary or a striking statement and consists largely of +direct quotation. Were it not for the line or two of explanation at the +end of the introduction, it would be practically impossible to tell the +one from the other, to tell which of the reports sets forth statements +made in a public discourse and which gives statements made in a more +private way to a reporter. + +The difference lies behind the report, in the way the reporter obtained +the statements and quotations. And the whole difference depends upon the +attitude of the man who made the statements--whether his words were a +conscious or an unconscious public utterance. When a man speaks from a +platform he utters every sentence and every word with an idea of +possible quotation--he is not only willing to be quoted but he wants to +be quoted. But when he speaks privately to a reporter he usually dreads +quotation. Of course, he expects that you will print a few of his +remarks but he is constantly hoping that you will not remember and print +them all. He speaks more guardedly, too, since he is not sure of the +interpretation that may be given to his words. Hence it is a very +different matter to report what a man says in public and to get +statements for the press from him in private. Any one can report a +speech but great skill is required to get a good interview--especially +if the victim is unwilling to talk. + +The first matter that a reporter has to consider is the means of +retaining the statements until he is able to write his story. It is a +simple matter to get quotations from a speech because it is possible to +sit anywhere in the audience and write down the speaker's words in a +notebook as they are uttered. But the notebook must be left behind when +you try to interview. When a man is not used to being interviewed +nothing will make him reticent so quickly as the appearance of a +notebook and pencil; he realizes that his words are to appear in print +just as he utters them and he immediately becomes frightened. Ordinarily +so long as he feels that what he says is going into the confidential ear +of the reporter--and out of the other ear just as quickly--he is willing +to talk more freely and openly and to say exactly what he thinks. This, +of course, does not apply to prominent men who are used to being +interviewed and prefer to have their remarks taken down verbatim. Such +an interview, however, is little more than a call to secure a statement +for publication. + +It might be well to settle the notebook question here and now when it +assumes the greatest importance. The stage has hardened us to seeing a +reporter slinking around the outskirts of every bit of excitement +writing excitedly and hurriedly in a large leather notebook. So hardened +are we to the sight that some new reporters buy a notebook just as soon +as they get a place on a newspaper staff. But real reporters on real +newspapers do not use notebooks. A few sheets of folded copy paper +hidden carefully in an inside pocket ready for names and addresses and +perhaps figures are all that most of them carry. Many people dread +publicity and the appearance of a notebook frightens them into silence +more quickly than the actual appearance of a representative of the +press. This is true in the reporting of any bit of news, in the covering +of any story--and it is ordinarily true in interviewing for statements +that are to be quoted. Of course, an exception to this must be made in +the case of some prominent men who prefer to issue signed written +statements when they are interviewed. + +The impossibility of using a notebook or writing down a man's words in +an interview seriously complicates the task of interviewing. Some +reporters train themselves until they are able to remember their +victim's words long enough to get outside and write them down. Others +are satisfied with getting the ideas and the spirit of what is said +together with the man's manner of talking. A few characteristic +mannerisms thrown in with a true report of his ideas will make any +speaker believe that you have quoted him exactly. Whichever method is +pursued, the reporter must always be fair and try to tell the readers of +the paper the man's true ideas. The exigencies of the case give the +reporter greater liberty than in quoting from a speech but he must not +abuse his liberty. + +The success of an interview depends very largely upon the way in which a +reporter approaches the man whom he wishes to interview. It is never +well to trust to the inspiration of the moment to start the +conversation. The reporter must know exactly what he wishes to have the +man say before he approaches him and must already have framed his +questions so as to draw out the answers that he wishes. People are never +interviewed except for a purpose and that purpose should suggest the +reporter's first question. No matter how willing the man is to tell what +he thinks he will seldom begin talking until the reporter asks him a +definite question to help him in putting his thoughts into words. All of +this should be considered beforehand. The reporter should have outlined +a definite campaign and have a series of questions which he wishes to +ask. If he has written the questions out beforehand, the task becomes an +easier one--he merely fills in the answers on his list later and has the +interview in better form than if he had tried to trust entirely to his +memory. To be sure, the questions may open up unexpected lines of +thought and he may get more than he went for, but he must have his +questions ready for use as soon as each new line is exhausted. A skilled +reporter frames the interview himself and keeps the result entirely in +his own hands through the campaign that he has outlined beforehand. +Unless he knows exactly what he wants to get, a wary victim may lead him +off upon unimportant facts and in the end tell him nothing that his +paper has sent him to get. A reporter must keep the reins of an +interview in his own possession. + +A good reporter takes great care in his manner of addressing a man whom +he is to interview. A well-known newspaper follows the rule of asking +its reporters never to do what a gentleman would not do. A reporter who +is trying to interview must always be a gentleman and must not ask +questions that a gentleman would not ask. If the victim is a prominent +man of great personality it is not hard to follow this rule--in fact, it +is impossible to get the interview by any other method of approach. But +when one is trying to interview a person of humbler station, the case is +different. It is very easy then to fall into a habit of demanding +information and turning the interview into an inquisition. But the +reporter who keeps his attitude as a gentleman gets more real facts even +when his victim is of the most humble social status. Therefore, never +approach your victim as if he were a witness and you a cross-questioning +lawyer. Do not say: "See here, you know more about it than that," and +thus try to force unwilling information from him. Go at him in a more +round-about way and lead him to give you the facts unwittingly perhaps. + +A young reporter often feels an impulse to become too personal with the +man whom he is interviewing. He must always remember that he is not +there for a friendly chat but as a representative of a newspaper, sent +to get concise facts or opinions. This attitude must be maintained even +with the humblest persons. Any desire to sympathize, criticize, or +advise must be checked at the very start. The point of view must always +be kept. + + * * * * * + +Although the main difference between writing interview stories and +reporting speeches lies in the very act of getting the quotations and +words of the speaker, there are certain aspects in which the writing of +an interview story is different. The actual form of the two stories is +almost identical and yet there is a tone in the interview story that is +lacking in the report of a speech. This may be called the personal tone. + +The very name of the speaker obviously plays a much larger part in the +interview story than in the speech report. We may be more interested in +what a man says in a public discourse than we are in the man, but when +we interview a man we want his opinions not for themselves so much as +because they are his opinions. An interview with the President on the +tariff is not necessarily interesting in the new ideas that it brings +out, for we have many other ways of knowing the President's opinions on +the tariff question; but the interview is worth printing because every +one is interested in reading anything that the President says, although +he may have read the same thing many times before. A man is seldom +interviewed unless he is of some prominence--that is why he is +interviewed, and so in the resulting story his name plays a very +important part. In fact, his name is usually the feature of the story; +most interview stories begin directly with the name of the man whose +statements are quoted. + +Although a man may be interviewed simply because of his prominence and +popularity, there is usually another reason for the interview. We are +interested not only in hearing him say something but we wish to hear him +say something on a certain topic. The interview thus has a timeliness, a +reason for existence. Since this timeliness is the reason for printing a +certain man's statements, the reporter's account must indicate that +timeliness near the beginning. That is, the first sentence of an +interview story must not only tell who was interviewed and the gist of +what he said, but it must tell why he said it. The interview must be +connected with the rest of the day's news. This comes out very +definitely in the custom which many newspapers have of printing the +opinions of many prominent men in connection with any important event. +Perhaps it is because we wish to know their opinions on the subject or +perhaps it is simply because we are glad to have a chance to hear them +talk--at any rate many editors make any great event an excuse for a +series of interviews. This is illustrated by the opinions of the various +labor leaders that were printed with the story of the recent confession +of the McNamara brothers. In such a case, the reporter must make the +reason for the interview his starting point in the report and must +indicate very plainly why the man was interviewed. + +This idea of timeliness is very often carried to the extent of making +the interview merely a denial or an assertion from the mouth of a +well-known man. There may be an upheaval in Wall Street. Immediately the +papers print an interview in which some prominent financier denies or +asserts that he is at the bottom of the upheaval. Naturally the report +of the interview begins with the very words of the denial or the +assertion. Very often a man when interviewed refuses to say anything on +the subject. The fact that he has nothing to say does not mean that the +interview is not worth reporting. In fact, that refusal to speak may be +the most effective thing that he could say. The reporter begins by +telling that his man had nothing to say on the subject and ends by +telling what he should have said or what his refusal to speak probably +means,--if the paper is not too scrupulous in such matters. At any rate, +the denial or assertion or refusal to speak becomes the starting point +of the report and furnishes the excuse for the interview story. The +expanded remarks that follow the lead are of course important but they +are not so important as the primary expression of opinion that the +reporter went for. + +The personal element in interviewing may be carried to an extreme +extent. The man who is interviewed may so far overshadow the importance +of what he says that the report of the interview becomes almost a sketch +of the man himself. That is, the report is filled with human interest. +The quotations are interspersed with action and description. We are told +how the man acted when he said each individual thing. His appearance, +attitude, expression, and surroundings become as important as his words +and are brought into the report as vividly as possible. Such an +interview may become almost large enough to be used as a special feature +story for the Sunday edition, but when the human interest is limited to +a comparatively subordinate position the report still keeps its +character as an interview news story. Such a thing may be illustrated +from the daily press: + + | "I would rather have four battleships | + |and need only two than to have two and | + |need four." | + | | + | Seated in the cool library of Colonel | + |A. K. McClure's summer home at | + |Wallingford, Rear Admiral Winfield Scott | + |Schley, retired, thus expressed himself | + |yesterday on the need of a larger and | + |greater navy. | + +After all has been said about interviewing, the one thing that a +reporter must remember is that an interview story is at best rather dry +and everything that he can do to increase the interest will improve the +interview. But all of this must be done with absolute fairness to the +speaker and great truthfulness in the quotation of his ideas and +opinions. + + * * * * * + +To come to the technical form of the interview story, we find that there +are very nearly as many possible beginnings as in the case of the report +of a speech. The interview story must begin with a lead that tells who +was interviewed, when, and where, what he said (in a quotation or an +indirect summary), and why he was interviewed. This is like the lead of +a speech report in every particular except in the timeliness--the +occasion for a speech is seldom mentioned in the lead, but a reporter +usually tells at once why he interviewed the man whose words he quotes. + + +=1. Speaker Beginning.=--The very purpose behind interviewing makes the +so-called speaker beginning most common. It is almost an invariable rule +that the report of an interview must begin with the man's name unless +what he says is of greater importance than his name--which is seldom. + +The simplest form of the speaker beginning is the one in which the +speaker's name is followed directly by a summary of what he said, as: + + | Dr. David Starr Jordan, president of | + |Leland Stanford Junior University, said | + |yesterday at the Holland House that in | + |the development of American universities | + |educators must separate the lower two | + |classes from the upper two, the present | + |freshman and sophomore classes to be | + |absorbed by small colleges or | + |supplemental high schools, making the | + |junior year the first in the university | + |training. He said the universities should | + |receive only men, not boys.--_New York | + |Tribune._ | + +Another kind of speaker beginning may devote most of the lead to the +explanation of the reason for the interview, giving the briefest +possible summary of what was said: Thus: + + | Director Lang of the department of | + |public safety is going to place a ban on | + |the playing of tennis on Sunday. He | + |doesn't know just yet how he is going to | + |accomplish this, but yesterday he | + |declared that he would find some law | + |applicable to the case.--_Pittsburgh | + |Gazette-Times._ | + +One step further brings us to the entire exclusion of the result of the +interview from the lead. In this case the reason for the interview +occupies the entire lead and we must read part of the second paragraph +to find what the man said; thus: + + | Charles F. Washburn, Richmond Hill's | + |wizard of finance, promises to appear at | + |his broker's office in Newark, N. J., | + |this morning with a fresh bank roll, | + |accumulated since the close of the market| + |on Saturday. | + | | + | (The second paragraph tells what it is | + |all about and the third quotes his | + |words.)--_New York World._ | + +It is to be noted that in each of the above leads the speaker's name is +always accompanied by a word or two telling who he is and why he was +interviewed. Furthermore the reporter himself has no more place in the +lead than if he were reporting a speech--his existence and the part he +played in getting the interview are strictly ignored. + + +=2. Summary Beginning.=--There are two common ways of beginning an +interview story with a summary. First, the lead may begin with a +_that_-clause which embodies the gist of the interview; this is like the +_that_-clause beginning of the report of a speech; thus: + + | That the apparent apathy among the | + |voters of the country is merely | + |contentment with the present | + |administration of affairs by the | + |Republican party is the contention of | + |ex-Senator John M. Thurston of Nebraska. | + |Mr. Thurston was at Republican national | + |headquarters today, etc.--_New York | + |Evening Post._ | + +Secondly the summary beginning is used in the case of an interview that +is a denial or an assertion by the man interviewed. The lead begins with +a clause or a participial phrase embodying the substance of the +interview, and the name of the speaker is made the subject of a verb of +denying or asserting; thus: + + | Declaring that his office is run as | + |economically as possible, Sheriff H. E. | + |Franke denied on Sunday that he had | + |expended more than $688 for auto hire to | + |collect $1,409.28 of alleged taxes. | + | | + | (The second paragraph begins with a | + |direct quotation.)--_Milwaukee Sentinel._| + | Although he had sharply criticised | + |Roosevelt's special message condemning | + |some of the uses to which the possessors | + |of large fortunes are putting their | + |wealth, President Jacob Gould Schurman, | + |Cornell University, declined to discuss | + |Roosevelt or his policies in Milwaukee | + |yesterday. He said that he was not | + |talking politics. | + | | + | (The rest of the report is a quotation | + |of his views on college | + |athletics.)--_Milwaukee Free Press._ | + + +=3. Quotation Beginning.=--Many reports of interviews begin with a +direct quotation. The logic of this is that the expression of opinion +is, in some cases, of more interest than the name of the man who +expressed the opinion. Sometimes the name of the speaker is not +considered worth mentioning and in that case a direct quotation is the +only advisable beginning; thus: + + | "With the prices of food for hogs and | + |cattle going up, it is natural that the | + |food--beef and pork--for us humans should| + |keep pace." | + | | + | This was the logic of an east-side | + |butcher who discussed the probable rise | + |in the prices of meat.--_Milwaukee Free | + |Press._ | + +Sometimes a short quotation is used at the beginning of the lead very +much as a title is used in a speech report; thus: + + | NEW YORK, June 1.--"A business | + |proposition which should have been put in| + |effect nearly twenty years ago," was John| + |Wanamaker's comment today on the adoption| + |of 2-cent letter postage between the | + |United States and Great Britain and | + |Ireland.--_Milwaukee Free Press._ | + +If the quotation at the beginning consists of only one sentence the name +of the speaker may be run into the same paragraph; thus: + + | "Judge McPherson's recent decision | + |declaring Missouri's 2-cent fare | + |confiscatory is an indication that vested| + |interests are entitled to some protection| + |and that legislatures must not go too far| + |in regulating them," said Sir Thomas | + |Shaughnessy, president of the Canadian | + |Pacific road, on Sunday.--_Milwaukee | + |Sentinel._ | + +However if the quotation at the beginning contains more than one +sentence it is best to paragraph the quotation separately and leave the +name of the speaker until the second paragraph; thus: + + | "The American Federation of Labor will | + |enter the national campaign by seeking to| + |place labor candidates on the tickets of | + |the old parties. An independent labor | + |party is eventually contemplated. But | + |there is not time to get results in that | + |way in the next national campaign." | + | | + | So said H. C. Raasch, national | + |president of the tile-layers, upon his | + |return yesterday, etc.--_Milwaukee Free | + |Press._ | + + +=4. Human Interest Beginning.=--This is a designation devised to cover a +multitude of beginnings. A human interest interview may begin with a +quotation, a summary, a name, or an action. The aim is necessarily +toward unconventionality and the form of the lead is left to the +originality of the reporter. A few examples may illustrate what is meant +by the human interest beginning: + + | "There goes another string. Drat those | + |strings!" Only Joseph Caluder didn't say | + |"Drat." | + | | + | "Say, do you know that I have spent | + |pretty nearly $1,000 for strings for that| + |violin? Well, it's a fact. Listen." | + |Etc.--_Milwaukee Sentinel._ | + + | Fire Marshal James Horan never bought a| + |firecracker, but for many years he has | + |celebrated Independence day in the thick | + |of fires. He never owned a gun or | + |revolver. His last prayer before trying | + |to snatch a little needed sleep Friday | + |night will be of the twofold form, | + |etc.--_Chicago Post._ | + +After what has been said about the body of a speech report, there is +little more to be said about the body of an interview story. The same +rules apply in both cases. The body of the report should contain as much +direct quotation as possible. However nothing less than a sentence +should be quoted--that is, every quotation should be a complete +sentence, with indirect explanation. Whenever "Said the speaker" or "Mr. +Brown continued" or any similar expression is worked into the direct +quotation it should always be placed at the end of the sentence; never +begin a quotation in this way:--Mr. Jones continued, "Furthermore I +would say, etc." In the same way, when a paragraph contains both direct +and indirect quotation, the direct quotation should be placed at the +beginning. Whenever it is possible, construct solid paragraphs of +quotation, and solid paragraphs of summary. The report as a whole must +have coherence and a logical sequence; for this a limited amount of +indirect quotation may be used to fill in the gaps in the logic of the +direct quotation. + +According to the usage of the best newspapers of to-day the reporter +must never be brought into the report of an interview. His existence +must never be mentioned although every reader knows that some reporter +secured the interview. In the old days reporters delighted in bringing +themselves into their stories as "representatives of the press" or "a +reporter for the Dispatch," but that practice has gone the way of the +reporter's leather-bound notebook. The interview may be told +satisfactorily without a mention of the reporter; hence newspaper usage +has put a ban on his appearance in his story. + + +GROUP INTERVIEWS + +We have said that a man is seldom interviewed without a reason; there is +always a timeliness in interviewing. Any unusual event of broad +importance becomes an excuse for the editor to print the opinion of some +prominent man on some phase of the event. Sometimes the event is of such +importance that the editor wishes to print the opinions of several men +on the subject; or more than one prominent man may be involved in the +affair and the public may wish to hear the opinions of every one +involved. In such a case when several men are interviewed in regard to +the same event it is considered rather useless and ineffective to print +their interviews separately and the several interview stories are +gathered together into one story and arranged in such a way that they +may be compared. There are several ways of doing this. + +If the case or event is very well known, a lead or summary of the +several interviews is considered unnecessary and the words of the +various men are grouped together under a single headline. This may be +illustrated by the interviews that were printed after the confessions of +the McNamara brothers of Los Angeles in the recent dynamiting case. The +_Wisconsin State Journal_ may be taken as representative. This paper +printed the statements of twelve prominent men interested in the case in +a three-column box under a long head; thus: + + | =Leaders Discuss the Case= | + | | + | Samuel Gompers, president American | + |Federation of Labor--I am astounded; I am | + |astounded; my credulity has been imposed | + |upon. It is a bolt out of a clear sky. | + | | + | * * * * * | + | | + | John T. Smith, president Missouri | + |Federation of Labor--I can not believe it. | + |But if the McNamaras blew up the Times | + |building they should be fully punished. | + | | + | * * * * * | + | | + | Gen. Harrison Grey Otis, publisher of | + |the Times--The result may be and ought to | + |be, etc. | + +If the case had not been of such broad interest a lead embodying a +summary of the interviews might have preceded the individual statements. +It might have been done in this way: + + | Great surprise has been expressed by | + |the prominent labor leaders of the | + |country at the confession of the | + |McNamara brothers in Los Angeles | + |yesterday. That organized labor had no | + |connection with the work of these men and | + |that they should be fully punished is the | + |consensus of opinion. | + | | + | Samuel Gompers, president American | + |Federation of Labor--I am astounded; I am | + |astounded; my credulity has been imposed | + |upon. It is a bolt out of a clear sky. | + | | + | John T. Smith, president Missouri | + |Federation of Labor--I can not believe it. | + |Etc. | + +In such a story as the above, the statements are usually printed without +quotation marks; each paragraph begins with a man's name, followed by a +dash and what he said. The grouping together of several interviews is +often done less formally. The whole thing may be written as a running +story, and sometimes the names of the persons interviewed are omitted; +thus: + + | Proprietors of the big flower shops, | + |the places from which blossoms are | + |delivered in highly polished and ornate | + |wagons, drawn by horses that might win | + |blue ribbons, and where, in the proper | + |season, a single rose costs three | + |dollars, do not approve of the comments | + |made by a dealer who recently failed. | + |Among these sayings was one to the effect | + |that young millionaires spend a thousand | + |dollars a week on flowers for chorus | + |girls who earn twelve dollars a week, and | + |who sometimes take the flowers back to | + |the shop to exchange them for money to | + |buy food and clothes. | + | | + | "That's all nonsense," said one dealer. | + |(This paragraph is devoted to his opinion | + |on the matter.) | + | | + | "We have enough trouble in this | + |business," said another dealer, "without | + |having this silly talk given to the | + |public." (This paragraph gives this | + |dealer's opinion)--_New York Evening | + |Post._ | + +(Each paragraph is devoted to a single interview.) + +The same paragraph may be done with more local color as in the +following: + + | Chinatown feels deeply its bereavement | + |in the deaths of the Empress Dowager and | + |the Emperor of China. Chinatown mourns, | + |but it does so in such an unobtrusive | + |Oriental way that the casual visitor on | + |sympathy bent may feel that his words of | + |condolence would be misplaced. | + | | + | A reporter from this paper was assigned | + |yesterday to go up to Chinatown and in as | + |delicate a way as possible to gather some | + |of the sentiments of appreciation of the | + |merits of Kuang-hsu and his lamented aunt, | + |Tzu-hsi. He was told that he might write a | + |little about the picturesque though | + |nevertheless sincere expressions of | + |mourning that he might observe in Pell | + |and Mott streets. | + | | + | Mr. Jaw Gum, senior partner in the firm | + |of Jaw Gum & Co., importers of cigars, | + |cigarettes, dead duck's eggs and Chinese | + |delicatessen, of 7 Pell street, was at | + |home. Mr. Gum was approached. | + | | + | "We would like to learn a little about | + |the arrangements that are being made by | + |the Chinese to indicate their sorrow at | + |the deaths of their beloved rulers." | + | | + | "What number?" queried Mr. Gum. The | + |question was repeated. | + | | + | "P'licyman, he know," remarked Mr. Gum | + |sagely. | + | | + | (So on for a column with interviews and | + |statements from several of Mr. Gum's | + |neighbors.)--_New York Sun._ | + +But this is very much like a human interest story--the reporter takes +part in it--and we shall discuss that later. + + + + +XII + +COURT REPORTING + + +Probably few classes of news stories present such a lack of uniformity +and such a variety of treatments as the reports of court news. Legal +stories belong to one of the few sorts of stories that do not tend to +become systematized. But there is a reason for almost everything in a +newspaper and there is also a reason for the freedom that reporters are +allowed in reporting testimony. The reason in this case is probably in +the fact that very rarely do two court stories possess the same sort of +interest or the same news value. + +We have seen that reports of speeches are printed in the daily press +because our readers are interested in the content of the speech or in +the man who uttered it. In the same way, our readers are interested in +interviews because of the man who was interviewed, because of their +content, or because of their bearing on some current event. On the other +hand there is an infinite number of reasons why a court story is worth +printing or why it may not be worth a line. Sometimes the interest is +in the persons involved; sometimes in the significance of the decision. +People may also be interested in a case because of its political or +legal significance or merely because of the sensational testimony that +is given. And again a very trivial case may be worth a large amount of +space in the daily paper just because of its human interest--because of +the pathos or humor that the reporter can bring into it. Thus the +resulting reports are hard to classify. Each one depends on a different +factor for its interest and each must be written in a different way so +that its individual interest may be most effective. However there are +general tendencies in the reporting of court news. + +The news itself is comparatively easy to get. In a large city every +court is watched every day by a representative of the press, either a +reporter for an individual paper or for a city news gathering +association. In some cities where there is no independent news gathering +agency papers sometimes club together to keep one reporter at each +court. The man who is on duty must watch all day long for cases that are +of interest for one reason or another. Even with all this safeguarding +sometimes an important case slips by the papers; often the reporter on +duty considers of little interest a case that is worth columns when +some paper digs into it. Every reporter however who is trying to do +court reporting should learn the ordinary routine of legal proceedings; +for example, the place and purpose of the pleas, the direct and cross +examination of witnesses, and other legal business. + +As we shall see when we begin to write court reports, it is necessary to +exercise every possible trick to put interest into the story. In the +actual court room all that relieves the dreary monotony of legal +proceedings is an occasional bit of interesting testimony. And when the +reporter tries to report a case he sometimes finds that interesting +testimony is all that will lighten up the dull monotony of his story. +Therefore while he is listening to a case he tries to get down verbatim +a large number of the interesting questions and answers. Or if he is +unable to be present he tries to get hold of the court stenographer's +record to copy out bits of testimony for his account. Beyond this +recording of testimony there is really little difficulty in court +reporting except the difficulty of separating the interesting from the +great mass of uninteresting matter. + +As to the actual writing of the report of a legal trial, the one thing +that the reporter must remember is that a case is seldom reported for +the public's interest in the case itself. There is usually some other +reason why the editor wants a half a column of it. That reason is the +thing that the reporter must watch for and when he finds it he must make +it the feature of his report to be embodied in the first line of the +lead. + +When we try to play up the most interesting feature of a court report we +find that we must fall back upon the same beginnings that we used in +reporting speeches and interviews. There are several possible ways of +beginning such a story, depending upon the phase of the case or its +testimony that is of greatest importance. + + +=1. Name Beginning.=--The proper name beginning is very common. It is +always used when any one of prominence is involved in the story or when +the name, although unknown, can be made interesting in itself--as in a +human interest story. The name is usually made the subject of the verb +testified, as in this lead: + + | A. F. Law, secretary of the Temple Iron | + |Company, a subsidiary company of the | + |Reading Coal and Iron Company, called | + |before the government investigation of | + |the alleged combination of coal carrying | + |roads, testified today in the Federal | + |building that four roads had contributed | + |$488,000 to make up the deficit of the | + |Temple company during three years of coal | + |strikes.--_New York Sun._ | + +The name of a well-known company often makes a good beginning: + + | The Standard Oil Company sent a | + |sweeping broadside into the Government's | + |case yesterday at the hearing in the suit | + |seeking to dissolve the Standard Oil | + |Company of New Jersey under the Sherman | + |anti-trust law, when witnesses began to | + |tell of the character of a number of men | + |the Government had placed upon the | + |witness stand.--_New York Times._ | + +The name of the judge himself may be used in the first line: + + | Judge Mulqueen of General Sessions | + |explained today why he had sentenced two | + |prisoners to "go home and serve time with | + |the families." This punishment was | + |imposed yesterday when both men pleaded | + |drunkenness as their excuse for trivial | + |offenses.--_New York Evening Post._ | + + +=2. Continued Case Beginning.=--Many court reports begin with the name +of the case when the case has been running for some time and is well +known. Each individual story on such a case is just a continuation of a +sort of serial story that has been running for some time and in the lead +each day the reporter tries to summarize the progress that has been +made in the case during the day's hearing. However each story, like a +follow-up story, is written in such a way that a knowledge of previous +stories is not necessary to a clear understanding: + + | The hearing yesterday in the | + |Government's suit to dissolve the | + |Standard Oil Company ended with a | + |dramatic incident. Mr. Kellogg sought to | + |show that the Standard compelled a widow, | + |Mrs. Jones, of Mobile, Ala., to sell out | + |her little oil business at a ruinous | + |sacrifice.--_New York World._ | + +In some cases this sort of a lead begins with the mere mention of the +continuing of the trial: + + | At the opening of the defence today in | + |the sugar trials before Judge Martin of | + |the United States Circuit Court, James F. | + |Bendernagal took the witness chair in his | + |own behalf, etc.--_New York Evening | + |Post._ | + + +=3. Summary Beginning.=--The lead of a court report often begins with a +brief summary of the result of the trial or of the day's hearing: + + | What the Government has characterized | + |as "unfair competition and | + |discrimination" on the part of the | + |Standard Oil Company continued to be the | + |subject of the investigation of that | + |corporation today before Franklin Ferris | + |of St. Louis, referee, in the Custom | + |House.--_New York Evening Post._ | + +The summary may be presented in as formal a way as the _that_-clause +beginning which we used in reports of speeches: + + | That the Adams' Express Company's | + |business in New England in 1909 yielded a | + |profit representing 45 per cent. on the | + |investment, including real estate and, | + |excepting real estate, a net income of | + |more than 83 per cent., came out in the | + |course of the hearing before the | + |Interstate Commerce Commission, | + |etc.--_New York Evening Post._ | + + +=4. Direct Quotation Beginning.=--A direct quotation of some striking +statement made by the judge, by a lawyer, by a witness, or by any one +connected with the trial may be used at the beginning of the lead. Here +is a lead beginning with a quotation from the title of a case: + + | "Captain Dick and Captain Lewis, | + |Indians, for and on behalf of the Yokayo | + |tribe of Indians, vs. F. C. Albertson, T. | + |J. Weldon, as administrator of the estate | + |of Charley, Indian, deceased, Minnehaha, | + |Ollagoola, Hiawatha, Wanahana, | + |Pocahontas, etc." | + | | + | So runs the title of as unusual a case | + |as jurists, etc.--_San Francisco | + |Examiner._ | + + +=5. Human Interest Beginning.=--The human interest beginning is a more +or less free beginning which may be used in the reporting of rather +insignificant cases which are of value only for the human interest in +them. The beginning is capable of almost any treatment so long as it +brings out the humor, beauty, or pathos of the situation. Sometimes the +story begins with a rather striking summary of the unusual things that +came out in the testimony, as in this case: + + | How suddenly and how radically a woman | + |can exercise her inalienable prerogative | + |and change her mind is shown in the | + |testamentary disposition made of her | + |estate by Mrs. Jennie L. Ramsay. She made | + |a will on July 4 last, at 3 o'clock in | + |the afternoon, leaving her property to | + |her husband, and at 7 o'clock in the | + |evening of the same day she made another | + |will in which she took the property away | + |from her husband.--_New York Times._ | + +Here is an interesting illustration of the use of a trivial incident as +the basis for a humorous lead: + + | Bang, an English setter dog, accused of | + |biting 11-year-old Sophie Kahn, made an | + |excellent witness in the City Court today | + |when his owner, Hirman L. Phelps, a real | + |estate dealer of the Bronx, appeared as | + |defendant in a damage suit brought by the | + |girl for $2,000.--_New York Evening | + |Post._ | + +The lead of a report of legal proceedings is very much like the lead of +a report of a speech or an interview. It always begins with the most +interesting fact in the case and briefly summarizes the result of the +trial or the day's hearing. It is to be noted that the lead of such a +story always includes a designation of the court in which the hearing +was held and usually the name of the judge and of the case. + +After the lead is finished a court report usually turns into a running +story of the evidence as it was presented. This may be condensed into a +paragraph, giving the reader merely the point of the day's hearing, or +it may be expanded into several columns following the testimony more or +less closely. In form, it is very much like the summary paragraphs in +the body of a speech report. The result is usually more or less dry and +reporters often resort to a means, similar to dialogue in fiction, to +lighten it up. Some of the more important testimony is given verbatim +interspersed with indirect summaries of the longer or less important +speeches. Its presentation usually follows the ordinary rules of +dialogue. Here is an extract from such a story: + + | After describing himself as a breeder | + |of horses, Gideon said that he was a | + |member of the Metropolitan Turf | + |Association, the bookmakers' | + |organization, but had never been engaged | + |in bookmaking. He did not know where | + |"Eddie" Burke, "Tim" Sullivan (not the | + |politician), or any of the other missing | + |"bookies" could be found. | + | | + | "You are a member of the executive | + |committee of the Metropolitan Turf | + |Association?" asked Isidor J. Kresel, | + |assistant counsel of the committee. | + | | + | "Yes." | + | | + | "Now, what did your committee do in | + |1908, when the anti-race track legislation| + |was pending?" | + | | + | "I don't know." | + | | + | * * * * * | + | | + | "How much did you pay in 1908?" | + | | + | "Two hundred and fifty dollars." | + | | + | "To whom?" | + | | + | "Mr. Sullivan." | + | | + | "What for?" | + | | + | "Death assessments." | + | | + | Gideon said that the little he knew of | + |the doings of the "Mets" was from | + |conversation with the bookies. Etc., | + |etc.--_New York Evening Post._ | + +Sometimes this direct testimony is given, not in the dialogue form, but +as questions and answers. Thus: + + | In reply to other questions, | + |Bendernagel said he ordered the office | + |supplies, looked after the insurance on | + |the sugar, and was responsible for the | + |fuel, some 700 tons of coal a day. | + | | + | Question.--How much money was paid | + |through your office in the course of a | + |year? Answer.--Four million dollars. | + | | + | Q.--So yours was a busy office? | + | A.--Exceedingly so. | + | | + | Q.--How long were the raw sugar clerks | + |in your office? A.--About twenty years. | + |Etc., etc.--_New York Evening Post._ | + +Some papers would arrange these questions and answers differently, +paragraphing each speech separately as in dialogue: + + | Question.--Did you regulate their | + |duties in any way? | + | | + | Answer.--No. | + | | + | Q.--Were you connected with the docks? | + | | + | A.--No; that was a separate department. | + |It had its own forces, and they worked | + |under Mr. Spitzer. He had entire charge. | + |Etc., etc. | + + +The court records take cognizance only of the actual words uttered in +the testimony, but a newspaper reporter never fails to record any action +or movement that indicates something beyond the words. Very often action +is brought in merely for its human interest; thus: + + | "How long has it been since you have | + |had a maid?" asked Mr. Shearn sadly. | + | | + | "Not for some time," she said. "Away | + |back in 1907, I think." | + | | + | "What did it cost you for two rooms and | + |bath at the Hotel Belmont, where you lived| + |last year?" | + | | + | "About $300 a week altogether. The rooms| + |cost $20 a day." | + | | + | There were tears in her eyes when she | + |explained that she could no longer afford | + |to keep up her own automobile. Etc., etc. | + |--_Milwaukee Free Press._ | + +This sort of dialogue is dangerous and may easily be overworked, but it +is very often extremely effective. One word like "sadly," above, may +convey more meaning than many lines of explanation. + + * * * * * + +These quotations are usually interspersed with paragraphs which +summarize the unimportant intervening testimony. The running story +attempts to follow the progress of the hearing in greater or less +detail, depending upon the space given to the story, just as a speech +report attempts to follow a public discourse. Dry and unimportant facts +are briefly summarized, interesting parts of the testimony are quoted in +full. The running story is usually written while the hearing is in +session or taken from a stenographic report of the hearing. After the +running story has been completed, the reporter prepares a lead for the +beginning to summarize the results or to play up the most significant +part of the story. If the running story is short a lead of one paragraph +is sufficient, but if it is long, the lead may be expanded into several +paragraphs. + + + + +XIII + +SOCIAL NEWS AND OBITUARIES + + +The study of newspaper treatment of social news is a broad one. Every +newspaper has its own system of handling social news and the general +tendencies that are to be noted deal rather with the facts that are +printed than with the manner of treatment. Every newspaper gives +practically the same facts about a wedding but each individual newspaper +has a method of its own of writing up those facts. One thing that is +always true of social news reporting is that the amount of space given +to social items varies inversely with the importance of the newspaper +and the size of the city in which it is printed. A little country weekly +or semi-weekly in a small town does not hesitate to run two columns or +more on Sadie Smith's wedding. The report runs into minute details and +anecdotes that all of the "Weekly's" readers know before the paper +arrives. But the editor prints everything he can find or invent simply +because all of his readers are more or less personally connected with +the affair and are anxious to see their names in print and to read about +themselves. The liberty that such an editor gives himself is of course +impossible in a larger paper. + +On the other hand, a daily in a city of average size would reduce such a +story to a stickful and a metropolitan daily would run only a one-line +announcement in the "List of marriages," unless the story was especially +interesting. The same thing applies to all social stories. Some +metropolitan newspapers do not run social news at all. + +All of this is true because social news is governed by the same +principles that regulate all news values. Unless a society event has +some feature that is interesting impersonally--that is, of interest to +readers who do not know the principals of the event--it is of value only +as a larger or smaller number of the paper's readers are personally +connected with the event. Hence in a small town where every one knows +every one else, society news is of great value. In a large city a very +small proportion of the readers are connected with the social items that +the paper has to print and are therefore not interested in +them--accordingly the newspaper either cuts them down to a minimum of +space or does not run them at all. + +Therefore in our study society news falls into two classes: social items +that are of interest only in themselves to persons connected with the +events; and big society stories or unusual social events that are of +interest to readers who are not acquainted with the principals. + + +=1. Weddings.=--The wedding story reduced to its lowest terms in a +metropolitan paper consists of a one-line announcement in the list of +"Marriages" or "Marriage Licenses"; thus: + + | SMITH-JONES--Feb. 14, Katherine Jones | + |to Charles C. Smith.--_New York Times._ | + +If the paper runs a few columns of social news and the persons concerned +in the wedding are of any importance socially, the wedding may be given +a stickful. Such an account would confine itself entirely to names and +facts and would be characterized by very decided simplicity and brevity. +Usually nothing more would be given than the names and address of the +bride's parents, the bride's first name, the groom's name, the place, +and the name of the minister who officiated. Occasionally the name of +the best man and a few other details are added, but never does the story +become personal. It is interesting only to those who know or know of the +persons concerned. + +For example: + + | SMITH-JONES | + | | + |The marriage of Miss Katherine M. Jones, | + |elder daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Randolph | + |Jones, 253 Ninth street, and Charles C. | + |Smith was celebrated at 4 o'clock | + |yesterday afternoon at the First Methodist| + |Church, 736 Grand avenue. Rev. William | + |Brown, rector of the church, performed the| + |ceremony. | + +It will be noted that in the above story the name of the bride is +written out in full, "Miss Katherine M. Jones." Many newspapers, +however, would simply give her first name, thus: "Katherine, elder +daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Randolph Jones." + +If the above wedding were of greater importance more details might be +given. These would include the attendants, descriptions of the gowns of +the bride and her attendants, the guests from out of town, music, +decorations, the reception, and perhaps some of the presents. Sometimes +the wedding trip and an announcement of when and where the couple will +be at home are added. The above story might run on into detail something +like this: + + | Miss Jones, who was given in marriage | + |by her father, wore a white satin gown | + |trimmed with Venetian point lace, and her | + |point lace veil, a family heirloom, was | + |caught with orange blossoms. She carried | + |a bouquet of white sweet peas and lilies | + |of the valley. Miss Dorothy Jones, a | + |sister of the bride, who was maid of | + |honor, wore a gown of green chiffon over | + |satin, with lingerie hat, and carried | + |sweet peas. Douglas Jackson was the best | + |man and the ushers were Dr. John B. | + |Smith, Samuel Smith, Gordon Hunt, Rodney | + |Dexter, Norris Kenny, and Arthur | + |Johnston. A reception followed the | + |ceremony at the home of the bride's | + |parents. | + +This is probably as long a story as any average paper would run on any +wedding, unless the wedding had some striking feature that would make +the story of interest to readers who did not know the principals. Note +in the foregoing story the simplicity and impersonal tone. There is a +wealth of facts but there is no coloring. This tone should characterize +every society story. A list of out-of-town guests might have been added, +but as often that would be omitted. In some cases the last sentence +might be followed by an announcement like this: + + | The bride and bridegroom have gone on a | + |wedding tour of the West; after April 1 | + |they will be at home at 76 Kimbark | + |avenue. | + +In this connection the young reporter should note the distinctions in +meaning of the various words used in a wedding story. For instance, he +should consult the dictionary for the exact use of the verbs "to marry" +and "to wed"--he should know who "is married," who "is married to," and +who "is given in marriage," etc. He should also know the difference +between a "marriage" and a "wedding." + + +=2. Wedding Announcements.=--Wedding announcements are run in the social +columns of many papers. These items contain practically the same facts +that we find in the story written after the wedding, except, of course, +that the reporter cannot dilate on decorations, and must stick to facts. +These facts usually consist of the names of the couple, the names of the +bride's parents, and the time and the place of the wedding. Additionally +the reporter may give the minister's name, the names of the maid of +honor and of the best man, the reception or breakfast to follow, and +where the couple will be at home. + + | The wedding of Miss Gladys Jones and | + |Richard Smith will take place on | + |Wednesday evening in All Angels' Church. | + |The bride is a daughter of Mrs. Charles | + |Jones, who will give a bridal supper and | + |reception afterward at her home. | + +There are of course many other ways to begin the announcement. "Miss +Mary E. MacGuire, daughter of, etc."; "Invitations have been issued for +the wedding of Miss, etc."; "One of the weddings on for Tuesday is that +of Miss, etc."; "Cards are out for the wedding on Saturday of Miss, +etc."; and many others. In each case the bride's name has the place of +importance. + + +=3. Announcements of Engagements.=--Announcements of engagements are +usually even briefer than wedding announcements. The item consists +merely of one sentence in which the young lady's mother or parents make +the announcement with the name of the prospective groom. + + | Mrs. Russell D. Jones of 45 Ninth | + |street announces the engagement of her | + |daughter, Natalie, to John MacBaine | + |Smith. | + +The item may also begin "Mr. and Mrs. X. X. So-and-So announce, etc.," +or simply "Announcement is made of the engagement of Miss Stella Blank, +daughter of, etc." + + +=4. Receptions and Other Entertainments.=--If a paper is to keep up in +society news, it must report many social entertainments. However, such +events are treated by large dailies as simply, briefly, and impersonally +as possible. Such a story, like the report of a wedding, consists merely +of certain usual facts. The name of the host or hostess, the place, the +time, and the special entertainments are of course always included. +Sometimes the occasion for the event, the guests of honor, and a +description of the decorations are added,--also the names of those who +assisted the hostess. + + | Mrs. James Harris Jones gave a | + |reception yesterday at her home, 136 | + |Fifth street, for her daughter, Miss | + |Dorothy Jones. In the receiving line were | + |Miss Marjorie Smith, Miss, etc. * * The | + |reception was followed by an informal | + |dance. | + +If the event is held especially for debutantes, the fact is noted at the +very start. "A number of debutantes assisted in receiving at a tea given +by, etc."; "The debutantes of the winter were out in force, etc." + +Such a story is usually followed by a list of guests, a list of +out-of-town guests, a list of subscribers, or something of the sort. +Ordinarily the list is not tabulated but is run in solid, thus: + + | The guests were: Miss Kathleen Smith, | + |Miss Georgia Brown, etc. | + +Very often the names are grouped together, thus: + + | The guests were: The Misses Kathleen | + |Smith, Georgia Brown; Mesdames Robert R. | + |Green, John R. Jones; and the Messrs. | + |George Hamilton, Francis Bragg, etc. | + +The number of variations in such stories is limited only by the +ingenuity of the people who are giving such entertainments. But in each +case the reporter learns to give the same facts in much the same order. +And he gives them in an uncolored, impersonal way that makes the items +interesting only to those who are directly connected with them. The +story may vary from a single sentence to half a column, but it always +begins in the same way and elaborates only the same details. Before +trying to write up social entertainments, a reporter should always be +sure of the use of the various words he employs--"chaperon," +"patroness," etc. For instance, can we say that "Mr. and Mrs. Smith +acted as chaperons"? + + +=5. Social Announcements.=--Social announcements of any kind are +usually, like the wedding and engagement announcements, confined to a +single sentence. They tell only the name of the host and hostess, the +name of the guest of honor or the occasion for the event, the time, and +the place. Thus: + + | Mrs. Charles P. Jones will give a dance| + |this evening at her home, 181 Nineteenth | + |street, to introduce her sister, Miss | + |Elsie Holt. | + +A study of the foregoing sections on society stories shows how +definitely a reporter is restricted in the facts that he may include in +his social items--how conventional social stories have become. This very +restraint in the matter of facts makes it the more necessary for a +reporter to exercise his originality in the diction of social items. He +must guard against the use of certain set expressions, like +"officiating," "performed the ceremony," and "solemnized." While +restricted in the facts that he may give, he must try to present the +same old facts in new and interesting ways--he may even resort to a +moderate use of "fine writing," if he does not become florid or +frivolous. + + +=6. Unusual Social Stories.=--Just as soon as any of these stories +contains a feature that is of interest to the general public in an +impersonal way it leaves the general class of social news and becomes a +news story to be written with the usual lead. Even the presence of a +very prominent name will make a news story out of a social item. For +instance, the wedding of Miss Ethel Barrymore was written by many papers +as a news story. On the other hand, an unusual marriage, an unusual +elopement, or anything unusual and interesting in a wedding gives +occasion for a news story. Here is one: + + | Because their 15-year-old daughter, | + |Sarah, married a man other than the one | + |they had chosen, who is wealthy, Mr. and | + |Mrs. Markovits of 3128 Cedar street have | + |gone into deep mourning, draped their | + |home in crepe and announced to their | + |friends that Sarah is | + |dead.--_Philadelphia Ledger._ | + +Or the story may be handled in a more humorous way, thus: + + | There is really no objection to him, | + |and she is quite a nice young woman, but | + |to be married so young, and to go on a | + |wedding journey with $18 in their | + |purses--but Wallace Jones, student of the| + |Western University, and Ruth Smith, | + |student in the McKinley High School, | + |decided it was too long a time to wait, | + |and a nice old pastor gentleman in St. | + |Joe has made them one.--_Milwaukee Free | + |Press._ | + + +=7. Obituaries.=--Like many other classes of newspaper stories, the +obituary has developed a conventional form which is followed more or +less rigidly by all the papers of the land. Every obituary follows the +same order and tells the same sort of facts about its subject. It begins +with a brief account of the deceased man's death, runs on through a very +condensed account of the professional side of his life and ends with the +announcement of his funeral or a list of his surviving relatives. + +The lead is concerned only with his death, answering the usual +questions about _where_, _how_, and _why_, and is written to stand alone +if necessary. It ordinarily begins with the man's full name, because of +course the name is the most important thing in the story, and then tells +who he was and where he lived. This is followed, perhaps in the same +sentence, by the time of his death, the cause, and perhaps the +circumstances. Thus: + + | CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 25.--Dr. John H.| + |Blank, professor of Greek at Harvard | + |since 1887 and dean of the Graduate | + |School since 1895, died at his home in | + |Quincy street today from heart trouble. | + |Professor Blank was an authority on | + |classical subjects.--_New York Tribune._ | + +This, as you see, might stand alone and be complete in itself. Many +obituaries, however, add another paragraph after the lead in which the +circumstances of the death are discussed in greater detail. Here is the +second paragraph of another obituary: + + | At 8:30 tonight Mr. Blank was walking | + |with his wife on the veranda of the | + |Delmonte Hotel, when he suddenly gasped | + |as if in great pain and fell to the | + |floor. He was carried inside, but was | + |dead before the physicians reached his | + |bedside. Apoplexy is said to have been | + |the cause. | + +Next comes the account of the deceased man's life. It is told very +briefly and impersonally and concerns itself chiefly with the events of +his business or professional activities. It is but a catalogue of his +achievements and the dates of those achievements. These facts are +usually obtained from the file of biographies--called the morgue--which +most newspapers keep. The account first tells when and where he was born +and perhaps who his parents were. Next his education is briefly +discussed. Then the chief events of his professional or business life. +The date of his marriage and the maiden name of his wife are included +somewhere in or at the end of this account. Usually a list of the +organizations of which the man was a member and a list of the books +which he had written are attached to this account. One of the foregoing +obituaries continues as follows: + + | He was born in Urumiah, Persia, on | + |February 4, 1852, being the son of the | + |Rev. Austin H. Blank, a missionary. He | + |was graduated from Dartmouth in 1873, and| + |that college awarded him the degrees of | + |A. M. in 1876 and LL.D. in 1901. From | + |1876 to 1878 he studied at Leipzig | + |University. He was assistant professor of| + |ancient languages at the Ohio | + |Agricultural and Mechanical College from | + |1873 to 1876, associate professor of | + |Greek at Dartmouth from 1878 to 1880, | + |and dean of the collegiate board and | + |professor of classical philology at Johns| + |Hopkins in 1886 and 1887. In 1906 and | + |1907 he served as professor in the | + |American School of Classical Studies in | + |Athens. | + | | + | (Then follows a list of the | + |organizations of which he was a member | + |and the periodicals with which he was | + |connected.) | + | | + | He married Miss Mary Blank, daughter of| + |the president of Blank College, in 1879, | + |and she survives him. | + |--_New York Tribune._ | + +The obituary usually ends with a list of surviving relatives--especially +children and very often the funeral arrangements are included. This is +the last paragraph of another obituary: + + | His first wife, Mary V. Blank, died in | + |1872. Three years later he married Mrs. | + |Sarah A. Blank, of Hightstown, N. J., who| + |with four daughters, survives him. The | + |funeral will be held tomorrow at 11:30 | + |o'clock. The burial will be in the family| + |plot in Greenwood Cemetery. | + +This is the standard form of the obituary which is followed by most +daily newspapers in fair-sized cities. The form is characterized by an +extreme conciseness and brevity and an absolutely impersonal tone. Very +rightly, an obituary is handled with a sense of the sanctified +character of its subject It offers no opportunity for fine writing or +human interest; it simply gives the facts as briefly and impersonally as +possible. + + + + +XIV + +SPORTING NEWS + + +Division of labor on the larger American newspapers has made the +reporting of athletic and sporting events into a separate department +under a separate editor. The pink or green sporting sheets of the big +papers have become separate little newspapers in themselves handled by a +sporting editor and his staff and entirely devoted to athletic news, +except when padded out with left-over stories from other pages. Although +on smaller papers any reporter may be called upon to cover an athletic +event, in the cities such news is handled entirely by experts who are +thoroughly acquainted with all phases of the athletic sports about which +they write. The stories on the pink sheet enjoy the greatest +unconventionality of form to be seen anywhere in the paper except on the +editorial page. And yet, because athletic reporters are usually men +taken from regular reporting and because the same ideas and necessities +of news values govern the sporting pages, athletic stories follow, in +general, the usual news story form. + +One may expect to find under the head of sports almost any news that is +any way connected with college, amateur, or professional athletics. The +stories include accounts of baseball and football games, rowing, horse +racing, track meets, boxing, and many other forms of sport, as well as +any discussions or movements growing out of these sports. Many of the +stories are only a few lines in length while others may cover a column +or more. But in general each one has a lead which answers the questions +_when?_ _where?_ _how?_ _who?_ and _why?_ and runs along much like an +ordinary news story. For, after all, even athletic stories are written +to attract and to hold the reader's interest whether or not he is +directly interested in the sport under discussion. Any reporter who is +called upon to cover an athletic event is safe in writing his story in +the usual news story form. + +As it would be impossible to discuss all the various stories that come +under the head of athletic news, the reporting of college football games +will be taken as typical of the others. The rules that are suggested for +the reporting of football games may be applied to baseball games, track +meets, and other sporting events. The same principles govern all of +them and the stories usually summarize results in about the same way. +Football stories may be divided into three general classes: the brief +summary story of a stickful or a trifle more; the usual football story +of a half column or less; and the long story that may be run through a +column or more, depending upon the importance of the game. + +All three of these stories are alike in the general facts which they +contain; they differ only in the number of minor details which they +include in the elaboration of these general facts. Each one tells in the +first sentence what teams were competing, the final score, when and +where the game was played, and perhaps some striking feature of the +game--the weather, the conditions of the field, the star players, or a +sensational score. After that, with more or less expansion, each of the +stories gives the essential things that the reader wants to know about +the game. These consist usually of the way in which the scoring was +done, a comparison of the playing of the teams, a list of the star +players, the weather conditions, and the crowd. If the writing of the +story includes a discussion of each of these points in more or less +detail, the game will be covered in all of its essential phases. The +three kinds of stories differ, from one another, not in the facts that +they include, but in the length at which they expand upon these facts. +One rule should be noted in the writing of all these stories or of any +athletic story--avoid superlatives. To a green reporter almost every +game seems to be "the most spectacular," "the most thrilling," "the +hardest fought," "the most closely matched," but a broad experience is +necessary to defend the use of any superlative about the game. + + +=1. The Brief Summary Story.=--This is the little story of a stickful or +less, which merely announces the result of some distant or unimportant +game. Taken in its shortest form it gives only the names of the teams, +the score, the time and place of the game, and perhaps a word or two of +general characterization. As it is allowed to expand in length it takes +up as briefly as possible the following facts in the order in which they +are given: the scoring, the comparison of play, the star players or +plays. It is a mere announcement of the result of the game and no more, +for that is all the reader wants. The line-ups and other tables are +usually omitted, and nothing is included that goes beyond this narrow +purpose. Here are a few examples: + + | IOWA CITY, Ia., Nov. 25.--Sensational | + |end runs by McGinnis and Curry near the | + |end of the final quarter of play gave | + |Iowa a 6-to-0 victory over Northwestern | + |here this afternoon. | + | | + | Fort Atkinson High School defeated | + |Madison High today in the final moments | + |of play when a punt by Davy, fullback | + |for Madison, was blocked and the ball | + |recovered behind the line, giving Fort | + |Atkinson the game, 2 to 0. | + + | INDIANAPOLIS, June 3.--Indianapolis | + |started its at-home series today by | + |defeating Kansas City, 3 to 2. Robertson | + |was in fine form, striking out five men, | + |permitting no one to walk and allowing | + |only six hits. Score: (Tables.) | + + | LAFAYETTE, Ind., June 1.--With the | + |score 41 1-3 points, athletes | + |representing the University of California| + |won the twelfth annual meet of the | + |Western Intercollegiate Athletic | + |Conference Association today. | + | | + |Missouri was second with 29 1-3 points, | + |Illinois third with 26, Chicago fourth | + |with 15 and Wisconsin fifth with 12 1-2. | + + +=2. The Usual Football Story.=--The usual report of a game is a story of +a half column or less which is longer than the brief summary story and +not so detailed as the long football story. This is the story that a +correspondent would usually send to his paper. It is like them both in +the facts that it includes and differs only in length and in manner of +treatment. This story is usually divided into two parts: the +introduction and the running account. The introduction, or lead, is +very much like the brief summary story; in fact, the entire brief +summary story might be used as the introduction of a story of this type. +The second part, the running account, corresponds to the running account +of the game as it will be taken up with the long football story. + +The introduction of the usual athletic story always contains certain +facts. The first sentence, corresponding to the lead of a news story, +always gives the names of the teams, the score, the time, the place, and +the most striking feature of the game. After this the plays that +resulted in scores are described and the star plays or players are +enumerated. Usually a comparison of the two teams, as to weight, speed, +and playing, follows, and the opinion of the captain or of some coach +may be included. The rest of the introduction may be devoted to the +picturesque side of the game: the crowd, the cheering, the celebration, +etc. All of this must be told briefly in 200 words or less. The +introduction is simply the brief summary story slightly expanded. Here +is a fair example (the paragraph containing the scoring has been +omitted): + + | Purdue triumphed over Indiana today, 12| + |to 5, recording the first victory for the| + |Boilermakers over the Crimson in five | + |years. | + | | + | (Omitted paragraph on scoring belongs | + |here.) | + | | + | Purdue played a great game at all | + |times Oliphant, right half-back on the | + |Boilermaker eleven, played remarkably | + |well and was the hardest man for the | + |locals to handle. Baugh, Miller, Winston | + |and Capt. Tavey also starred for Coach | + |Hoit's men. | | + | | + | The Lafayette rooters, 1,500 strong, | + |rushed on the field at the close of the | + |struggle and carried their players off | + |the field. | + +This is ordinarily followed by a brief running account of the game. It +does not attempt to follow every play or to trace the course of the ball +throughout the entire game, as a complete running account would do. It +is usually made from the detailed running account by a process of +elimination so that nothing but the "high spots" of the game is left. +Such an account may run from 200 to 300 words in length. At the end +tables are usually printed to give the line-up and the tabulated results +of the game, but these may sometimes be omitted. The following is an +extract from a condensed running account: + + | Again the cadets fought their way to | + |the 10-yard line, runs by Rose and | + |Patterson helping materially, but again | + |Wayland held. The half ended after | + |Wayland had kicked out of danger. | + | | + | In the second half St. John's outplayed| + |Wayland throughout. The cadets by a | + |succession of line plunges took the ball | + |within striking distance several times, | + |only to be held for downs or lose it on a| + |fumble. | + | | + | Patterson electrified the crowd just | + |before the third quarter ended by twice | + |dodging through for 20-yard runs, placing| + |the ball on the 15-yard line, where the | + |cadets were held for downs. | + + +=3. Long Football Story.=--The third class of football story is the long +detailed account. This is all that is left of the elaborate write-ups of +the season's big games that were printed a few years ago and may be seen +occasionally now. Ten or twenty years ago it was not unusual for an +editor to run several pages, profusely illustrated, on a big eastern +football game. The story was written up from every possible +aspect--athletic, social, picturesque, etc. Every play was described in +detail and sometimes a graphic diagram of the play was inserted. Each +phase was handled by a different reporter and the whole thing was given +a prominence in the paper out of all proportion with its real +importance. Such a treatment of athletic news has now been very largely +discarded. + +The outgrowth of this elaborate treatment is the common one- or +two-column account in the pink or green sporting pages. All of the +various aspects of the big game are still to be seen, condensed to the +smallest amount of space; and this brief account of the different +aspects of the game is arranged as an introduction of a half column or +less to head the running account of the game. This is the sort of story +that is used to report the Yale-Harvard games and the more important +middle western games. Its form has become very definitely settled and a +correspondent can almost write his story of the big game by rule. + +The first part of the story, called the introduction, consists of five +or six general paragraphs. The material in this introduction is +arranged, paragraph by paragraph, in the order of its importance. +Following this is a running account of the game which may occupy a +column or more, depending upon the importance of the contest. At the end +is a table showing the line-up and a summary of the results. + +The introduction of the big football or baseball story usually follows a +very definite order. There are certain things which it must always +contain: the result of the game; how the scoring was done; a +characterization of the playing; the stars; the condition of the weather +and the field; the crowd; etc. The reader always wishes to know these +things about the game even if he does not care to read the running +account. It is equally evident that the scoring is of greater interest +than the crowd, and that a comparison of the teams is more important +than the cheering. And so a reporter may almost follow a stereotyped +outline in writing his account. A possible outline would be something +like this: + + First Paragraph.--The names of the teams, the score, when and + where the game was played, and perhaps some striking feature + of the game. The weather may have been a significant factor, + or the condition of the field; the crowd may have been + exceptionally large or small, enthusiastic or uninterested; + or the game may have decided a championship; some star may + have been unusually prominent, or the scoring may have been + done in an extraordinary way. Any of these factors, if of + sufficient significance, would be played up in the first line + just as the feature of an ordinary news story is played up. + This paragraph corresponds to the lead of a news story and is + so written. For example: + + | Playing ankle-deep in mud before a | + |wildly enthusiastic gathering of football| + |rooters, the gridiron warriors of Siwash | + |College defeated the Tigers this | + |afternoon on Siwash athletic field by the| + |score of 5 to 0. | + + Second Paragraph.--Here the reporter usually tells how the + scoring was done, what players made the scores, and how. + + Third Paragraph.--The next thing of importance is a comparison + of the two teams. The reader wants to know how they compared + in weight, speed, and skill, and how each one rose to the + fight. A general characterization of the playing or a + criticism may not be out of place here. + + Fourth Paragraph.--Now we are ready to tell about the individual + players. Our readers want to know who the stars were and how + they starred. + + Fifth Paragraph.--This brings us down near the tag end of the + introduction. Very often this paragraph is devoted to the + opinions of the captains and coaches on the game. Their + statements, if significant, may be boxed and run anywhere in + the report. + + Sixth Paragraph.--The picturesque and social side of the game + comes in here. The size of the crowd, the enthusiasm, the + celebration between halves or before or after the game, are + usually told. This material may be of enough importance to + occupy several paragraphs, but the reporter must always + remember that he is writing a sporting account and not a + picturesque description of a social event. + + Seventh Paragraph.--This paragraph usually begins the running + account of the game. + + * * * + + N-th Paragraph.--This space at the end of the entire report is + given to the line-ups and tabulated results of the game. + +This arrangement may of course be varied, and any of the foregoing +factors of the game may be of sufficient importance to be placed earlier +in the story. Never, however, should the various factors be mixed +together heterogeneously and written in a confused mass. Each element +must be taken up separately and occupy a paragraph by itself. + +The running account of the game, which follows the introduction, +requires little rhetorical skill. Each play is described in its proper +place and order and should be so clear that a reader could make a +diagram of the game from it. It must also be accurate in names and +distances as well as in plays. + +Probably every individual sporting correspondent has a different way of +distinguishing the players and the plays and of writing his running +account. It is not an easy matter to watch a game from the press stand +far up in the bleachers and be able to tell who has the ball in each +play and how many yards were gained or lost. Familiarity with the teams +and the individual players makes the task easier but few reporters are +so favored by circumstances. They must get the names from the cheering +or from other reporters about them unless they have some method of their +own. + +There is one method that may be followed with some success. Before the +game the reporter equips himself with a table of the players showing +them in their respective places as the two teams line up. It is usually +impossible to tell who has the ball during any single play because the +eye cannot follow the rapid passing, but it is always possible to tell +who has the ball when it is downed. At the end of each play as the +players line up, the reporter keeps his eye on the man who had the ball +when it was downed and watches to see the position he takes in the new +line-up. Then a glance at the table will tell him the man's name. + +The running account is written as simply and briefly as possible. It +follows each play, telling what play was made, who had the ball, and +what the result was. It keeps a record of all the time taken out, the +changes in players, the injuries, etc. A typical running account reads +something like this: + + | Siwash advanced the ball two yards by a| + |line plunge. Kelley carried the ball | + |around left end for five yards to the | + |Tigers' 50-yard line. The Tigers gained | + |the ball on a fumble after a fake punt | + |and lined up on their own 45-yard line. | + |Time called. Score at end of first half, | + |0 to 0. | + +At the end of the running account are tables, usually set in smaller +type, giving the line-up of the two teams and the tabulated results of +the game. Some papers arrange the tables as follows: + + |Siwash: Tigers: | + | | + |Smith...........left end.......Jones | + | | + |Brown.........left tackle......Green-Wood| + | | + |McCarthy.......left guard......Connor | + | | + |Hall (Capt.).....centre........Jacobs | + | | + |Etc. | + +Other papers use this system which brings the opposing players together: + + |Siwash: Tigers: | + | | + |l. e........Smith : Williams.......r. e. | + | | + |l. t........Brown : Jackson........r. t. | + | | + |l. g.....McCarthy : Cook (Capt.)...r. g. | + | | + |c....(Capt.) Hall : Jacobs............c. | + | | + |Etc. | + +The tabulated results at the end may be something like this: + + |Score by periods: | + | | + |Tigers....................0 2 1 3--6 | + | | + |Siwash....................0 0 0 0--0 | + | | + |Touchdown--Brown. Goal from touchdown-- | + |O'Brien. Umpire--Enslley, Purdue. | + |Referee--Holt, Lehigh. Field | + |judge--Hackensaa, Chicago. Head | + |linesman--Seymour, Delaware. Time of | + |periods--fifteen minutes. | + +Dispatches and stories on baseball games and track meets are usually +accompanied by tables of results, similar to the above but arranged in a +slightly different way. The form may be learned from any reputable +sporting sheet. + + + + +XV + +HUMAN INTEREST STORIES + + +In our study of newspaper writing up to this point we have been entirely +concerned with forms, rules, and formulas; every kind of story which we +have studied has had a definite form which we have been charged to +follow. We have been commanded always to put the gist of the story in +the first sentence and to answer the reader's customary questions in the +same breath. Now we have come to a class of newspaper stories in which +we are given absolute freedom from conventional formulas. In fact, the +human interest story is different from other newspaper stories largely +because of its lack of forms and rules. It does not begin with the gist +of its news--perhaps because it rarely has any real news--and it answers +no customary questions in the first paragraph; its method is the natural +order of narrative. The human interest story stands alone as the only +literary attempt in the entire newspaper and, as such, a discussion of +it can hardly tell more than what it is, without any great attempt to +tell how to write it. For our purposes, the distinguishing marks of the +human interest story are its lack of real news value and of conventional +form, and its appeal to human emotions. + +The human interest story has grown out of a number of causes. Up to a +very recent time newspapers have been content with printing news in its +barest possible form--facts and nothing but facts. Their appeal has been +only to the brain. But gradually editors have come to realize that, if +many monthly magazines can exist on a diet of fiction that appeals only +to the emotions, a newspaper may well make use of some of the material +for true stories of emotion that comes to its office. They have realized +that newsiness is not the only essential, that a story does not always +have to possess true news value to be worth printing--it may be +interesting because it appeals to the reader's sympathy or simply +because it entertains him. Hence they began to print stories that had +little value as news but, however trivial their subject, were so well +written that they presented the humor and pathos of everyday life in a +very entertaining way. The sensational newspapers took advantage of the +opportunity but they shocked their readers in that they tried to appeal +to the emotions through the kind of facts that they printed, rather +than through the presentation of the facts. They did not see that the +effectiveness of the emotional appeal depends upon the way in which a +human interest story is written, rather than upon the story itself. +Therefore they shocked their readers with extremely pathetic facts +presented in the usual newspaper way, while the journals which stood for +high literary excellence were able to handle trivial human interest +material very effectively. Now all the newspapers of the land have +learned the form and are printing effective human interest stories +every day. + +Another reason behind the growth of the human interest story is the +curse of cynicism which newspaper work imprints upon so many of its +followers. Every editor knows that no ordinary reporter can work a +police court or hospital run day after day for any length of time +without losing his sensibilities and becoming hardened to the sterner +facts in human life. Misfortune and bitterness become so common to him +that he no longer looks upon them as misfortune and misery, but just as +news. Gradually his stories lose all sympathy and kindliness and he +writes of suffering men as of so many wooden ten-pins. When he has +reached this attitude of cynicism, his usefulness to his paper is almost +gone, for a reporter must always see and write the news from the +reader's sympathetic point of view. To keep their reporters' +sensibilities awake editors have tried various expedients which have +been more or less successful. One of these is the "up-lift run" for cub +reporters--a round of philanthropic news sources to teach them the +business of reporting before they become cynical. Another is the human +interest story. If a reporter knows that his paper is always ready and +glad to print human interest stories full of kindliness and human +sympathy, he is ever on the watch for human interest subjects and +consequently forces himself to see things in a sympathetic way. Thus he +unconsciously wards off cynicism. The search for human interest material +is a modification of the "sob squad" work of the sensational papers, on +more delicate lines. + +A human interest story is primarily an attempt to portray human +feeling--to talk about men as men and not as names or things. It is an +attempt to look upon life with sympathetic human eyes and to put living +people into the reports of the day's news. If a man falls and breaks his +neck, a bald recital of the facts deals with him only as an animal or an +inanimate name. The fact is interesting as one item in the list of human +misfortunes, but no more. And yet there are many people to whom this +man's accident is more than an interesting incident--it is a very +serious matter, perhaps a calamity. To his family he was everything in +the world; more than a mere means of support, he was a living human +being whom they loved. The bald report of his death does not consider +them; it does not consider the man's own previous existence. But if we +could get into the hearts of his wife and his mother and his children, +we could feel something of the real significance of the accident. This +is what the human interest story tries to do. It does not necessarily +strive for any effect, pathetic or otherwise, but tries simply to treat +the victim of the misfortune as a human being. The reporter endeavors to +see what in the story made people cry and then tries to reproduce it. In +the same way in another minor occurrence, he attempts to reproduce the +side of an incident that made people laugh. Either incident may or may +not have had news value in its baldest aspect, but the sympathetic +treatment makes the resulting human interest story worth printing. + +There are various kinds of human interest stories. The common ground in +them all is usually their lack of any intrinsic news value. Many a +successful human interest story has been printed although it contained +no one of the elements of news values that were outlined earlier in this +book. In fact, one of the uses of the human interest story is to +utilize newspaper by-products that have no news value in themselves. +Hence the human interest story has no news feature to be played up and, +since it does not contain any real news, it does not have to answer any +customary questions. In form it is much like a short story of fiction, +since it depends on style and the ordinary rules of narration. The +absence of a lead, more than any other characteristic, distinguishes the +human interest story from the news story, in form. We have worked hard +to learn to play up the gist of the news in our news stories; now we +come to a story which makes no attempt to play up its news--in fact, it +may leave its most interesting content until the end and spring it as a +surprise in the last line. To be sure, most human interest stories have +and indicate a timeliness. The story may have no news value but it is +always concerned with a recent event and usually tells at the outset +when the event occurred. Almost without exception, the examples quoted +in this chapter show their timeliness by telling in the first sentence +when the event occurred. So much for the outward form of the human +interest story. + + +=1. Pathetic Story.=--One of the many kinds of human interest stories is +the pathetic story. Although it does not openly strive for pathos, it is +pathetic in that it tells the story of a human misfortune, simply and +clearly, with all the details that made the incident sad. It is the +story that attempts to put the reader into the very reality of the pain +and sorrow of every human life. Sometimes it makes him cry, sometimes it +makes him shudder, and sometimes it disgusts him, but it always shows +him misfortune as it really is. It looks down behind the outward actions +and words into the hearts of its actors and shows us motives and +feelings rather than facts. But just as soon as any attempt at pathos +becomes evident, the story loses its effectiveness. Its only means are +clear perception and absolute truthfulness. Here is an example of a +pathetic human interest story taken from a daily paper: + + | Rissa Sachs' child mind yesterday | + |evolved a tragic answer to the question, | + |"What shall be done with the children of | + |divorced parents?" | + | | + | She took her life. | + | | + | Rissa was 14 years old. The divorce | + |decree that robbed her of a home was less | + |than a week old. It was granted to her | + |mother, Mrs. Mellisa Sachs, by Judge | + |Brentano last Saturday. | + | | + | When the divorce case was called for | + |trial Rissa found that she would be | + |compelled to testify. Reluctantly she | + |corroborated her mother's story that her | + |father, Benjamin Sachs, had struck Mrs. | + |Sachs. It was largely due to this | + |testimony that the decree was granted and | + |the custody of the child awarded to Mrs. | + |Sachs. | + | | + | Then the troubles of the girl began in | + |real earnest. She loved her mother dearly. | + |But her father, who had been a companion | + |to her as well as a parent, was equally | + |dear to her. | + | | + | Both parents pleaded with her. Mrs. | + |Sachs told Rissa she could not live | + |without her. The father told the girl, in | + |a conversation in a downtown hotel several | + |days ago, that he would disown her unless | + |she went to live with him. | + | | + | Every hour increased the perplexities of | + |the situation for the child. She could not | + |decide to give up either of her parents | + |for fear of offending the other. So she | + |sacrificed her own life and gave up both. | + | | + | Thursday evening, on returning from | + |school to the Sachs home at 4529 Racine | + |avenue, Rissa talked long and earnestly | + |with her mother. Then she retired to her | + |room, turned on the gas and, clothed, lay | + |down upon her bed to await death and | + |relief from troubles that have driven | + |older heads to despair. | + | | + | At the inquest yesterday afternoon the | + |grief-stricken mother told the story of | + |her daughter's difficulties. She said that | + |Rissa had declared she could not live if | + |compelled to give up either of her | + |parents, but added that she never had | + |believed it.--_Chicago Record-Herald._ | + +This is a pathetic human interest story in that it attempts to give the +human significance of an incident which in itself would have little news +value. Perhaps, in the matter of words, there is a slight straining for +pathos. The form, it will be noted, is decidedly different from that of +a news story on the same incident and, although the timeliness is given +in the first line, there is no attempt to present the gist of the story +in a formal lead. The source of the news is indicated in the last +paragraph. + + +=2. Humorous Story.=--Another kind of human interest story is the +humorous story. Its humor, like the pathos of a pathetic story, does not +come from an attempt to be funny, but from the truthful presentation of +a humorous incident, from the incongruity and ludicrousness of the +incident itself. The writer tries to see what elements in a given +incident made him laugh and then portrays them so clearly and truthfully +that his readers cannot help laughing with him. The subject may be the +most trivial thing in the world, not worth a line as a news story, and +yet it may be told in such a way that it is worth a half-column write-up +that will stand out as the gem of the whole edition. But after all the +effectiveness depends upon the humor in the original subject and the +truthfulness of the telling. The following humorous human interest +story, which occupied a place on the front page, was built up out of an +incident almost devoid of news value: + + | One of Johnnie Wilt's original ideas | + |for entertaining his twin sister | + |Charlotte is to build a big bonfire on | + |the floor of their playroom. | + | | + | Johnnie, who is 4 years old, carried his | + |plan into execution at the Wilt home, 2474 | + |Lake View avenue, for the first time | + |yesterday afternoon, with results that | + |made a lasting impression upon his mind | + |and the finishings of the interior of the | + |house. | + | | + | The thing was suggested to him by a | + |bonfire he saw a man build in the street. | + |Charlotte hadn't seen the other fire. For | + |some reason Charlotte's feminine mind | + |refused to understand just what the fire | + |was like. | + | | + | Consequently nothing remained for | + |Johnnie to do but build a fire of his own. | + |He piled all of the newspapers and | + |playthings that could be found in the | + |middle of the room and then applied a | + |match. | + | | + | When the flames leaped to the ceiling, | + |however, and a cloud of smoke filled the | + |room, Johnnie began to doubt the wisdom of | + |the move. While Charlotte ran to tell a | + |maid he retreated to that haven of | + |youthful fugitives--the space beneath a | + |couch. | + | | + | The frightened maid summoned the fire | + |engines and the fire was soon | + |extinguished. But Mrs. Wilt discovered | + |that Johnnie had disappeared. She | + |telephoned to Charles T. Wilt, president | + |of the trunk company that bears his name, | + |and half hysterically told of the fire and | + |the disappearance of Johnnie. | + | | + | Just then there was a scrambling sound | + |from beneath the couch. Johnnie, looking | + |as serious as a 4-year-old face can look, | + |walked out. | + | | + | Mrs. Wilt seized him and, to an | + |accompaniment of "I-won't-do-it-agains," | + |crushed him to her bosom. Last reports | + |from the Wilt home were that Johnnie had | + |not yet been punished for his | + |deed.--_Chicago Record-Herald._ | + +The student will notice how all the facts of the story and the answers +to the reader's questions are worked in here and there, how the content +of a news story lead is scattered throughout the entire account. + + +=3. Writing the Human Interest Story.=--It is one thing to be able to +distinguish material for a human interest story and another to be able +to write the story. The whole effectiveness of the story, as we have +seen, depends upon the way it is written. Many a poorly written, +ungrammatical news story is printed simply because it contains facts +that are of interest, regardless of the way in which they are presented. +But never is a poorly written human interest story printed; simply +because the facts in it have little interest themselves and the story's +usefulness depends entirely upon the presentation of the facts. Hence, +the human interest story, more than any other newspaper story, must be +well written. And yet there are no rules to assist in the writing of +such a story. In fact, its very nature depends upon originality and +newness in form and treatment. + +In the first place, we cannot fall back upon the conventional lead for a +beginning, because a lead would be out of place. As we have said before, +the human interest story does not begin with a lead for the reason that +it has no striking news content to present in the lead. In many cases +the whole story depends upon cleverly arranged suspense; if the content +is given in a lead at the beginning suspense is of course impossible. +The human interest story has no more need of a lead than does a short +story--in some ways a human interest story is very much like a short +story--and a short story that gives its climax in the first paragraph +would hardly be written or read. But, just like the short story, a human +interest story must begin in an attractive way. In the study of short +story writing almost half of the study is devoted to learning how to +begin the story, on the theory that the reader is some sort of a +fugitive animal that must be lassoed by an attractive and interesting +beginning. The theory is of course a true one and it holds good in the +case of human interest stories. + +But no rules can be laid down to govern the beginning of human interest +or short stories. Each story must begin in its own way--and each must +begin in a different way. Some writers of short stories begin with +dialogue, others with a clean-cut witticism, others with attractive +explanation or description, others with a clever apology. The list is +endless. This endless list is ready for the reporter who is trying to +write human interest stories. But the choosing must be his own. He must +select the beginning that seems best adapted to his story. As an +inspiration to reporters who are trying to write human interest stories, +a few beginnings clipped from daily papers are given here. Some are good +and some are bad; the goodness or badness in each case depends upon +individual taste. They can hardly be classified in more than a general +way for originality is opposed to all classifications. They are merely +suggestions. + +A striking quotation or a bit of apt dialogue is commonly used to +attract attention to a story. Here are some examples: + + | "Burglars," whispered Mrs. Vermilye to | + |herself and she took another furtive peek | + |out of the windows of her rooms on the | + |sixth floor of the, etc. | + + | "Speaking of peanuts," observed the man | + |with the red whiskers, "they ain't the | + |only thing in the world what is small." | + |Etc. | + + | "Ales, Wines, Liquors and Cigars!" You | + |see this sign in the windows of every | + |corner life-saving station. But what | + |would you say if you saw it blazing over | + |the entrance to the Colony Club, that | + |rendezvous for the little and big sisters | + |of the rich at Madison avenue and | + |Thirtieth street? Etc. | + + +------------------------------------------+ + |WANTED--Bright educated lady as secretary | + |to business man touring northwest states | + |and Alaska: give reference, ability; age, | + |description. Address E-640, care Bee. | + | | + | (7)-680 19x. | + +------------------------------------------+ + | The above innocent appearing want ad in | + |_The Bee_, although alluring in its | + |prospects to a young woman desiring a | + |summer vacation, is the principal factor | + |in the arrest of one M. W. Williams, etc. | + +A well-written first sentence in a human interest story often purports +to tell the whole story, like a news story lead, and really tells only +enough to make you want to read further. Here are a few examples: + + | His son's suspicions and a can opener | + |convinced Andrew Sherrer last Saturday | + |that he had been fleeced out of $500 by | + |two clever manipulators of an ancient | + |"get-something-for-nothing" swindle. So | + |strong was the victim's confidence, etc. | + + | There's a stubborn, unlaid ghost, a | + |gnome, a goblin, a swart fairy at the | + |least, who has settled down for the | + |winter in a perfectly respectable cellar | + |over in Brooklyn and whiles away the | + |dismal hours of the night by chopping | + |spectral cordwood with a phantom axe. | + |Instead of going to board with Mrs. | + |Pepper or another medium and being of | + |some use in the world and having a | + |pleasant, dim-lighted cabinet all its | + |own, this unhappy ghost--or ghostess--is | + |pestering Marciana Rose of 1496 Bergen | + |street, who owns the cellar and the house | + |over it--over both the ghost and the | + |cellar. Etc. | + + | The gowk who calls up 3732 Rector today | + |will get a splinter in his finger if he | + |scratches his head. Nothing doing with | + |3732 Rector. From early morn till dewy | + |eve Mr. Fish, Mr. C. Horse, Mr. Bass, Mr. | + |Skate and other inmates of the aquarium | + |will be inaccessible by 'phone. Etc. | + + | Under all the saffron banners and the | + |sprawling dragons clawing at red suns | + |over the roofs of Chinatown yesterday | + |there was a tension of unrest and of | + |speculation. It all had to do with the | + |luncheon to be given to his Imperial | + |Highness Prince Tsai Tao and the members | + |of his staff at the Tuxedo Restaurant, 2 | + |Doyers street, at noon to-morrow. Etc. | + + | Man and wife, sitting side by side as | + |pupils, was the interesting spectacle | + |which provided the feature of the | + |elementary night school opening last | + |night. Etc. | + + | Two young Germans of Berlin, neither | + |quite 18 years of age, had a perfectly | + |uncorking time aboard the White Star | + |liner Majestic, in yesterday. They were | + |favorites with the smoke-room stewards. | + |They learned later that man is born unto | + |trouble as the corks fly upward. Etc. | + + | It was a long black overcoat with a | + |velvet collar, big cuffed sleeves, and | + |broad of shoulder, and looked decidedly | + |warm and comfy. It stood in one of the | + |large display windows of ----, and | + |covered the deficiencies of a waxy dummy, | + |who stared in a surprised sort of manner | + |out into the street and appeared to be | + |looking at nothing. Etc. | + + | The bellboys put him up to it and then | + |Marcus caused a lot of trouble. Marcus is | + |a parrot who has been spending the winter | + |in one of the large Broadway hotels. Etc. | + + | Lame, old, but uncomplaining, | + |remembering only his joy when a visitor | + |came to him, and forgetting to be bitter | + |because of the wrongs done him, meeting | + |his rescuer with a wag of the tail meant | + |to be joyful, a St. Bernard dog set an | + |example, etc. | + +Some human interest stories begin, and effectively, too, with a direct +personal appeal to the reader; thus: + + | If you've never seen anybody laugh with | + |his hands, you should have eased yourself | + |up against a railing at the Barnum and | + |Bailey circus in Madison Square Garden | + |yesterday afternoon and watched a band of | + |250 deaf mute youngsters, all bedecked in | + |their bestest, signalling all over the | + |Garden. Etc. | + + | If you've ever sat in the enemy's camp | + |when the Blue eleven lunged its last yard | + |for a touchdown and had your hair ruffled | + |by the roar that swept across the | + |gridiron, you can guess how 1,500 Yale | + |men yelled at the Waldorf last night for | + |Bill Taft of '78. Etc. | + +A question is often used at the beginning of a human interest story: + + | A near-suicide or an accident. Which? | + |Keeper Bean is somewhat puzzled to say | + |which, but it is quite certain it will | + |not be tried again. At least, Keeper Bean | + |does not think it will. | + | | + | But, it was a sad, sad Sunday for the | + |little white-faced monkey. For hours he | + |lay as dead, etc. | + +Many of these stories, animal or otherwise, begin with a name: + + | Long Tom, a Brahma rooster that had | + |been the "bad inmate" of Jacob Meister's | + |farm at West Meyersville, N. J., for | + |three years, paid the penalty of his | + |crimes Christmas morning when he was | + |beheaded after his owner had condemned | + |him to death. Bad in life, he was good in | + |a potpie that day, etc. | + +The beginning of a human interest story is always the most important +part; just like a news story, it must attract attention with its first +line. In the same way, a good beginning is something more than half +done. But here the similarity between the two ends. The news story, +after the lead is written, may slump in technique so that the end is +almost devoid of interest; the human interest story, on the other hand, +must keep up its standard of excellence to the very last sentence and +the last line must have as much snap as the first. It is never in danger +of losing its last paragraph and so it may be more rounded and complete; +it must follow a definite plan to the very end and then stop. In this it +is like the short story, although it seldom has a plot. There are no +rules to help us in writing any part of the human interest story. Each +attempt has a different purpose and must be done in a different way. Yet +the reporter must know before he begins just exactly how he is going to +work out the whole story. He must plan it as carefully as a short +story. A few minutes of careful thought before he begins to write are +better than much reworking and alteration after the thing is done. This +applies to all newspaper writing. + +Much of the effectiveness of the human interest story depends upon the +reporter's style. When we try to write human interest stories we are no +longer interested in facts, as much as in words. Our readers are not +following us to be informed, but to be entertained. And we can please +them only by our style and the fineness of our perception. Although we +have been told to write news stories in the common every-day words of +conversation, we are not so limited in the human interest story. The +elegance of our style depends very largely upon the size of our +vocabulary, and elegance is not out of place in this kind of story. +Although we have been told to use dialogue sparingly in news stories, +our human interest story may be composed entirely of dialogue. In fact, +we are hampered by no restrictions except the restrictions of English +grammar and literary composition. Although we have sought simplicity of +expression before, we may now strive for subtlety and for effect; we may +write suggestively and even obscurely. We are dealing with the only part +of the newspaper that makes any effort toward literary excellence and +only our originality and cleverness can guide us. + +It is hardly necessary to repeat that one cannot write human interest +stories in a cynical tone. They are a reaction against cynicism. They +require one to feel keenly, as a human being, and to write +sympathetically, as a human being. The reporter must see behind the +facts and get the personal side of the matter--and feel it. Then he must +tell the story just as he sees and feels it. Absolute truthfulness in +the telling is as necessary as keen perception in the seeing. Humor must +be sought through the simple, truthful presentation of an incongruous or +humorous idea or situation; pathos must be sought by the truthful +presentation of a pathetic picture. Just as soon as the reporter tries +to be funny or to be pathetic he fails, for the reader is not looking to +the reporter for fun or pathos--but to the story that the reporter is +telling. That is, the story must be written objectively; the writer must +forget himself in his attempt to impress the story upon his reader's +mind. If the story itself is fundamentally humorous or sad and the story +is clearly and truthfully told with all the details that make it +humorous or sad, it cannot help being effective. + +The best way to learn how to write human interest stories is to study +human interest stories. Most papers print them nowadays--they can easily +be distinguished by their lack of news value, and of a lead--and the +finest example is just as likely to crop out in a little weekly as in a +metropolitan daily. + + +=4. The Animal Story.=--The examples printed earlier in this chapter are +specimens of the truest type of human interest story because they deal +with human beings. They derive their joy or sorrow from things that +happen to men and women. But all the sketches that are classed as human +interest stories are not so carefully confined to the limits of the +title. From the original human interest story the type has grown until +it includes many other things--almost any piece of copy that has no +intrinsic news value. Every possible subject that may suit itself to a +pathetic or humorous treatment and thus be interesting, although it has +no news value, is roughly classed as a human interest story. + +One of these outgrowths of the true human interest sketch is the animal +story. In the large cities, the "zoo" and the parks have become a +fruitful source of "news." Anything interesting that may happen to the +monkeys, or the elephant, the sparrows or the squirrels in the parks, +horses or dogs in the street, is used as the excuse for a human interest +story. Sometimes the purpose is pathos and sometimes it is humor, but, +whatever it may be, if it is clever and interesting it gets its place in +the paper, a place entirely out of proportion to its true news value. +The results sometimes verge very close upon nature faking, but after all +they are only the result of the "up-lift" idea of looking at all life in +a more sympathetic way. Several of the beginnings quoted earlier in this +chapter belong to animal stories and the following is a complete one: + + | Smithy Kain was only a mongrel, | + |horsemen will say, but in his equine | + |heart there coursed the blood of | + |thoroughbreds. | + | | + | Smithy Kain was killed yesterday | + |afternoon, shot through the head, while | + |thousands of Wisconsin fair patrons looked | + |on in shuddering sympathy. | + | | + | It was a tragedy of the track. | + | | + | Owners, trainers and drivers always are | + |quick to declare that no greater courage | + |is known than that possessed and | + |demonstrated by race horses in hard-fought | + |battles on the turf, and the truth of this | + |was never more strikingly brought home | + |than in the death of Smithy Kain | + |yesterday. | + | | + | With a left hind foot snapped at the | + |fetlock, Smithy Kain raced around the | + |track, his valiant spirit and unfaltering | + |gameness keeping him up until he had | + |completed the course in unwavering pursuit | + |of the flying horses in front. Every jump | + |meant intense agony, but he would not | + |quit. Not until near the finish did his | + |strength give out, and not until then was | + |the pitiable truth discovered. Men used to | + |exhibitions of gameness in tests that try | + |the soul looked on in mute admiration as | + |Smithy Kain shivered and stumbled from the | + |pain that rapidly sapped his life. Women | + |cried openly. | + | | + | Two shots from the pistol of a park | + |policeman ended the life and sufferings of | + |the horse that was only a mongrel, but | + |who, in his equine way, was a thoroughbred | + |of thoroughbreds. | + | | + | Smithy Kain gave to his master the best | + |that his animal mind and soul possessed. | + |No better memorial can be written even of | + |man himself. | + + +=5. The Special Feature Story.=--One step beyond the animal story is the +special feature story. This kind of story is classed with the human +interest story because it has no news value and because its only purpose +is to entertain or to inform in a general way; and yet it rarely +contains any human interest. There is no space in this book for a +complete discussion of the special feature story--an entire volume might +be devoted to the subject--but this form of story is often seen in the +news columns of the daily papers and deserves a mention here. Ordinarily +the special feature story is not written by reporters, although there is +no reason why reporters should not use in this way many of the facts +that come to them. The story usually comes from outside the newspaper +office, from a contributor, from a syndicate, or from some other daily, +weekly, or monthly publication; however a word or two here may suggest +to the reporter the possibility of adding to his usefulness by writing +such stories for his paper. + +The special feature story may be almost anything. The name is used to +designate timely magazine articles, timely write-ups for the Sunday +edition, and timely squibs for the columns of the daily papers. The last +use is the one that interests us and it interests us because it is very +closely related to the human interest story. The editors usually call it +a feature story because it is worth printing in spite of the fact that +it has no news value. In this and in its timeliness it is like the human +interest story. But it is not written for humor or pathos; its purpose +is to entertain the reader. Its method is largely expository and its +style may be anything; it may explain or it may simply comment in a +witty way. The utilizing of otherwise useless by-products of the news is +its purpose--in this it is very much like the animal story. + +Subjects for feature stories may come from anywhere and may be almost +anything. A very common kind of feature story is the weather story that +many newspapers print every day. The weather is taken as the excuse for +two or three stickfuls of print which explain and comment upon weather +conditions, past, present and future. Growing out of this, there is the +season story which deals with any subject that the season may suggest: +the closing of Coney Island, the spring styles in men's hats, the first +fur overcoat, Commencement presents, Easter eggs--anything in season. +Further removed from the human interest story is the timely write-up +which has no other purpose than to explain, in a more or less serious or +sensible way, any interesting subject that comes to hand. The story +purports not only to entertain but to inform as well. It has no news +value and yet it is usually timely. Here are a few subjects selected at +random from the daily papers: "He'll pay no tax on cake," explaining in +a humorous way the customs methods that held up the importation of an +Italian Christmas cake; "Clearing House for Brains," a description of +the new employment bureau of the Princeton Club of New York; "Ideal man +picked by the Barnard girl," a humorous resume of some Barnard College +class statistics; "Winning a Varsity Letter," telling what a varsity +letter stands for, how it is won, and what the customs of the various +colleges in regard to letters are; "Jerry Moore raises a record corn +crop," telling how a fifteen-year-old boy won prizes with a little patch +of corn. + +These are just a few suggestions to open up to the reporter the vast +field for special feature articles. To be sure, many of them are +submitted by outsiders, but there is no reason why a reporter should not +write these stories as well as human interest stories for his paper, +since he is in the best position to get the material. Whenever a special +feature story becomes too large for the daily edition there is always a +possibility of selling it to the Sunday section or to a monthly +magazine. The writing of special feature stories is directly in line +with the reporter's work, because the ordinary method of gathering facts +for a feature article and arranging them in an interesting, newsy way +follows closely the method by which a reporter covers and writes a news +story. Hence almost without exception the most successful magazine +feature writers are, or have been, newspaper reporters. + + + + +XVI + +DRAMATIC REPORTING + + +Dramatic reporting is one of the most misused of the newspaper +reporter's activities. To many reporters, as well as to their editors, +it is just an easy way of getting free admission to the theater in +return for a half column of copy. Hence it is treated in an unjustly +trivial way; the reports of theatrical productions are printed most +often as space fillers or as a small advertisement in return for free +tickets. But after all the work is an important one and should be done +only by skillful and expert hands. Dramatic reporting is included in +this book, not because it is thought possible to give the subject an +adequate treatment, but because theatrical reporting is a branch of the +newspaper trade that may fall to the hands of the youngest reporter. In +mere justice to the stage the reporter who writes up a play should know +something about the real significance of what he is doing. It is much +easier to tell the beginner what not to do than to tell him exactly +what to do. The faults in dramatic reporting are far more evident than +the virtues; and yet there are some positive things that may be said on +the subject. + +The first important question in the whole matter is "Who does dramatic +reporting?" One would like to answer, "Skilled critics of broad +knowledge and experience." But unfortunately almost anybody does it--any +one about the office who is willing to give up his evening to go to the +theater. To be sure, many metropolitan papers employ skilled critics to +write their dramatic copy and run the theatrical news over the critic's +name. Some editors of smaller papers have the decency to do the work +themselves. But in most cases the work is given to an ordinary +reporter--and not infrequently to the greenest reporter on the staff. +Worse than that, the work is seldom given to the same reporter +continuously, but is passed around among all the members of the staff. +Even a green cub may learn by experience how to report plays, but if the +work falls to him only once a month his training is very meager. It +would seem in these days of much discussion of the theater that editors +would realize the power which they have over the stage through their +favorable or unfavorable criticism. But they do not, perhaps because +they know little about the stage, and the appeal must be made to their +reporters. Every reporter, except upon the largest papers, has the +opportunity sooner or later to give his opinion on a play. In +anticipation of that opportunity these few words of advice are offered. + +The first requisite in dramatic criticism is a background of knowledge +of the drama and the stage. To children, and to some grown people, too, +the stage is a little dream world of absolute realities. Their +imaginations turn the picture that is placed before them into real, +throbbing life. They do not see the unreality of the art, the suggestive +effects, the flimsy delusions; to them the play is real life, the stage +is a real drawing room or a real wood, and they cannot conceive of the +actors existing outside their parts. But the critic must look deeper; he +must understand the machinery that produces the effects and he must +weigh the success of the effects. He must get behind the play and see +the actors outside the cast and the stage without its scenery; the +dramatic art must be to him a highly technical profession. For this +reason, he must know something about dramatic technique; he must have +some background of knowledge. He must study the theater from every point +of view, from an orchestra seat, from behind the scenes, from a peekhole +in the playwright's study, and from the pages of stage history. All the +tricks and effects must be evident to him. The only thing that will +teach him this is constant, intelligent theater-going. He must be +familiar with all of the plays of the season and with all of the +prominent plays of all seasons. A child cannot criticize the first play +that he sees because he has nothing with which to compare it. In the +same way a reporter cannot justly judge any kind of play until he has +seen another of the same kind with which to compare it. Hence he must +know many plays and must know something about the history of the +theater. Dramatic criticism is relative and the critic must have a basis +for his comparison. + +This background of knowledge may seem a difficult thing to acquire. It +is; and it can best be acquired by watching many plays with an eye for +the technique of the art. The critic may judge a play from its effect +upon him, but his judgment will be superficial. He must try to see what +the playwright is trying to do, how well he succeeds, what tricks he +employs. He must judge the work of the stage carpenter and of the +costumer. He must try to realize what problem the leading lady has to +face and how well she solves it. The same carefulness of judgment must +be given to each member of the cast. Only when the critic is able to see +past the footlights and to understand the technique of the art, can he +judge intelligently. And as his judgment can be at best only relative, +he must have a background of many plays and much stage knowledge upon +which to base his estimate of any one production. + +The ideal criticism, based upon this background of knowledge, would be +absolutely fair and unprejudiced. But unfortunately this ideal cannot +always be followed. Much dramatic criticism is colored by the policy of +the paper that prints it. Very few critics are so fortunate as to be +able to say exactly what they think about a play; they must say what the +editor wants them to say. Some theatrical copy, especially write-ups of +vaudeville shows, is paid for and must contain nothing but praise. +Sometimes it is necessary to praise the poorest production simply +because the paper is receiving so much a column for the praise. In many +other cases, when the copy is not paid for, the editor often considers +it only fair to give the production a little puff in return for the free +press tickets. And so a large share of any reporter's dramatic criticism +is reduced to selecting things that he can praise. Yet, one cannot +praise in a way that is too evident; he cannot simply say "The play was +good; the staging was good; the acting was good; in fact, everything was +good." He must praise more cleverly and give his copy the appearance of +honest criticism. Perhaps the principle is wrong, but nevertheless it +exists and happy is the dramatic critic whose paper allows him to say +exactly what he thinks. However, whether one may say what he thinks or +must say what his editor wants him to say, he must have as his +background a thorough knowledge of the stage upon which he may base a +comparison or a contrast and with which he may make intelligent +statements. The following illustrates what may be done with a paid +report of a mediocre vaudeville show in which every act must be +praised--the report was written on Monday of a week's run and is +intended to induce people to see the show: + + | This week's bill at ---- Vaudeville | + |Theatre is dashed onto the boards by a | + |very exciting act, "The Flying Martins," | + |whose thrilling tricks put the audience | + |in a proper state of mind for the | + |sparkling and laughable program that | + |follows--a state of mind that keeps its | + |high pitch without a break or let-down to | + |the very end of Dr. Herman's | + |side-splitting electrical pranks. This | + |man, who has truly "tamed electricity," | + |does many remarkable things with his big | + |coils and high voltage currents and plays | + |many extremely funny tricks upon his row | + |of "unsuspecting-handsome" young | + |volunteers. | + | | + | The musical little playlet, "The Barn | + |Dance," is very jokingly carried off by | + |its Jack-of-all-Trades, "Zeke," the | + |constable, and its pretty little ensemble | + |song, "I'll Build a Nest for You." Many a | + |young husband can get pointers on "home | + |rule" from "Baseballitis;" it is a mighty | + |good presentation of the "My Hero" theme | + |in actual life. Hilda Hawthorne gives us | + |some high-class ventriloquism with a good | + |puppet song that is truly wonderful. | + |There's a lot of good music, very good | + |music in the sketch executed by "The | + |Three Vagrants," as well as a lot of fun; | + |one can hardly realize what an amount of | + |melody an old accordion contains. Audrey | + |Pringle and George Whiting have a hit | + |that is sparkling with quick changes from | + |Irish love songs to bull frog croaking | + |with Italian variations. | + +For the purpose of a more complete study of the subject, however, we +shall consider only dramatic criticism that is not restricted by +editorial dictum or by the requirements of paid-space. That is, we shall +imagine that we can praise or condemn or say anything we please +concerning the dramatic production which we are to report. When we look +at the subject in this way there are some positive things that may be +said about theatrical reporting, but there are many more negative rules, +that may be reduced to mere "Don'ts." The same principles hold good in +dramatic criticism that is hampered by policy, but to a less degree. + +In the first place, the one thing that a dramatic reporter must have +when he begins to write his copy after the performance is some positive +idea about the play, some definite criticism, upon which to base his +whole report. It is impossible to write a coherent report from chance +jottings and to confine the report to saying "This was good; that was +bad, the other was mediocre." The critic must have a positive central +idea upon which to hang his criticism. This central idea plays the same +part in his report as the feature in a news story--it is the feature of +his report which he brings into the first sentence, to which he attaches +every item, and with which he ends his report. To secure this idea, the +reporter must watch the play closely with the purpose of crystallizing +his judgment in a single conception, thought, or impression. Sometimes +this impression comes as an inspiration, sometimes it is the result of +hard thought during or after the play. It may be concerned with the +theme of the play, the playwright's work, the lines, the staging, the +effects, the tricks, the acting as a whole, the acting of single +persons, the music, the dancing, the costumes--anything connected with +the production--but the idea must be big enough to carry the entire +report and to be the gist of what the critic has to say about the play. +It must be his complete, concise opinion of the performance. + +When, as the critic watches the play, some idea comes to him for his +report he should jot it down. As the play progresses he should develop +this idea and watch for details that carry it out. There is no reason to +be ashamed of taking notes in the theater and the notes will prove very +useful at the office afterward. Perhaps after the play is over the +critic finds that his jottings contain another idea that is of greater +importance than the first; then he may incorporate the second into the +first or discard the first altogether. Even after one has crystallized +his judgment into a concise opinion he must elaborate and illustrate it +and the program of the play is always of value in enabling one to refer +definitely to the individual actors, characters, and other persons, by +name. But, however complete the final judgment and the notes may be, it +is always well to write the report immediately. When one leaves the +theater his mind is teeming with things to say about the play, thousands +of them, but after a night's sleep it is doubtful if a single full-grown +idea will remain and the jottings will be absolutely lifeless and +unsuggestive. + +This is the positive instruction that may be given to young dramatic +critics. It is so important and is unknown to so many young theatrical +reporters, that it may be well to sum it up again. A dramatic criticism +must be coherent; it must be unified. It must be the embodiment of a +single idea about the play and every detail in the report must be +attached to that idea. It is not sufficient to state the idea in a +clever way; it must be expanded and elaborated with examples and reasons +and must show careful thought. It is well to outline the report before +it is written and to arrange a logical sequence of thought so that the +result may be well-rounded and coherent. + +The following is an example of a dramatic criticism in which this course +is followed. It neither praises nor condemns but it points out gently +wherein the play is strong or weak--and every sentence is attached to +one central idea: + + + | A POLITE LITTLE PLAY. | + | | + | Never raise your voice, my dear Gerald. | + |That is the only thing left to | + |distinguish us from the lower classes. | + |_Lord Wynlea in "The Best People"._ | + + | The new comedy at the Lyric Theatre is | + |written in accordance with Lord Wynlea's | + |dictum quoted above. It is mannerly, well | + |poised, ingratiating and deft. As a minor | + |effort in the high comedy style it is | + |welcome, because it affords a respite | + |from the "plays with a punch" and the | + |prevalent boisterous specimens of the | + |work of yeomen who go at the art of | + |dramatic writing with main strength. | + | | + | "The Best People" is by Frederick | + |Lonsdale and Frank Curzen, who manifestly | + |know some of them. It was done at | + |Wyndham's Theatre in London, and we think | + |that in a comfortable English playhouse, | + |with tea between acts and leisurely | + |persons with whom to visit in the foyer, | + |it would make an agreeable matinee. | + |Certainly it is admirably acted here, and,| + |as has been intimated, its quiet drollery | + |and its polite maneuvering make it a | + |relief. | + | | + | Whether American audiences, used to | + |stronger fare than tea at the theatre, | + |will find it sustaining is a question that| + |would seem to be answered by the | + |announcement, just received from the | + |Lyric, that the engagement closes next | + |Saturday evening. | + | | + | The fable relates how the Honorable Mrs.| + |Bayle discovered that her husband and Lady| + |Ensworth had been flirting with peril | + |during her absence in Egypt, how she | + |blithely threw them much together, with | + |the result that they grew intensely weary | + |of each other, and how at last everybody | + |concerned was happily and sensibly | + |reconciled. | + | | + | The spirit of the piece is sane and | + |"nice," the decoration of it whimsical and| + |graceful. | + | | + | Miss Lucille Watson, embodying the | + |spirit of witty mischief, gives a very | + |fine performance of the part of Mrs. | + |Bayle, a "smart," good woman, and Miss | + |Ruth Shepley is excellent in byplay and | + |flutter as a silly, good woman. | + | | + | Cyril Scott is graceful and vigorous as | + |a philandering husband, Dallas Anderson | + |comical as a London clubman with a keener | + |relish in life than he is willing to | + |betray, and William McVey wise, paternal | + |and weighty in that kind of a part. | + | | + | "The Best People" is a pleasant spring | + |fillip. | + +The first admonition in theatrical reporting is "Don't resume the plot +or tell the story of the play." This is almost all that many dramatic +reporters try to do, because it is the easiest thing to do and requires +the least thought. But, after all, it is usually valueless. The story of +the play does not interest readers who have already seen the play and it +spoils the enjoyment of the play for those who intend to see it. The +usual purpose of any theatrical report is to criticize, but a report +that simply resumes the story of the play is not a criticism; hence +space devoted to the story is usually wasted. To be sure, this +admonition must be qualified. If the development of the critic's +judgment of the play requires a resume of the story, there is then a +reason for outlining the action. However, even then, the outline should +be very brief. + +The following is a typical example of the usual dramatic reporting +which is satisfied when it has told the story of the play. In this, the +first two sentences are a very bald attempt to repay the manager for his +tickets. The resume of the story, given very obviously to fill space, is +not of any critical value. The only real criticism is at the end and is +inadequate because the praise is given without reason. + + | Grace George and her small but | + |excellent company of artists added one | + |more to their long list of successful | + |performances last night in the production | + |of Geraldine Bonner's clever comedy of | + |modern life, "Sauce for the Goose," at | + |the ---- Theatre. That the moody and | + |sparkling Miss George has a good claim to | + |the title of America's leading | + |comedienne, no one who saw the | + |performance last evening could deny. In | + |this piece she is cast for the part of | + |Kitty Constable, who is in the third year | + |of her married life and living with her | + |husband in New York City. Mr. Constable | + |has been engaged in writing a book on the | + |emancipation of woman and as a result has | + |come to neglect his pretty little wife | + |and seek the companionship of a certain | + |woman of great intellect, Mrs. Alloway, | + |who leads him on by an affected sympathy | + |with his work. He chides his wife for her | + |seeming negligence of the culture of her | + |mind, telling her that she lacks grey | + |matter. The climax comes when Mr. | + |Constable tries to get away from his wife | + |on the evening of their wedding | + |anniversary to dine with Mrs. Alloway. | + |Kitty tries the emancipated woman idea | + |and goes to the opera with another man | + |and has dinner with him in his | + |apartments. She lets her husband know of | + |her plans and he comes to the room in a | + |rage. By thus playing first on his | + |jealousy and then by ridiculing his | + |ideas, she wins him back to herself. The | + |company was made up of artists and there | + |was not a crude spot in the whole | + |performance. The part of Harry Travers, | + |the friend of Mrs. Constable's, was | + |excellently done by Frederick Perry, as | + |was that of Mr. Constable by Herbert | + |Percy. Probably the most difficult | + |character in the play to portray was that | + |of the "woman's rights" woman, Mrs. | + |Alloway, which was most admirably done by | + |Edith Wakeman. | + +The word criticism must not lead the reporter to think that, as a +critic, his only function is to find fault. To criticize may mean to +praise as well as to condemn. If the critic is not restricted by the +policy of his paper, he should be as willing to praise as to condemn, +and vice versa. But whichever course he takes he must be ready to defend +his criticism and to tell why he praises or why he condemns. There is +always a tendency to praise a play in return for the free tickets; this +should be put aside absolutely. The critic owes something to the public +as well as to the manager. If the play seems to him to be bad, he must +say so without hesitation and he must tell why it is bad. Too many +really bad plays are immensely advertised by a critic's undefended +statement that they are not fit to be seen. Had the critic given +definite reasons for his condemnation, his criticism might have +accomplished its purpose. In the same way it is useless to say simply +that a play is good. Its good points must be enumerated and the reader +must be told why it is good. + +However, criticism must be written with delicacy. If your heart tells +you to praise, praise; if your heart tells you to condemn, condemn with +care. Remember that your condemnation may put the play off the boards or +at least hurt its success, and there must be sufficient reason for such +radical action. The critic's debt to the public is large, but he owes +some consideration to the manager. He must hesitate before he says +anything that may ruin the manager's business. Critics very often +condemn a play for trivial reasons; they feel indisposed, perhaps +because their dinner has not agreed with them, the play does not fit +into their mood and they turn in a half column of ruinous condemnation. +Perhaps they like a certain kind of production--farces, for +instance--and systematically vent their ire on every tragedy and every +musical comedy. They do not use perspective; they do not judge the stage +as a whole. No matter how poor a play is or how much a critic dislikes +it, he must consider what the stage people are trying to do and judge +accordingly. In many cases it is not the individual play that deserves +adverse criticism, but the kind of play. All of these things must be +considered; every dramatic critic must have perspective. He must be fair +to the stage people and to the public; his influence is greater than he +may imagine. + +No matter how strong the occasion for condemnation may be, the dramatic +critic is never justified in speaking bitterly. The poor production is +not a personal offense against him nor against the public. It is simply +a bad or an unworthy attempt and his duty is confined to pointing how or +why it is not worthy. That does not mean that he is justified in using +bitter, abusive, or even sarcastic language. It is great sport to make +fun of things and to exercise one's wits at some one's else expense--it +is also easy--but that is not dramatic criticism. The public asks the +critic to tell them calmly and fairly, even coldly, the reasons for or +against a production--the reasons why they should, or should not, spend +their money to see it--bitter sarcasm overreaches the mark. Just as soon +as a critic tries to be personal in his remarks on a play he is +exceeding his prerogative and is open to serious criticism himself. + +The necessary attributes of a dramatic reporter, as we have seen, are: +fairness, logical thinking, and a background of stage knowledge. And of +these three, the background is of the greatest importance; it is the +stimulus and the check for the other two. The more a critic can know +about every phase of the theatrical profession, contemporary or +historical, the better will be his criticisms. The more knowledge of the +stage that his copy shows, the more greedily will his readers look for +his "Theatrical News" each day. However clear his idea of a play may be +he cannot express it clearly and readably without a background of other +plays to refer to. And, by the same sign, a wealth of allusions and a +quantity of theatrical lore will often carry a critic past many a play +concerning which he is unable to form a clear opinion. To develop your +ability as a dramatic reporter, watch the theatrical criticisms in +reputable dailies and weeklies and learn from them. + + + + +XVII + + +STYLE BOOK + + _Being a copy of the Style Book compiled for the Course in + Journalism of the University of Wisconsin from the style + books of many newspapers._ + + +=1. Capitalize:= + + All proper nouns: Smith, Madison, Wisconsin. + + Months and days of the week, but not the seasons of the year: April, + Monday; but autumn. + + The first word of every quotation, enumerated list, etc., following + a colon. + + The principal words in the titles of books, plays, lectures, + pictures, toasts, etc., including the initial "a" or "the": "The + Merchant of Venice," "Fratres in Urbe." If a preposition is + attached to or compounded with the verb capitalize the preposition + also: "Voting _For_ the Right Man." + + The names of national political bodies: House, Senate, Congress, the + Fifty-first Congress. + + The names of national officers, national departments, etc.: + President, Vice President, Navy Department, Department of Justice + (but not bureau of labor), White House, Supreme Court (and all + courts), the Union, Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, Union Jack, + United States army, Declaration of Independence, the (U. S.) + Constitution, United Kingdom, Dominion of Canada. + + All titles preceding a proper noun: President Taft, Governor-elect + Wilson, ex-President Roosevelt, Policeman O'Connor. + + The entire names of associations, societies, leagues, clubs, + companies, roads, lines, and incorporated bodies generally: Mason, + Odd Fellow, Knights Templar, Grand Lodge of Knights of Pythias, + Woman's Christian Temperance Union, Wisconsin University, First + National Bank, Schlitz Brewing Company (but the Schlitz brewery), + Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Chicago and Northwestern + Railway Company, the Association of Passenger and Ticket Agents of + the Northwest, Clover Leaf Line, Rock Island Road, Chicago Board + of Trade, New York Stock Exchange (but the board of trade and the + stock exchange). + + The names of all religious denominations, etc.: Catholic, + Protestant, Mormon, Spiritualist, Christian Science, First + Methodist Church (but a Methodist church), the Bible, the Koran, + Christian, Vatican, Quirinal, Satan, the pronouns of the Deity. + + The names of all political parties (both domestic and foreign): + Republican, Socialism, Socialist, Democracy, Populist, Free + Silverite, Labor party, (but anarchist). + + Sections of the country: the North, the East, South America; + southern Europe. + + Nicknames of states and cities: The Buckeye State, the Hub, the + Windy City. + + The names of sections of a city and branches of a river, etc.: the + East Side, the North Branch. + + The names of stocks in the money market: Superior Copper, Fourth + Avenue Elevated. + + The names of French streets and places: Rue de la Paix, Place de la + Concorde. + + Names of automobiles: Peerless, the White Steamer, Pierce Arrow. + + Names of holidays: Fourth of July, Christmas, New Year's day, + Thanksgiving day. + + Names of military organizations: First Wisconsin Volunteers, + Twenty-third Wisconsin Regiment, Second Army Corps, second + division Sixth Army Corps, National Guard, Ohio State Militia, + First Regiment armory, the militia, Grand Army of the Republic. + + The names of all races and nationalities (except negro): American, + French, Spanish, Chinaman. + + The nicknames of baseball clubs: the White Sox, the Cubs. + + Miscellaneous: la France, Irish potatoes, Enfield rifle, American + Beauty roses. + + +=2. Capitalize when following a proper noun:= Bay, block, building, +canal, cape, cemetery, church, city, college, county, court (judicial), +creek, dam, empire, falls, gulf, hall, high school, hospital, hotel, +house, island, isthmus, kindergarten, lake, mountain, ocean, orchestra, +park, pass, peak, peninsula, point, range, republic, river, square, +school, state, strait, shoal, sea, slip, theatre, university, valley, +etc.: South Hall, Park Hotel, Hayes Block, Singer Building, Dewey +School, South Division High School, Superior Court, New York Theatre, +Beloit College, Wisconsin University, Capitol Square. + + +=3. Do not capitalize when following a proper name:= Addition, avenue, +boulevard, court (a short street), depot, elevator, mine, place, +station, stockyards, street, subdivision, ward, etc.: Northwestern +depot, Pinckney street station, Third ward, Harmony court, Amsterdam +avenue, Broad street, Wingra addition, Washington boulevard, Winchester +place. + + +=4. Capitalize when preceding a proper noun:=--All titles denoting rank, +occupation, relation, etc. (do not capitalize them when they follow the +noun): alderman, ambassador, archbishop, bishop, brother, captain, +cardinal, conductor, congressman, consul, commissioner, councilman, +count, countess, czar, doctor, duke, duchess, earl, emperor, empress, +engineer, father, fireman, governor, her majesty, his honor, his royal +highness, judge, mayor, motorman, minister, officer, patrolman, +policeman, pope, prince, princess, professor, queen, representative, +right reverend, senator, sheriff, state's attorney, sultan: Alderman +John Smith (but John Smith, alderman), Senator La Follette (but Mr. La +Follette, senator from Wisconsin). + +The same rule applies when the following words precede a proper noun as +part of a name: bay, cape, city, college, county, empire, falls, gulf, +island, point, sea, state, university, etc.: City of New York, Gulf of +Mexico, University of Wisconsin, College of the City of New York, +College of Physicians and Surgeons. + + +=5. Do not capitalize:= + + The names of state bodies, etc.: the senate, house, congress, + speaker, capitol, executive mansion, revised statutes. (These are + capitalized only when they refer to the national government: + e. g., the capitol at Madison, the Capitol at Washington.) + + The names of city boards, departments, buildings, etc.: boards, + bureaus, commissions, committees, titles of ordinance, acts, + bills, postoffice, courthouse (unless preceded by proper noun), + city hall, almshouse, poorhouse, house of correction, county + hospital, the council, city council, district, precinct: e. g., + the fire department, the tax committee. + + Certain other governmental terms: federal, national, and state + government, armory, navy, army, signal service, custom-house. + + Points of the compass: east, west, north, south, northeast, etc. + + The names of foreign bodies: mansion-house, parliament, reichstag, + landtag, duma. + + Common religious terms: the word of God, holy writ, scriptures, the + gospel, heaven, sacred writings, heathen, christendom, + christianize, papacy, papal see, atheist, high church, church and + state, etc. + + The court, witness, speaker of the chair, in dialogues. + + Scientific names of plants, animals, and birds: formica rufa. + + a. m., p. m., and m. (meaning a thousand); "ex-" preceding a title. + + The names of college classes: freshman, sophomore. + + College degrees when spelled out: bachelor of arts; but B. A. + + Seasons of the year: spring, autumn, etc. + + Officers in local organizations (election of officers); president, + secretary, etc. + + Certain common nouns formed from proper nouns: street arab, prussic + acid, prussian blue, paris green, china cup, india rubber, + cashmere shawl, half russia, morocco leather, epsom salts, + japanned ware, plaster of paris, brussels and wilton carpets, + valenciennes and chantilly lace, vandyke collar, valentine, + philippic, socratic, herculean, guillotine, derby hat, gatling + gun. + + +=6. Punctuation:= + + Omit periods after nicknames: Tom, Sam, etc. + + Always use a period between dollars and cents and after per cent., + but never after c, s, and d, when they represent cents, shillings, + and pence: $1.23, 10 per cent., 2s 6d. + + Punctuate the votes in balloting thus: Yeas, 2; nays, 3. + + Punctuate lists of names with the cities or states to which the + individuals belong thus: Messrs. Smith of Illinois, Samson of West + Virginia, etc. If the list contains more than three names, omit + the "of" and punctuate thus: Smith, Illinois; Samson, West + Virginia; etc. Where a number of names occurs with the office + which they hold, use commas and semicolons, thus: J. S. Hall, + governor; Henry Overstoltz, mayor; etc. + + Never use a colon after viz., to wit, namely, e. g., etc., except + when they end a paragraph. Use a colon, dash, or semicolon before + them and commas after them, thus: This is the man; to wit, the + victim. + + "Such as" should follow a comma and have no point after it: "He saw + many things, such as men, horses, etc." + + Set lists of names thus without points: + + Mesdames-- George V. King + Charles C. Knapp Henry A. Lloyd + John H. Cole Jr. + + Do not use a comma between a man's name and the title "Jr." or "Sr." + as John Jones Jr. + + Use the apostrophe to mark elision: I've, 'tis, don't, can't, won't, + canst, couldst, dreamt, don'ts, won'ts, '80s. + + Use the apostrophe in possessives and use it in the proper place: + the boy's clothes, boys' clothes, Burns' poems, Fox's Martyrs, + Agassiz's works, ours, yours, theirs, hers, its (but "it's" for it + is). George and John's father was a good man; Jack's and Samuel's + fathers were not. + + Do not use the apostrophe when making a plural of figures, etc.: all + the 3s, the Three Rs. + + Do not use the apostrophe in Frisco, phone, varsity, bus. + + Use an em dash after a man's name when placed at the beginning in + reports of interviews, speeches, dialogues, etc.: John Jones--I + have nothing to say. (No quotation marks.) + + In a sentence containing words inclosed in parentheses, punctuate as + if the part in parentheses were omitted: if there is any point put + it after the last parenthesis. + + Use brackets to set off any expression or remark thrown into a + speech or quotation and not originally in it: "The Republican + party is again in power--[cheers]--and is come to stay." + + Use the conjunction "and" and a comma before the last name in a list + of names, etc.: John, George, James, and Henry. + + Use no commas in such expressions as 6 feet 3 inches tall, 3 years 6 + months old, 2 yards 4 inches long. + + Punctuate scores as follows: Wisconsin 8, Chicago 0. + + Punctuate times in races, etc.: 100-yard dash--Smith, first; Jones, + second. Time, 0:10 1-5. + + Peters carried the ball thirty yards to the 10-yard line. + + +=7. Date lines:= + + Punctuate date lines as follows: + + MADISON, Wis., Jan. 25.-- + + Do not use the name of the state after the names of the larger + cities of the country, such as New York, Chicago, Boston, + Philadelphia, Baltimore, San Francisco, Seattle. Abbreviate the + names of months which have more than five letters. + + +=8. Quoting:= + + Quote all extracts and quotations set in the same type and style as + the context, but do not quote extracts set in smaller type than + the context or set solid in separate paragraphs in leaded matter. + + Quote all dialogues and interviews, unless preceded by the name of + the speaker or by "Question" and "Answer": + + "I have nothing to say," answered Mr. Smith. + William Smith--I have nothing to say. + Question--Were you there? + Answer--I was. + + Quote the names of novels, dramas, paintings, statuary, operas, and + songs: "The Brass Bowl," "Il Trovatore." + + Quote the subjects of addresses, lectures, sermons, toasts, mottoes, + articles in newspapers: "The Great Northwest," "Our Interests." + + Be sure to include "The" in the quotation of names of books, + pictures, plays, etc.: "The Fire King"; not the "Fire King"; + unless the article is not a part of the name. + + Do not quote the names of theatrical companies, as Her Atonement + Company. + + Do not quote the names of characters in plays, as Shylock in "The + Merchant of Venice." + + Do not quote the names of newspapers. In editorials put "The Star" + in italics, but in "The Kansas City Star" put "Star" in italics + and use no quotation marks. + + Do not quote the names of vessels, fire engines, balloons, horses, + cattle, dogs, sleeping cars. + + +=9. Compounds and Divisions:= + + Omit the hyphen when using an adverb compounded with -ly before a + participle: a newly built house. + + Use a hyphen after prefixes ending in a vowel (except bi and tri) + when using them before a vowel: co-exist. When using such a prefix + before a consonant do not use the hyphen except to distinguish the + word from a word of the same letters but of different meaning: + correspondent, but co-respondent (one called to answer a summons); + recreation, but re-create (to create anew) reform, but re-form (to + form again); re-enforced; biennial, etc. + + Do not use the hyphen in the names of rooms when the prefix is of + only one syllable: bedroom, courtroom, bathroom, etc. (except blue + room, green room, etc.). + + When the prefix is of more than one syllable use the hyphen. Follow + the same rule in making compounds of house, shop, yard, maker, + holder, keeper, builder, worker: shipbuilder, doorkeeper. + + In dividing at the end of a line: + + Do not run over a syllable of two letters. + Do not divide N. Y., M. P., LL. D., M. D., a. m., p. m., etc. + Do not divide figures thus: 1,-000,000; but thus 1,000,-000. + Do not divide a word of five letters or less. + + +=10. Figures:= + + Use figures for numbers of a hundred or over, except when merely a + large or indefinite number is intended: twenty-three, 123, about + a thousand, a dollar, a million, millions, a thousand to one, + from four to five hundred. + + Use figures for numbers of less than 100 when they are used in + connection with larger numbers: There were 33 boys and 156 girls; + there were 106 last week and 16 this week. + + Use figures for hours of the day: at 7 p. m.; at 8:30 this morning. + + Use figures for days of the month: April 30, the 22nd of May. + + Use figures for ages: he was 12 years old; little 2-year-old John. + If the words "2-year-old John" begin a sentence or headline, spell + out the age. + + Use figures for dimensions, prices, degrees of temperature, per + cents., dates, votes, times in races, scores in baseball, etc.: 3 + feet long, $3 a yard, 76 degrees, Jan. 14, 1906. Time of + race--2:27. + + Use figures for all sums of money: $24, $5.06, 75 cents. + + Use figures for street numbers: 1324 Grand avenue. + + Use figures for numbered streets and avenues above 99th; spell out + below 100th: 123 Twenty-third avenue, 10 East 126th street. + + Use figures in statistical or tabular matter; never use ditto + marks. + + Use figures, period, and en quad for first, second, etc.: 1.--, + 2.--. + + Do not begin a sentence or paragraph with figures; supply a word if + necessary or spell out: At 10 o'clock; Over 300 men. + + Do not use the apostrophe to form plurals of figures: the 4s, rather + than the 4's. + + In all texts from the Bible set the chapters in Roman numerals and + the verses in figures: Matt. xxii. 37-40; I. John v. 1-15. In + Sunday school lessons say Verse 5. + + Say three-quarters of 1 per cent.; not 3/4 of 1 per cent. + + Set tenths, hundreds, etc., in decimals: 1.1; 2.03. + + +=11. Abbreviations:= + + Abbreviate the following titles and no others, when they precede a + name: Rev., Dr., Mme., Mlle., Mr., Mrs., Mgr. (Monsignore), M. + (Monsieur). + + Do not put Mr. before a name when the Christian name is given + except in society news and editorials: Mr. Johnson; but Samuel L. + Johnson. + + Supply Mr. in all cases when Rev. is used without the Christian + name: Rev. Henry W. Beecher; but Rev. Mr. Beecher. + + Never use "Honorable" or the abbreviation thereof except with + foreign names, in editorials, or in documents. + + Abbreviate thus: Wash., Mont., S. D., N. D., Wyo., Cal., Wis., + Colo., Ind., Id., Kan., Ariz., Okla., Me. Do not abbreviate + Oregon, Iowa, Ohio, Utah, Alaska, or Texas. + + Abbreviate thus: Madison, Dane County, Wis.: but Dane County, + Wisconsin. + + Use the abbreviations U. S. N. and U. S. A. after a proper name. + + Y. M. C. A., W. C. T. U., M. E. are good abbreviations. + + Abbreviate names of months when preceding date only when the month + contains more than five letters: Jan. 20; but April 20. When the + date precedes the month in reading matter spell it out: the 13th + of January; the 26th inst. + + Abbreviate "Number" before figures: No. 10. + + Abbreviate contract, article, section, question, answer, after the + first in bills, by-laws, testimony, etc.: Section 1., Sec. 2.; + Question--, Answer--, Q.--, A.--. + + Do not abbreviate railway, company, the names of streets, wards, + avenues, districts, etc.: Madison Street Railway Company; State + street, Monona avenue. + + Street and avenue are sometimes abbreviated in want-ads: + State-st, Monona-av. + + Spell out numbered streets and avenues up to 100th: + Thirty-fourth street, 134th street. + + Use & in names of firms, but use the long "and" in names of + railroads. Use Etc. and not &c.; use Brothers and not Bros. + (except in ads); use & only when necessary to abbreviate in + stocks. + + Do not abbreviate the names of political parties except in election + returns, then: Dem., Rep., Soc., Lab., Ind., Pro., Un. Cit. + + Put in necessary commas in abbreviating railroad names: C., M. & St. + P. Ry. (Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway); C., C., C. & St. + L. R. R. (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad). + + Abbreviate without periods in market review and quotations: 25c, bu, + brls, tcs, pkgs, f o b, p t, etc. Spell out centimes except when + given thus: 10f 20c. + + Do not abbreviate Fort and Mount: Fort Wayne, Mount Vernon. + + +=12. Preparation of Copy:= + + Use a typewriter or write legibly; some one must read your copy. + + If you write with a typewriter, double or triple space your copy; + never use single space. + + Don't write on more than one side of the paper. + + Leave sufficient margin for corrections and leave a space at the top + of the first page for headlines; leave an inch at the top of each + page. + + Don't put more than one story on a single sheet of paper. + + Don't trust the copy-reader to fill in blanks or to correct + misspelled names. If you write by hand print out proper names as + legibly as possible; underscore _u_ and overscore _n_. + + Don't assume that the copy-reader, the proofreader, or the editor + will punctuate for you, or eliminate all superfluous punctuation. + + Remember that uniformity is more to be desired than a strict + following of style. + + Don't turn in copy without re-reading carefully and verifying all + names and addresses. + + Use short paragraphs; always paragraph the lead separately; indent + paragraphs distinctly. + + Don't write over figures or words; scratch out and rewrite. + + Number your pages; when pages are inserted use letters: pages 2, 3a, + 3b, 4, 5. + + A circle around an abbreviation or a figure indicates that the word + or number is to be spelled out. A circle around a spelled-out word + or number indicates that it is to be abbreviated or run in + figures. + + Mark the end of your story, thus: # # # + + +=13. Don'ts:= + + Don't use "Honorable" or abbreviations thereof, except in extracts + from speeches or documents, in editorials, or before foreign + names. + + Don't add final s to afterward, toward, upward, downward, backward, + earthward, etc. + + Don't use "signed" before the signature of a letter or document; run + signature in caps. + + Don't begin a sentence or paragraph with figures; insert a word + before the figures or spell out. + + Don't use commas in dates or in figures which denote the number of a + thing, as A. D. 1908, 2324 State street, Policy 33815; in other + cases use the comma, as $5,289; 1,236,400 people. + + Don't forget that the following are singular and require singular + verbs: sums of money, as $23 was invested; United States; anybody, + everybody, somebody, neither, either, none; whereabouts, as "His + whereabouts is known." + + Don't forget that things OCCUR by chance or accident, and that + things TAKE PLACE by arrangement. + + Don't "sustain" broken legs and other injuries. + + Don't "administer" punishment. + + Don't confound "audiences," "spectators," and casual "witnesses." + + Don't say "party" for "person." + + Don't use "suicide," "loan," "scare," as verbs. + + Don't use "gotten"; it is questionable; use "got." + + Don't use "burglarize." + + Don't use "transpire" for "occur." + + Don't use "locate" for "find"; to locate a thing is to place it. + + Don't use "stopped" for "stayed": He stayed at the Central Hotel. + + Don't "tender" receptions nor "render" songs; use simply "give" and + "sing." + + Don't "put in an appearance"; just appear. + + Don't use "don't" for "doesn't." + + Don't use "stated" for "said." + + Don't say "per day" or "per year," but "a day," "a year"; per is a + Latin word and can be used only before a Latin noun, as "per diem" + or "per annum." + + Don't say "the meeting convened"; members might convene but a single + body cannot. + + Don't "claim that" anything is so; you can "claim" a thing, + however. + + Don't say "Mrs. Dr. Smith," just "Mrs. Smith." + + Don't say "between" when more than two are mentioned. + + Don't use "proven" for "proved." + + Don't confound "staid" with "stayed." + + Don't say "different than," but "different from." + + Don't split infinitives or other verbs. + + Don't use "onto." + + Don't use "babe" or "tot" for "baby" or "child." + + Don't use superlatives when you can help it. + + Don't use trite expressions or foreign words and phrases. + + Don't use "corner of" in designating street location. + + Don't say "died from operation," but "died after operation"--to + avoid danger of libel. + + Don't get the _very_ habit. + + Don't use "couple of" instead of "two." + + Don't use Mr. before a man's full name. + + Don't use slang unless it is fitting--which is seldom. + + Don't mention the reporters, singly or collectively, unless it is + necessary. It rarely is. + + Don't qualify the word "unique"; a thing may be "unique," but it + cannot be "very unique," "quite unique," "rather unique," or "more + unique." + + Don't use the inverted passive: e. g., "A man was given a dinner," + "Smith was awarded a medal." + + Don't concoct long and improper titles: Justice of the Supreme Court + Smith, Superintendent of the Insurance Department Jones, + Groceryman Brown. If the title is long put it after the man's + name; thus: George Smith, justice of the Supreme Court. + + Don't use the verb "occur" with weddings, receptions, etc.; they + take place by design and never unexpectedly. + + Don't say "a number of," if you can help it. Be specific. + + Don't use the word "lady" for "woman," or "gentleman" for "man." + + Don't say "a man by the name of Smith," but "a man named Smith." + + Don't use "depot" for "station"--railway passenger station. + + + + +APPENDIX I + + +SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY + +These Suggestions for Study embody the method used in the course in News +Story Writing in the Course in Journalism of the University of +Wisconsin. The text of the several chapters corresponds to the lectures +that are given in preparation for, and in connection with, the study of +the various kinds of news stories. These Suggestions for Study +correspond to the exercises by which the students learn the application +of the principles embodied in the lectures. Hence these suggestions are +given mainly from the instructor's point of view; however, a slight +alteration will adapt them to home or individual study. Although they +give very little practice in news gathering, they enable the student to +gain practice in the writing of news--in accordance with the purpose of +this book. The reporter who is studying the business in a newspaper +office may use them to advantage in connection with his regular work. + + +EXERCISES FOR THE FIRST CHAPTER + + 1. Collect clippings of representative news stories, printed in + the daily papers, to be used as models. + + 2. Keep a book of tips of expected news in your town or city. + + 3. Study news stories in your local paper and try to determine from + what source the original news tip came. Try to discover from the + story the routine of news gathering which furnished the facts. + + 4. In the same stories try to determine what persons were + interviewed; frame the questions that the reporter might have + asked to secure the facts. The instructor may impersonate + various persons in a given news story and have the students + interview him for the facts; this is to assist the student in + learning to keep the point of view and to keep him from asking + ridiculous questions. + + 5. Try to discover what stories in any newspaper are the result of + actual reporting by staff reporters--point out where the others + come from. + + 6. Notice the date line on stories that come from the outside, and + learn its form. + + +EXERCISES FOR THE SECOND CHAPTER + + 1. Watch for local stories that seem to be worth sending out; + determine what element in them makes them worth sending out; + calculate how far from their source they would be worth + printing. + + 2. Study the news value of stories that are printed in the local + papers; determine why they were printed. Look for the same + things in stories with date lines in the local papers. + + 3. Determine what class of readers any given news story would + interest. + + 4. Notice the time element (timeliness) in newspaper stories. + + 5. Try to determine the radius of your local paper's personal news + sources: how near the printing office one must live to be worth + personal mention. + + 6. Watch for local stories whose news value depends upon the death + element, upon a prominent name, a significant loss of property, + mere unusualness, human interest, or personal appeal; see what + the local papers do with these stories and whether the local + correspondents send them out. + + 7. Analyze the nature of the personal appeal in stories that are + printed only for their personal appeal. + + 8. Notice how local reasons change the news values of local + stories. + + 9. In any or all of these stories determine what the feature is. + Distinguish between the fundamental incident which the story + reports and the additional significant feature which enhances + the news value of the fundamental incident. + + +EXERCISES FOR THE THIRD CHAPTER + + + 1. Run over the Style Book at the end of this book; note the + essential points in newspaper style. + + 2. Give the principal rules for the preparation of copy. + + 3. Glance over the "Don'ts" in the Style Book. + + +EXERCISES FOR THE FOURTH CHAPTER + + + 1. Study the form and construction of news stories, especially + simple fire stories. + + 2. Pick out the feature of each story--the additional incident in + the story which increases the news value of the story + itself--and see if the striking feature has been played up to + best advantage. + + 3. Notice how the reader's customary questions--what, where, when, + who, how, and why--are answered in the lead. Make a list of the + answers in any given story. + + +EXERCISES FOR THE FIFTH CHAPTER + + 1. Collect good fire stories appearing in the newspapers. Study + the construction of the lead and the order in which the facts + are presented in the body of each story. + + 2. Write the leads of fire stories. The chances are that actual + fires will seldom occur at the time when the student wishes to + study the writing of fire stories, but the instructor may give + his class, orally or in writing, the facts of a fire story. He + may use imaginary facts or he may take the facts from a story + clipped from a newspaper--the latter method is better because it + enables the instructor to show the students, after they have + written their stories, just how the original story was written + in the newspaper office. The facts should be given in the order + in which a reporter would probably secure them in actual + reporting so that the student may learn to sort and arrange the + facts that he wishes to use, and to select the feature. The + instructor may even impersonate different persons connected with + the story and have the class interview him for the facts. This + method is to be followed throughout the whole study of news + story writing. (In individual study, practice may be secured + from writing up imaginary or real facts.) + + 3. In these first fire stories, use fires that have no interest + beyond the interest in the fire itself--that is, no feature. + Begin the story with "Fire" and devote the lead to answering the + reader's customary questions. + + 4. Look for newspaper fire stories that are not correctly written + and reconstruct the lead according to the logic of the fire + lead. That is, strive for conciseness and cut out details that + do not properly belong in the lead. + + 5. Make a list of the reader's customary questions concerning any + fire and write out the briefest possible answers. Then construct + a lead to embody these answers. Determine which answer should + come first and which last, according to importance. + + 6. Write the bodies of some of these stories. First list the facts + that are to be presented and determine the order of their + importance. + + 7. Emphasize the separateness and completeness of the two parts of + the story--the lead and the body of the story. Test the leads to + see if they would be clear in themselves without further + explanation. + + 8. Strive for brevity, conciseness and clearness; wage war on all + attempts at fine writing. + + +EXERCISES FOR THE SIXTH CHAPTER + + 1. Study fire stories which have features--an interest beyond the + mere fire itself--and see how the newspapers write them. + + 2. In a feature fire story of Class I., make a list of the reader's + customary questions concerning the fire, as if it were a simple + fire story, and a list of the answers. See if any answer is more + interesting than the fire itself, or if its presence makes the + story more interesting. Show that such an answer is the feature. + + 3. Write fire stories with features in some one of the reader's + customary answers. (Class I.) + + 4. Study a simple fire story and try to imagine what + things--properly answers to the reader's customary + questions--might happen to give the fire greater news value. + This will show the student how to look for the feature of a + story. + + 5. Write the lead of any fire story in as many different ways as + possible, striving in each one to play up the same feature. + + 6. Study a simple fire story and try to imagine what unexpected + things might occur in connection with the fire which would be of + greater interest than the fire itself. Show that these would be + features and that they do not fall within the answers to the + reader's customary questions--i. e., they are unexpected. + + 7. Write fire stories with features in unexpected attendant + circumstances. + + 8. Make up lists of dead and injured; notice how the newspapers + arrange and punctuate these lists. + + 9. Study fire stories with more than one feature. Work out the + possibilities in any given fire along these lines. + + 10. Write fire stories in which there is more than one feature + worth a place in the lead. Try various combinations in the lead + to discover the happiest arrangement. Show how one of many + striking features may be of so much importance as to drive the + other features entirely out of the lead. + + +EXERCISES FOR THE SEVENTH CHAPTER + + 1. Count the number of words in the sentences and paragraphs of + representative newspaper stories. + + 2. Practice writing fire leads that might be printed alone without + the rest of the story. + + 3. Take a fire lead and experiment with various beginnings to show + the possibilities: + + a. Noun--experiment with and without articles. + b. Infinitive--Distinguish infinitives in "to" and + in "-ing." + c. _That_ clause. + d. Prepositional phrase. + e. Temporal clause. + f. Causal clause. + g. Others. + + Show that any of these beginnings may be used in the + playing up of any one feature. + + 4. Study how a name may overshadow an interesting story; determine + when a name is worth first place in a lead. Study the practice + of representative papers in this--do not hesitate to show how a + paper has been illogical in beginning certain stories with an + unknown name, for everything one sees in a newspaper is not + ipso facto good usage in newspaper writing. + + 5. In students' stories, notice what the principal verb says and + point out any misplaced emphasis. + + 6. Wage war on "was the unusual experience of" and "was the fate + of" in leads. + + 7. Try to avoid "broke out" in fire leads. Devote the space to more + interesting action. + + 8. Cut out all useless words in students' exercises; strive for + brevity. Go through a student's story and weigh the value of + each word, phrase, and sentence; cut out the useless ones or try + to express them more briefly. Do the same to actual newspaper + stories. + + 9. Weigh the value of every detail introduced into a lead and cut + out the unnecessary ones; relegate them to the rest of the + story. + + 10. Wage war on all meaningless generalities; demand exactness. + + 11. Refer the class to the Style Book in this volume and require + them to follow a uniform style. Point out the differences in + style of various papers. + + 12. See if the bodies of students' stories mean anything without + the presence of the leads. Require the body of the story to be + separate and complete in itself. This need not, of course, be + carried to the point of repeating addresses given in the lead. + + 13. Try writing a story by simply elaborating and explaining the + details mentioned in the lead of the story. Determine what facts + must be added. + + 14. See if any story can stand the loss of its last paragraph. + Determine how many paragraphs it can lose without sacrificing + its interest. + + 15. In writing the body of a fire story, list the facts that are to + be told, in their logical order; thus: origin, discovery, + spread, death of firemen, escapes, injuries, rescues, explosion, + extinguishing of fire. Number them in the order of their + importance. Try to build a story out of these by following the + logical order and at the same time crowding the most interesting + facts to the beginning. + + 16. Practice getting the facts of a story by means of interviews. + The instructor may have the students determine what persons they + wish to interview for the facts and the instructor may + impersonate these persons in turn. The class may then write the + story from the facts gained in this way without reference to the + interviews. This is for selecting and arranging facts in their + logical order. + + 17. Practice the use of dialogue in stories. Judge its + effectiveness and show that in most cases it is well to avoid + dialogue. + + 18. Practice rewriting long stories into short press dispatches of + 150 words or less, considering the different news value. + + +EXERCISES FOR THE EIGHTH CHAPTER + + 1. Collect clippings of other kinds of news stories. + + 2. In writing these other stories use the fire story as a model; + the facts may be presented as they were in the fire story. + + 3. Study the possible features in accident stories; write accident + stories with various features; make lists of dead and injured. + + 4. Study and write robbery stories with various features; + distinguish between the various names applied to robbery and to + the people who rob. + + 5. Study and write murder and suicide stories with various + features, striving in each case to give the facts without + shocking the reader. Show how the featureless murder or suicide + story is very much like a featureless fire story. + + 6. Study and write riot, storm, flood, and other big stories. + + 7. In the study of police court news have the class go to the local + police courts and report actual cases. + + 8. Send the students to report meetings. Report conferences, + decisions, etc. Insist that the story begin with the gist of the + report in each case and never with explanations. + + 9. Write stories on bulletins, catalogues, city directories, etc. + Study them with reference to their timeliness and try to + discover what in them has the most news value. Require the + student to begin with this element of news value and to give the + source (the name and date of the bulletin, etc.) in the lead. + + 10. Look over the daily papers and pick out news stories which + bury the gist of their news and have the students rewrite the + leads to play up the real news or to give greater emphasis to + buried features. + + +EXERCISES FOR THE NINTH CHAPTER + + 1. Collect good examples of the follow-up and the rewrite story; + follow one important story through several days' editions to + see how it is rewritten day by day. Examine an afternoon + paper's version of a story covered in a morning paper. + + 2. Take any news story and work out the follow-up possibilities; + imagine what the next step in the story will be. + + 3. On this basis, write follow-up stories and rewrite stories. + + 4. Write a follow-up story which, while beginning with a new + feature, retells the original story. + + 5. Study and write follow-up stories involving fires, accidents, + robberies, murders, suicides, storms (present condition), etc. + + +EXERCISES FOR THE TENTH CHAPTER + + 1. Collect good examples of speech reports. + + 2. Take notes on oral speeches and write reports of varying + lengths. Practice taking notes in the proper way and write the + report at once--perhaps as an impromptu in class. The instructor + may send his students to public lectures or read representative + speeches to them in class. + + 3. Write reports of speeches from printed copies of the speech; + that is, edit them in condensed form. + + 4. Take one lead and experiment with different beginnings, playing + up the same idea in each case. + + 5. Discuss speeches to determine the newsiest and timeliest thing + in the speech--the statement to be played up in the lead. + + 6. In the body of the report try to use as much direct quotation as + possible, use complete sentence quotations, do not mix quotation + and summary in the same paragraph or sentence. Study the rules + regarding the use of quotation marks. + + 7. Have the students write running reports of speeches--that is, + have them write their report as they listen to the speech and + submit their report in this form. Naturally the lead must be + written later. + + +EXERCISES FOR THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER + + 1. Collect representative interview stories. + + 2. Have students interview various people without the aid of a note + book; have them bring back quoted statements by the use of their + memory. Have them interview some one who will criticize their + manner and method. + + 3. Have a definite reason or timeliness for every interview--have + the student map out a definite campaign beforehand. Try writing + out the questions beforehand in shape to fill in the answers. + + 4. Write interview stories from the results of these attempts. + + 5. Begin the same interview story in various ways. + + 6. Write an interview story in which the feature is a denial or a + refusal to speak; tell what should have been said and what the + denial or refusal signifies. + + 7. Study the form of the body of the report (see Speech Reports). + + 8. Write stories which are the result of several interviews on the + same subject; arrange them informally and formally. + + +EXERCISES FOR THE TWELFTH CHAPTER + + 1. Collect examples of good court reports. + + 2. Attend and report actual cases in the local courts (preferably + civil courts). + + 3. Determine what is the most interesting thing in each. + + 4. From this, write court reports--reports of the cases which the + students have heard. + + 5. Experiment with the various beginnings for the same report. + + 6. Try summarizing a case in one paragraph. + + 7. Practice getting down testimony verbatim. + + 8. Practice summarizing testimony in indirect form. + + 9. Practice writing out the testimony in full in the various ways. + + 10. Write testimony with action in it for the sake of human + interest. + + 11. Show how all of these may be combined into one good court + report. + + +EXERCISES FOR THE THIRTEENTH CHAPTER + + 1. Notice how various newspapers treat social news; study the + reason in each case; collect examples. + + 2. List the facts of a wedding story; write short and long wedding + stories. + + 3. Write wedding announcements, beginning in various ways. + + 4. Write engagement announcements. + + 5. Write up receptions, banquets, dinners, etc.; report actual + functions. + + 6. Write announcements for the same functions. + + 7. Write up some unusual social story as a news story. + + 8. Practice writing obituaries and simple death stories with + accompanying obituary. Write sketches of the lives of prominent + people. + + 9. In these exercises use actual events as subjects. + + +EXERCISES FOR THE FOURTEENTH CHAPTER + + 1. Study sporting stories for their material and method. + + 2. Report a football game or some other sporting event. + + 3. Make a running account of a football or baseball game. + + 4. Write a brief summary of the game to be sent out as a dispatch, + limiting it to 150 words. + + 5. Write up the same game in 200-300 words; attach a condensed + running account of the same length. + + 6. Write a long story of the same game, following the outline given + in the text; attach a detailed running account by periods or + innings; compile tables of players and results for the end. + + 7. The study of sporting news may be taken out of its logical place + and studied during the baseball or football season. + + +EXERCISES FOR THE FIFTEENTH CHAPTER + + 1. Collect human interest and newspaper feature stories. + + 2. Watch for material for human interest stories; look at the facts + in your other news stories in a sympathetic way and see how they + could be made into human interest stories. + + 3. Write human interest stories on facts given by the instructor + and on facts discovered by the students. + + 4. Write animal stories, and witty comments on the weather. + + 5. Write up some timely local subject as a 1500-word feature story. + + +EXERCISES FOR THE SIXTEENTH CHAPTER + + 1. Gather good theatrical reports and watch for those in which the + whole report is written around a single idea. + + 2. At the theater watch for things to comment on; try to bring away + one definite idea about the play--with illustrations. + + 3. Write dramatic criticisms that are the embodiment of a single + idea or criticism on the play. + + 4. Try to point out the bad things in a play without being bitter + or personal. + + 5. Write a half-column of copy on a vaudeville show, supposing that + the copy is paid for and must praise, not only the show as a + whole, but each individual act. + + +EXERCISES FOR THE SEVENTEENTH CHAPTER + + 1. Notice the form and punctuation of the date line: MADISON, + Wis., Feb. 29.-- + + 2. Notice the writing of street addresses: 234 Grand avenue, 4167 + Twenty-sixth street; 3857 138th street; (without "at"). + + 3. Notice in the use of figures--sums of money, hours of day, ages, + figures at the beginning of sentence. + + 4. Notice use of titles; use of Mr. before a man's name--always + give a man's initials or first name the first time you mention + it in any story. + + + + +APPENDIX II + + +NEWS STORIES TO BE CORRECTED + +(The following stories have been prepared to illustrate some of the most +usual mistakes in newspaper writing. They may be rewritten or used as +exercises in copy-reading. As a class exercise, the student may revise +and correct these stories _without recopying_, just as a copy-reader +revises poorly written copy.) + + + I + + Shortly after 2:30 this morning fire + + broke out in a pile of old papers in the + + basement of the Harmony Flat building, + + at 1356 Congress avenue, a four-story + + eight-apartment structure. Two firemen + + were killed by a falling wall. + + The fire had a good start before the + + janitor, Michael Jones, who sleeps in the + + basement, awoke. He turned in an alarm + + and ran through the halls awakening the + + occupants. The people on the two lower + + floors escaped in their night clothing by + + the stairways, but the fire spread very rap- + + idly, the occupants of the upper floors be- + + ing forced to flee down the fire escapes in + + the rear. + + When the firemen put in an appearance, + + Mrs. Jeanette Huyler appeared at a third + + story window and called for help. An ex- + + tension ladder being hoisted, she was res- + + cued without difficulty. During the fire + + the wall on the east side fell and killed + + Fireman John Casey and Jacob Hughes; + + Fireman Williams Jacobs was hit on the + + head by a brick and seriously injured. + + The fire was extinguished before it + + spread to an adjoining three-story flat + + building on the west. + + The firemen in searching the ruins + + found the body of a man who was later + + identified as Rupert Smithers; he was 70 + + and occupied a lower flat by himself. The + + janitor said that he was deaf and prob- + + ably did not hear the warning. The three + + dead and injured firemen belong to Hose + + Co. No. 24. + + Loss $50,000, fully insured. + + + ---------- + + + + II + + The police have arrested John Johnson, + + 23 years old, 2367 Sixth Street, charged + + with murdering Mrs. Laura Buckthorn, + + the well-known proprietor of the Duchess + + Restaurant, 438 High street. He is now + + in the county jail. + + Mrs. Buckthorn was sixty years old and + + the widow of one of the oldest settlers in + + the city. + + She lived in her small cottage at 2367 + + Sixth Street and supported herself by + + means of the restaurant. John Johnson, a + + street car motorman occupied a room in + + her cottage. Mrs. Buckthorn was found + + dead in her bed, in a pool of blood, with + + two bullet holes in her head this morning. + + Mrs. Grady, the restaurant cook said, "I + + became alarmed when Mrs. Buckthorn did + + not appear as usual at the restaurant this + + morning and went to her home to find + + her." + + Inquiry showed that Mrs. Buckthorn + + had drawn $250 from the First National + + Bank yesterday and her daughter, Mrs. + + J. D. Jackson, 1548 Sixth Street, says that + + her mother often kept such sums of money + + at home under the mattress of her bed. + + Mrs. Jackson also says that she often + + warned her mother against such habits. + + The money was not under the mattress + + this morning. + + Further inquiry showed that John Johnson + + did not appear for work as usual this + + morning and was later found by Police- + + man Patrick O'Hara in the railroad yards. + + He had with him $223.67 and a ticket to + + New York. He was known to be hard up + + but refused to account for the money and + + was given a berth in the county jail. + + Samuel Benson, cashier of the First Na- + + tional, is sure that the two 100-dollar + + bills which were found on Johnson are the + + same bills that he gave to Mrs. Buckthorn + + yesterday afternoon. Johnson will be + + given a hearing to-morrow but it is al- + + ready considered certain that he is the + + guilty party, the evidence being so strong. + + (This story may be rewritten for local + use and for a dispatch.) + + + ---------- + + + + III + + Sparks, resulting from the grounding + + of an electric wire, ignited a bucket of gas- + + olene and fired the shop of the G. W. + + Smith Motor Co., at 228, 232 West street + + last night, five automobiles valued at + + $5,800 being destroyed and the building + + being damaged to the extent of 6,200 dol- + + lars by fire. + + The insulation on the wires of an exten- + + sion light that Edward Flasch, one of the + + repair men was using became cracked, the + + wire grounding as a result. The sparks + + fell into a bucket of gasolene standing + + nearby and in a few minutes the entire + + building was ablaze. G. W. Smith, pro- + + prietor of the garage, said that he was sit- + + ting in his office at the time of the explo- + + sion and tried to put the fire out with sand + + but could not get the blaze under any con- + + trol. He then started to run out as many + + machines as possible. + + Six cars, valued at $9,000 were saved. + + + ---------- + + + + IV + + Madison, September 25th, 1912; With + + a loud deafening roar that violently + + aroused hundreds from their beds of slum- + + ber the monster gas holder occuppying + + the southwest corner of South Blount and + + Main Streets at the gasplant of the Madi- + + son Gas and Electric Company collapsed + + very suddenly at 6:sO a. m. this morning, + + and now lies partly submerged in water, + + a total wreck. The damage will be fully + + 25,000 dollars, but there will be no inter- + + ruption to the service the company's excel- + + lent reserve equippment being immediately + + brought into action for the emergency. + + The cause of the explosion was at first + + clothed in deep mystery before the officials + + of the company had time to make any in- + + vestigation. + + However it was definitely ascertained + + during the morning when Mr. John W. + + Jackson, the secretary and treasurer of the + + company, being interviewed by a Daily + + News correspondent this morning, stated + + that the immense quantities of snow on + + the roof of the holder was primarily re- + + sponsible. The weight of the snow on + + one side of the holder causing it to drop + + down broke the wheel and pushed the + + holder off the foundation on which it was + + standing. There was a momentary blaze + + but when the tank settled down into the + + reservoir below the fire went out and the + + awful peril from this highly dangerous + + source was fortunately averted. + + As it was dozens of windows at the + + planing mill on the opposite side of the + + street were all left intact. In fact no dam- + + age whatsoever outside of the holder re- + + sulted from the unfortunate accident. + + Two workmen, Jacob Casey and Nelson + + Jones, were unfortunately caught beneath + + the wreckage and their bodies were + + removed later in the morning by the fire + + department. The tank was full when it + + collapsed and that it did not scatter de- + + struction and take more innocent lives + + was one of the fortunate features of the + + accident and a great cause for congratula- + + tion among the officials of the company + + today. + + (This story illustrates, among other + things, excessive wordiness.) + + + ---------- + + + + V + + After being chased by a young woman + + for several blocks, a man who gave his + + name as John Weber, was pursued through + + a saloon at 11-97th street by Policeman + + Arthur Brown and captured on the roof of + + a building adjoining the saloon, where the + + man had hidden behind a chimney. Weber + + was arrested by the policeman and is held + + on a charge preferred by Charles Young, a + + grocer at 2145 Sixth avenue, of attempt- + + ing to rob Young's grocery store. + + + According to Young, just before he + + closed his store for the night last evening, + + a young man entered the store and asked + + for a pound of butter. "I thought," said + + Young, "that the man was just married + + and might be a possible new customer. I + + started for the back of the store to open a + + new tub but just as I turned to go, he hit + + me over the head with his cane. The + + blow dazed me but I still had sense enough + + to grab him by the collar. In the fight we + + both fell through the glass door at the + + front of the store and the d--n rascal got + + away." A young woman, who was pass- + + ing the store, seeing the fracas, screamed + + and started to run after the young man. + + She followed him until he ran into a sa- + + loon. Then she ran up to Policeman + + Brown, who was standing at the corner of + + 97th st. and Sixth-av and told him that a + + robber had gone into the saloon. The po- + + liceman ran into the saloon, but found the + + man had left by the back stairs. The po- + + liceman followed up two flights of stairs + + leading to the roof, on the run, where he + + found Weber hiding behind a chimney. + + Weber refused to give his address. + + + After watching until she saw the robber + + taken away in the paddy-wagon, the + + doughty young woman disappeared. Her + + name is unknown. + + + ---------- + + + + VI + + A burglar dressed in a Salvation Army + + uniform was arrested for attempting to + + burglarize Walter White's home, 16 West + + 62nd st. at about two o'clock last night. + + He gave his name as Julius Woll and his + + address as 129 23rd ave. + + + The caretaker at Walter White's said + + he was awakened at 1 o'clock by the noise + + of bureau drawers opening and he at once + + phoned to the station. An officer came + + and found the would-be burglar under the + + bed. After considerable scuffling the man + + was arrested and taken to the station. + + The Salvation Army denied any connec- + + tion with the prisoner but the landlady at + + his address said he had two uniforms and + + always wore one. He also carried a + + prayer book under his arm whenever he + + left his room. She also said that he had + + resided in her house for six weeks and + + owed four weeks board; also that he had + + not been there for two weeks. Inquiry + + proved that he was out regularly until + + three or four in the morning. + + + ---------- + + + + VII + + The wedding of Mr. James Henry, + + 1463 Seventh Street, and Miss Sarah + + Jones, last night at the home of the bride's + + parents, at 316 North Johnson Street, was + + a brilliant success. + + Fifty guests were present and the pres- + + ents which they brought all but filled the + + parlor. After the ceremony a seven- + + course banquet was served until 11:30 + + o'clock. Miss Sadie Jones rendered "The + + Rosary" to the accompaniment of Mr. + + John Field. + + The bride wore a gown of pink taffeta + + and carried sweet peas. The bridesmaid, + + Lily Swenk, was dressed in white muslin. + + The groom and best man, Mr. Arthur + + Howles, wore conventional black. Rev. + + Stone of the First M. E. church officiated. + + The groom is a promising young law- + + yer of this city. His bride is one of the + + city's leading young society woman, being + + deeply interested in the Womans' Suf- + + frage League. There marriage is the re- + + sult of a love affair begun at the univer- + + sity and is the cause of heart-felt congrat- + + ulations from their friends. After a trip + + to the Coast, the happy couple will reside + + in this city. + + + ---------- + + + + VIII + + "What we need in our universities are + + sportsmen and not sports," said President + + G. E. Gilbert of the Western University, + + in the convocation address yesterday aft- + + ernoon at four o'clock. "The sportsman + + plays for the game, but the sport plays for + + the victory." + + The President continued, "Before the + + battle, and during the battle, the + + sportsman can be told from the sport." + + It is the actions of the man, he + + said, when he is in the test that determine + + to which class he belongs. The President + + summarized the various college + + activities and showed how the two + + classes of men appear in each different + + activity. And in each, as the President + + said, "you can tell the sportsman from the + + sport." + + "I think that this, the relation between + + the sportsman and the sport, is the truest + + analogy that can be applied to human life. + + Life as a sea, life as a battle, life as a river + + in which you must always paddle your + + own canoe upstream, life as a hill-climbing + + contest--all these analogies have their + + weaknesses. But life as a game is a true + + analogy." + + The President concluded with a glowing + + tribute to our university. + + + ---------- + + + + IX + + FAULTY LEADS + + Evading the police by sliding down a + + rope fire escape from a hotel window, Jo- + + seph Matus, charged with robbing a lum- + + ber jack of $125, escaped the police + + temporily only to be arrested an hour + + later at the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. + + Paul depot. + + ---------- + + Ignited by the breaking of an electric + + lamp, a tank of whiskey containing 7,705 + + gallons exploded and threw Francis Tab, + + 120 W. 139th St., thirty feet against the + + opposite wall at the E. J. Jimkons Com- + + pany, 40th street this morning. + + ---------- + + Fire of unknown origin started in the + + big lumber yards owned by Charles John- + + son at 763 Clinton Avenue, yesterday aft- + + ernoon. The yards and one million feet + + of lumber were totally destroyed. The + + entire district between Mitchell street and + + the South River was in danger of total + + destruction, according to fire Chief Casey. + + ---------- + + Fire starting in a shed on West street + + caused the total destruction of the First + + Baptist church and the death of two fire- + + men killed by falling walls. Loss $120,- + + 000. + + ---------- + + Trade war is the only probable result + + of the abrogation of the Russian treaty, + + was the statement of the Hon. Frank J. + + Blank, secretary of State, before a large + + and enthusiastic audience at the opera + + house last evening. 1800 people packed + + the building to overflowing. + + ---------- + + John Jones, a workman, who was + + slightly injured when a thousand pounds + + of powder exploded and wrecked the + + Three-Ex Powder mill last night, was + + taken to the St. James hospital. + + ---------- + + The presence of mind and coolness of + + Mrs. J. B. Sweeny, 758 North Street, + + saved little Johnny Sweeny from death + + last night when she caught him by the + + coattail and dragged him from beneath + + the fender of a street car. Mrs. Sweeny + + was dragged 50 feet by the car and taken + + to the St. Luke's hospital in an ambulance + + that was hastily summoned. + + ---------- + + Falling through a street car window + + without receiving so much as a bruise was + + the unusual experience of Michael Casey + + last night on Main Street. Michael was + + not intoxicated--so he says. + + ---------- + + Recklessly driving his automobile over + + the curb on Smith street, Mr. James + + White, who resides at 764 Smith street, + + was fatally hurt by a careless chauffeur, + + who was unable to handle his machine + + and skidded at the corner near Mr. + + White's home. + + ---------- + + At a meeting of the Sane Fourth com- + + mittee in the city library last evening + + at seven thirty, it was decided that Smith- + + town must pass a law forbidding the sale + + and use of cannon crackers. + + + + +INDEX + + + A + + Abbreviations, 287. + Accidents, 3, 107-109, 291. + Accuracy, 145, 168, 209, 212, 290. + Addresses, style of, 278, 279, 286, 288, 290, 310. + Advertising, 28. + Ages, how written, 286. + Animal story, 253. + Announcements, of engagements, 210; + social, 212; + stories on, 121; + wedding, 209. + Article beginning, 43, 80. + Assignments, 5, 29. + Associated Press, 10. + Association, City Press, 10, 193. + Athletic news, 219-232, 278, 283. + + + B + + Baseball stories, 219. + Beat, or run, 5, 29. + Beat, or scoop, 6, 30. + Beginning of lead, 80, 89; + with article, 43, 80; + with name, 57, 85, 161, 175, 180, 195, 249; + with time, 47. + Beginnings of court reports, 195-200; + of human interest stories, 244-250; + of interview stories, 179-187; + of speech reports, 151-164. + Big story, 5, 31; + following-up of, 140; + handling of, 116; + resulting interviews from, 176, 187. + Bills, stories on legislative, 121. + Body of the story, 45, 76; + discussion of, 91; + of court reports, 200; + of follow stories, 129; + of human interest stories, 250; + of interview stories, 185; + of news stories, 122; + of obituaries, 216; + of speech reports, 164. + Book, of tips, 3, 295; + style, 33, 276-293. + Box, 32, 188. + Break, to, 31. + Brevity, 13, 206, 217, 231. + Brief summary athletic story, 222. + Bulletins, stories on, 121. + Business office, 28. + + + C + + Capitalization, 276-281. + Circulation, 15, 28. + City editor, 2, 29. + City Press Association, 10, 193. + Classes of readers, 16. + Clause beginning of lead, 82. + Clean copy, 30. + Clearness, 91, 104, 123. + Clippings, 295. + Coherence, 166, 266. + Column, 32. + Compositor, 30. + Compounds and divisions of words, 285. + Concreteness, 104, 293. + Conferences, reports of, 119. + Continued case beginning, 196. + Cooperation in newsgathering, 10, 193. + Copy, 30; + preparation of, 289. + Copyreader, 29. + Copyreading, 311. + Corrected, stories to be, 311. + Correspondent, work of, 2; + instructions to, 11, 223. + Court reporting, 4; + discussion of, 192-203, 281. + Cover, to, 29. + Crime, stories on, 110-116. + Criticism, dramatic, 259-275. + Crowd, used as feature, 68. + Cub reporter, 28. + Cynicism, 235, 252. + + + D + + Datelines, 283, 310. + Dates, how written, 278, 286, 290. + Day city editor, 29. + Dead, lists of, 63. + Death element, 3, 22, 61, 73, 107. + Decisions, reports of, 119. + Definiteness, 104. + Desk man, 29. + Despatch, 12, 222. + Dialogue, use of, 103; + in court reports, 200; + in human interest stories, 245, 251; + rules for, 283. + Dictation of stories, 298. + Diction, 290-293. + Directories, stories on, 121. + Distance, effect of, 11, 20. + Division of words, 285. + _Don'ts_, in dramatic reporting, 265; + in general, 290; + in leads, 85-90. + _Down_ style, 33. + Dramatic reporting, 259-275. + + + E + + Editing, 30, 144. + Editor, 29; + day or night city, 2, 29; + sporting, 29, 219; + state, 2; + Sunday, 29; + telegraph, 2, 29. + Editorial room, 28. + Editorial writers, 29. + Elections, 3, 277, 281, 288. + Emphasis, 102. + Engagement announcements, 210. + Entertainments, reports of, 210. + Exaggeration, 22, 89. + Expected news, 3. + + + F + + Faults in news stories, 75-104. + Faulty stories to be corrected, 311. + Feature, the, 27, 31, 37, 41, 50, 106-122, 125, 150, 175, 195, + 228, 244, 266; + crowd as, 68; + death as, 61, 73; + exaggeration for, 89; + fire fighting as, 67; + _how_, 57; + in accident stories, 107; + in football stories, 219-232; + in human interest stories, 233-255; + in murder stories, 114; + in police stories, 118; + in robbery stories, 110; + in speech reports, 150; + in suicide stories, 115; + injuries as, 65; + more than one, 70; + playing up of, 27, 31; + property threatened as, 66; + rescues as, 65; + unexpected attendant circumstances as, 60; + _what_, 55; + _when_, 54; + _where_, 52; + _who_, 57; + _why_, 51. + Feature fire story, 50-74. + Feature social story, 213. + Feature story, the special, 31, 255. + Featureless fire story, 41-49. + Figures, news value of, 24; + use of, 283, 286, 290. + Fine writing, 124, 213, 218, 251. + Fire story, 39, 41, 50, 75, 105, 122. + Fires, 3, 4, 7, 39, 41, 50, 75, 105, 122. + Follow, or follow-up, story, 32; + relation of, to court reports, 197; + relation of, to interviews, 187; + writing of, 125, 130-140. + Following up related subjects, 140. + Football stories, 219-232. + Form of the news story, 34-40. + Freak leads in speech reports, 163. + + + G + + Gathering the news, 1-13; + in athletic reporting, 230; + in court reporting, 193; + in human interest stories, 234; + in interviewing, 169; + in reporting speeches, 144. + Generalities, meaningless, 89. + Gist, 31, 36, 233, 243, 266. + Grammar, 78, 84, 123. + Group interviews, 187. + + + H + + Heads, headlines, 27, 30, 78, 188. + Hospitals, as news sources, 4. + _How_, feature in, 57. + Human interest stories, 17, 24, 32, 178, 185, 191, 198; + discussion of, 233-255. + Humor, 24, 198, 214, 241. + Humorous story, 241. + + + I + + Infinitive beginning of lead, 81. + Injuries, feature in, 65; + list of, 64. + Instructions to correspondents, 12. + Interest, 14, 35, 92, 102, 104, 141, 179, 192; + human, 17, 24, 32, 178, 185, 191, 198, 233-255. + Interview stories, 175-191. + Interviews, for facts, 6, 103; + for opinions, 6, 141, 169-191; + group, 187. + + + K + + Keynote beginning of speech report, 158. + Killing a story, 30. + + + L + + Lead, 31; + beginning of, 80, 89; + _don'ts_ in, 85-90; + in athletic stories, 223, 227; + in court reports, 195-200; + in fire stories, 39, 42, 50, 77-90; + in follow stories, 127-140; + in human interest stories, 233; + in interview stories, 179-185, 188; + in obituary stories, 214; + in other news stories, 106; + in speech reports, 147-164; + length of, 75; + main verb of, 86. + Leaded, 32. + Length, of lead, 75; + of paragraphs, 75; + of sentences, 76. + Line-up of teams, 232. + Linotype, 30. + Lists of dead and injured, 63; + of guests, patronesses, etc., 211, 282; + of names, 282. + Local interest, 21, 26. + Long football story, 226. + Loss of life, 22, 61, 73; + of property, 23, 55. + + + M + + Mailing stories, 13. + Main verb of lead, 86. + Make-up, making up, 31, 37. + Manner, reporter's, 172. + Marriages, 206. + Meaningless generalities, 89. + Meetings, reports of, 3, 119, 291. + Money, sums of, 281, 286, 290. + Morgue, 4, 216. + "Mr.", use of, 287, 292, 310. + Murders, 113. + + + N + + Name beginning, in court reports, 195; + in human interest stories, 249; + in interview stories, 175, 180; + in news stories, 57, 85, 108-116; + in speech reports, 161. + Names, prominent, 23, 57, 108-116, 150, 161, 178; + use of, 276, 277, 280-283. + Narrative order, in athletic stories, 227; + in court reports, 200; + in human interest stories, 250; + in interview stories, 185; + in news stories, 34-40, 92-102; + in obituaries, 215; + in speech reports 166; + in wedding stories, 207. + News, 14-27, 125; + agencies for gathering, 10, 193; + cooperation in gathering, 10, 193; + expected and unexpected, 3; + gathering of, 1-13, 144, 169, 193, 230, 234; + sources of, 4, 29; + sporting, 219-232, 278, 283. + New story, 34-124. + News story form, 34-40. + News tips, 3, 30, 295. + News values, 11, 14-27, 38, 41, 204, 233. + Newspaper terms, 28-33. + Night city editor, 29. + Nose for news, viii. + Notebook, 170. + Note taking, in athletic reporting, 230; + in court reporting, 194; + in dramatic reporting, 267; + in interviewing, 170; + in speech reporting, 144. + Noun beginning of lead, 80. + + + O + + Obituaries, 214. + Order of narrative (see Narrative order). + Outlining of a story, 99. + + + P + + Paragraph length, 75, 290. + Paragraphing, 48, 75, 166, 186, 290. + Participial phrase beginning for lead, 83, 158. + Parts of a news story, 46, 76, 91. + Pathetic story, 238. + Pathos, 24, 198, 238. + Personal appeal, 25, 249. + Personal news, 20, 204. + Photographs, 13. + Playing up, 31; + of the feature, 27, 31. + Point of view of newspaper, 8. + Police court news, 4, 118. + Policy, 26. + Political news, 25. + Practice, 294. + Preparation of copy, 289. + Prepositional phrase beginning, 82. + Press Associations, 10, 193. + Printed matter, stories on, 121. + Prominent names, 23, 57, 108-116, 150, 161, 178. + Proof, 30. + Proofreader's signs, 32, 290. + Property losses as features, 23, 55. + Property threatened as feature, 66. + Public records, 4. + "Punch," 13. + Punctuation, 281. + Purpose of newspapers, 14. + + + Q + + Q. & A. testimony, 201, 283, 288. + Queries, 12. + Questions, reader's customary, as features, 51; + in fire stories, 38, 42, 50, 77; + in follow stories, 132; + in human interest stories, 233; + in interview stories, 179; + in obituaries, 215; + in other news stories, 106; + in speech reports, 150. + Quotation beginnings, direct, 151, 153, 183, 198, 245; + indirect, 154. + Quotations, 103, 146, 164, 186, 189, 200, 284. + Quoting, rules for, 284. + + + R + + Range of news sources, 20. + Readers, classes of, 16. + Reader's customary questions. _See_ Questions. + Receptions, 210, 291. + Rehashing, 125-130. + Related stories, 140, 176, 187. + Releasing a story, 31, 144. + Reporter, 2, 28, 170, 186, 219, 235, 258, 259, 292. + Reporting court news, 192-202, 281. + Reports, dramatic, 259-275; + of meetings, conferences, decisions, etc., 119; + of speeches, sermons, lectures, etc., 143-168. + Rescues as features, 65. + Rewrite man, 125. + Rewrite story, 32, 125-130. + Robberies, 110, 291. + Runs, or beats, 5, 29. + Running a story, 30. + Running story, 31, 189, 200, 223, 227. + + + S + + Sarcasm, 274. + Scoop, or beat, 6, 30. + Season story, 257. + Second day story, 32, 125, 130-140. + Sensationalism, 18, 90, 234. + Sentence length, 76. + Sermons, reports of, 3, 143-168. + Set up, to, 30. + Simple fire story, 40-49. + Slang, 28, 292. + Slash, to, 37, 92. + Slug, 30. + Sob squad, 236. + Social announcements, 212. + Social news, 204-214. + Sources of news, 4, 29. + Speaker beginning, 161, 180. + Special feature story, 255. + Speech reports, 3, 143-168, 284, 291. + Sporting editor, 29, 219. + Sporting news, 219-232. + Staff, 28. + State editor, 2. + Stenographic reports, 144, 194. + Stickful, 32. + Stories to be corrected, 311. + Storms, 3, 116. + Story, 30; + baseball, 219-232; + big, _see_ Big story; + body of, _see_ Body of the story; + faults in news, 75-104; + feature fire, 50-74; + fire, 38, 40, 105, 122; + follow, follow-up, or second day, 32, 125, 130-140; + form of news, 34-40; + news, 34-40, 50, 75, 105-124; + on announcements, bulletins, and other printed matter, 121; + on legislative bills, 121; + parts of news, 45, 76, 91; + police court, 118; + related, 140; + rewrite, 32, 125-130; + running, 31, 189, 200, 223, 227; + simple fire, 41-49; + special feature, 255; + summary athletic, 222; + unusual social, 213. + Street numbers, 278, 279, 286, 288, 290, 292, 310. + Style, 13, 33, 103, 233, 251. + Style Book, 33, 276-293. + Suggestions for study, 4, 294. + Suicide stories, 115, 291. + Summary beginning, for court reports, 197; + for interview stories, 182, 188; + for speech reports, 157. + Sums of money, 281, 286, 290. + Sunday editor, 29. + Superlatives, 222, 292. + + + T + + Tables of athletic results, 232, 283. + Taking notes. _See_ Note taking. + Telegraph editor, 2, 29. + Telegraph queries, 12. + Telephone, use of, 13. + Terms, newspaper, 28-33. + Testimony, 200. + _That_-clause beginning, in interview stories, 182; + in speech reports, 154. + Theatrical news, 259-275, 284. + Time, indication of, 281, 286. + Time beginning, 47. + Timeliness, in general, 19; + in human interest stories, 238, 256, 286; + in interviews, 176, 187. + Tips, 3, 30, 295. + Title beginning of speech report, 160. + Titles, use of, 276, 277, 279, 282, 284, 287, 290, 292. + Track news, 219, 223. + Truthfulness, 8; + in general, 290; + in human interest stories, 239; + in interviewing, 179; + in speech reporting, 145, 168. + Typewriter, use of, 289. + + + U + + Unexpected attendant circumstances, 60. + Unexpected news, 2. + Uniformity, 33, 34, 289. + United Press, 10. + Unusual social stories, 213. + Unusualness, 24, 213. + _Up_ style, 33. + Uplift run, 236, 254. + Usual football story, 223. + + + V + + Values, news, 11, 14, 27, 38, 41, 204, 233. + Vaudeville reports, 264. + Vernacular, newspaper, 28. + Vividness, 104, 114, 116. + + + W + + Weather story, 256. + Wedding announcements, 209. + Wedding story, 206. + _What_, as feature, 55. + _When_, as feature, 54. + _Where_, as feature, 52. + _Who_, as feature, 57. + _Why_, as feature, 51. + Wordiness, 87. + + + Y + + Yarn, 30. + + + +---------------------------------------------------------------+ + |Transcriber's Note: | + | | + |Inconsistencies in spelling, hyphenation, punctuation and in | + |spacing in abbreviations have been retained as in the original,| + |along with deliberate misspellings and errors in "News Stories | + |to be Corrected" in Appendix II. | + +---------------------------------------------------------------+ + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Newspaper Reporting and Correspondence, by +Grant Milnor Hyde + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NEWSPAPER REPORTING *** + +***** This file should be named 25968.txt or 25968.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/5/9/6/25968/ + +Produced by Jacqueline Jeremy and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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