OREGON EXCHANGES
December, 1923
- Be always ready to receive a reporter; don’t be too busy to see him; don’t let him cool his heels in an outer office.
- If there is a reporter on your beat who is at all capable, don't go over his head to the editor with a story.
- Do your kicking on a badly-handled story to the man who wrote it, not to his superior. If he does not appreciate this courtesy, you may then make your complaints higher up.
- If there are two papers in your town, don’t favor one over the other in giving out news. If possible, be sure that the first paper to come out after the subject becomes news gets a chance at the story. Any tips that you think up yourself, better try to divide equally. If one reporter is more successful in handling your tips than the other, you will be justified in giving that one the tips you are the most eager to see in print. If two weekly newspapers are published on the same day in your town it is best to give differently written stories about the same subject to each paper. Each newspaper desires to have its news written differently from the other fellow’s.
- Don't forget to tip your local writers to magazine features. Good advertising for the locality. In the event local writers are too busy to prepare these magazine features, write a letter tipping off the publisher of the magazine, or prepare the story yourself. You can get a list of every American newspaper and magazine in the American Newspaper Annual and Directory. published by N. W. Ayer & Company.
- Don’t act as a barrier between prominent visitors and the reporters. This spoils a good story and gives you, usually, nothing in return.
- Don’t ever allow a reporter to write an interview with you on any subject without having talked it over with him.
- Encourage your reporters to come to the Chamber for all kinds of special in formation about the industries, agricultural pursuits, schools, churches and other institutions in or near your town. Aid the newspapers to get up special material for special editions. Have photographs on hand illustrating the industrial, agricultural and tourist attractions which can be made immediately available at any time a newspaper or magazine desires these. Have on hand one or two stories on (a) industries, (b) agriculture, (c) tourist attractions in or near your town, which can be made immediately available in the event such a story is required.
- Occasionally prompt the correspondents of the big state newspapers to send live news stories to their papers, which they may have overlooked.
- Do team work with the reporters.
- Keep a scrap book.
CONFERENCE NUMBER NEXT
THE NEXT number of Oregon Exchanges will contain the plans and program for the Annual Newspaper Conference. Correspondence is now under way to find out what date will be the most generally satisfactory, and the preferences expressed so far are for February 8-9, February 15-16 and March 7-8. The officers and committee on program would esteem it a favor if anyone who has reasons for preferring any of these dates or who has engagements making any one of them impossible for him would send word immediately. President George P. Cheney wires that if other considerations are equal, he inclines to prefer the March date on account of the probability of more spring-like weather at that time. The program committee is now at work and will be especially grate ful for any suggestion that may be offered by any Oregon editor as to appropriate topics for discussion. Please write promptly, addressing com munication to Eric W. Allen, School of Journalism, Eugene.
