The Washington Newspaper/Volume 6/First Aid for Country Correspondents
First Aid for Country Correspondents
Newspaper editors in the smaller towns and state editors in the larger towns and cities have come to frequent grief over the stories sent by their country correspondents—the impossibility of the copy caused by a lack of proper sense of news values perhaps, or by ignorance of the paper's particular style.
On the other hand, country correspondents have been discouraged when the small-town editor or the city state editor has cut their stuff unmercifully.
Editors would be saved much of this grief if the correspondents knew the needs and the style of the paper as well as the paper's local reporters do. The correspondents would send in more of what the paper wants, in the way in which it wants it, if they could once see, in black and white, just what is wanted.
Any editor could make and publish a style -book suited to his particular publication if he had the time to get it up. It is hoped that the following suggestions may not only save time for the editor, but meet his requirements as well. The suggestions are put out by The Harrisonville (Mo.) Democrat for its country correspondents.
Legibility and "Style"
Write each item as a separate paragraph. Leave plenty of space between paragraphs.
Leave plenty of margin on all sides of the sheet and don't crowd your lines together. Don't use a hard pencil. If you use a typewriter, always write your copy double-spaced.
Write plainly—just as plainly as you possibly can.
If a proper name is in any way odd, spell it in hand-printed capitals, thus: SMYTHE. Be careful to spell every person's name correctly and use care in getting the initials right.
Always put "Miss" or "Mrs." before the name of a lady; but don't put "Mr." before a man's name in a personal item.
Head each set of items with the name of your community, your own name and the date of mailing.
Watch our columns for style in capitalization. The tendency of the average writer is to capitalize too much.
Don't begin a sentence with figures.
Don't abbreviate the names of the days of the week.
It is not necessary to write the name of this state after towns or cities in this commonwealth. Where the community mentioned, however, is an obscure one, it is well to designate in what county it is situated.
Remember that when you write “tomorrow” in an item , it always means the day following date of publication, not the day after the item was written.
Questions to Answer
Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
Every printed news item should answer any or all of these six questions. To illustrate: If an accident has happened, the item should tell to whom, of what kind, when, where, why and how it happened.
Judgment to Be Exercised
It is impossible to lay down hard and fast rules concerning news- giving. For instance, always to give all the details would be to make a paper's news columns ridiculous. In some in stances it is sufficient simply to state a fact. In others it is exceedingly aggravating to have a fact just barely stated. To illustrate : If Charlie Jones has the measles, it is enough to say that " Charlie, the little son of William Jones, has the measles." If, however, he has it in an especially malignant form , or in some other unusual way , the particulars should be given .
On the other hand , if William Jones's house burns down, all the de tails should be given . Tell what kind of a house it was , where located , when the fire occurred, how it caught, who discovered it , and how ; what was done to put it out, what was lost and what was saved ; how much insurance there was -- all the particulars. If there was anything especially exciting about the fire, tell it and don't neglect to tell to what neighbor's home Mrs. Jones and the little children were taken for the time being, where the family is to reside temporarily, and what Mr. Jones' plans are for the future.
Thoroughness and Accuracy
First, get the news ; get all there is to get . Next , get it correctly.
Nothing so disgusts a paper's readers as to feel that it can not be relied upon. Casual rumor is not a safe thing to depend on . It may be correct, but is more than likely not to be. Rumor, though, is often a good basis to start But the information should be “ run down” and verified or corrected . Rumor generally mixes matters .
on.
can .
The best way to get news correct is to go to the persons chiefly concerned. Rightly approached and assured of a correct publication , most persons will gladly give all the information they Now and then a contrary person may be met with. The information wanted can almost always be easily obtained from someone else. But never make a promise to withhold news, just because someone who likes to seem peculiar asks you to do so. here an apparently plausible reason for not publishing an item is given, submit the facts to the editor and let him assume the responsibility for publishing or withholding.
Trifles versus Trivialities
The little things in news count. But a distinction should be made between trifles and trivialities. Things should not be written merely to fill space or " make a showing ” -in inches. To illustrate :
If John Drummer is a traveling man , who spends all his Sundays at home, it is not news to remark that “ John Drummer spent Sunday with his family." But if John Drummer's trips are of long and irregular duration, then his home-coming is a matter of importance as a news item . But it will be better, even then , to say thai " John Drummer will reach home next Tuesday," than to say that “ he was at home for a few days." He may have friends who would like to see him , and who in the one instance can plan to do so , while in the other they only regret that they did not know he was home. This is a point that should be thought of in connection with nearly all personal notes, especially so when the visitor is a former resident.
The same principle applies to news items in general. To illustrate : To say it rained Friday would, if that was all there was to it , be trivial. If, though , it rained so hard as to swell the creeks, wash away a bridge or two, render impassable a section of the road, or do other damage, then the rain storm would be important as an item of news. But the full particulars should be given.
News, Not Opinions, Wanted
Comment is out of place in a news budget. Opinions should come to the editor as separate and signed commun ications. Quoted opinions, however, are often valuable as If some public question of local importance is agi tating your neighborhood, the more opinions you can get concerning it , the better. Tell what Mr. Roberts things, what Mr. McCarthy thinks, what Mr. Ellison thinks, and so on. But be careful to represent each correctly.
A Privilege to Be Exercised
The foregoing is not intended to de bar you from using space for matter other than what may be strictly and technically news. Besides telling of the births, deaths and marriages, the accidents, the comings and goings, the social doings and the various other events or happenings of a distinctively news character, you are invited to put in a good word every time you can for your town, your neighborhood , your school, your churches, your local organizations and your people generally.
Descriptions of local matters of interest are always welcome. Friendly or encouraging words for persons in any way contributing to the good of your community — these are more than welcome.
The Kind Word - The Unkind Word
When there is an opportunity for saving a kind word, say it. Resist the temptation to say the unkind one. Send no item that, printed, would make an enemy for yourself or the paper. This is not because the paper is afraid to make enemies, but be cause it is not a correspondent's duty to act as censor. If abuses exist that you think ought to be corrected, send full particulars to the editor, with names of responsible persons possessed of the fullest information concerning them , then leave the responsibility for using or not using the matter with him .
Most honest people like to see their names in print . As a rule, it is only affectedly, not really, modest people who object to a proper publicity, pro vided discrimination and good taste are exercised in the use of their names .
news. 2.2 Births, Marriages and Deaths DO ones .
Therefore, get as many items as possible about people.
Just here comes in a suggestion of importance. The weakness of most correspondents is that of missing many people. They fall into the habit of depending, in their news-getting efforts, on old friends and fail to cultivate new ones. As a consequence they travel too much , to use that expression , in a circle .
Instead of speaking only to Mrs. Brown, Mr. Rosencrans, Miss Grundy, and the accustomed “ old reliables ," go also to an entirely new set of people, and see what a brand new and fresh lot of items you can find. Think of the persons in your neighborhood con cerning whom you have never, or not for a long time, had an item of news, and see what you can find out about them or their affairs. In this way you will discover new storehouses of items.
Untold Stories of the People
There is scarcely a person in your neighborhood about whom an interest ing story cannot be told. Such stories help brighten up a local news column.
In one family there may be a girl who is showing an especial aptitude for music, or a boy whose mind runs wholly to botany or geology, and who in consequence is constantly finding things about the farm that no one dreamed existed there. In another family there may be another kind of boy or girl, doing something in some other line, just as interesting.
And there are, of course , the old people with bright minds and good recollections. Their birthdays should be noted as events . Sometimes they are interestingly reminiscent. 'The school teacher ought to be able to sug gest many interesting things about the youngsters.
Reports of births, marriages and deaths are always important as news. In inquiring for news, the correspondent should always ask if the person inquired of knows of any recent births in the neighborhood or else where. No comment should be made upon birth announcements excepting, if the event occurred in some other place, to state that the parents formerly lived in your vicinity, or that the mother was formerly Miss---, or some thing similar, for identification by old friends. The name of the baby, if a name has been given, may be used . Correspondents are asked never, under any circumstances, to attempt any witticism in announcing the birth of a child. They are also urged to be exceedingly careful to get their in formation as to the names of parents, sex of the child and date of birth exact .
People like to read about marriages. If they are of worthy character and reasonably well known, always tell about the contracting parties. Tell whose daughter the bride is , where she was reared and schooled, what some of her accomplishments are, how she was dressed on the occasion , by whom she was attended, and give details of the ceremony, and particu larly of any features different from most marriage ceremonies. Make dis tinctions, of course, between quiet, home weddings and the elaborate kind, whether in church or at home. The latter should be given in more detail than the former . Don't forget to tell something about the groom (although you need not tell how he was dressed ). And tell , of course, about the recep tion, if there was one, and about the guests from out of town and about 233 particularly unique presents. And, finally, tell where the couple are to live and when they will be at home.
A gracefully woven -in compliment is always appreciated in a marriage notice; flowery language, never. Death notices should consist mainly of a summary of the facts concerning, and incidents in , the life of the person deceased , and should be brief or ex tended according to the interest that the life of the subject may have to the readers of the paper. If , for instance, the deceased was born in the locality, and was long identified with it ; and especially if he or she was active in its affairs and widely and favorably known, the notice should be made more full than if the person had but recent ly come to the neighborhood and was but little known. The date and place of birth (and maiden name, if the deceased was a married woman ), date and place of marriage, different places of residence , and kinds of occupation , names of immediate relatives who sur vive, when the funeral was held or is to be held, data as to church member ship , lodge membership , public offices held , etc. — all such information , where obtainable, should be given with great The always preferable way, when practicable, in which to obtain a suitable notice, is to have it written by some intimate friend of the deceased . In any event, the best way to get the information is direct from the family . in connection with marriages, where a report needs to be elaborate. The ar van ements are usually completed sev eral days in advance of such events, and full particulars can often be ob tained more correctly than in the hurry and confusion incident to the occasion itself . Of course, care must be exer cised to report any change from the original plans. Again , use the tele phone. There are always " rush ” hours in ir printing office. They are the ones just before going to press. During thee hours the editor's principal urry is to decide what he can best leave out. Tinportant news sometimes has to be " cut" ruthlessly because there is not time to put it into type. Brief but Important Points Carry a notebook . Jot down news as you hear it . Don't trust to memory , Send a second or third letter or postal card, if necessary, in order that the paper may publish the latest news frn vour vicinity. Make reminders of things yet to Occur. care . Getting Facts for an Emergency Sketches of people advanced in age or hopelessly ill should be prepared in advance and sent to the office . This will enable prompt publication where cleaths occur but a short time before the hour of going to press. Whatever needs to be added may be telephoned at the last moment. Advance copy may also be prepared Telephone important news that you lear of too late to write . Tell the operator to “ reverse" the charge. If a murder, suicide, serious acı ... dent, big fire, or other exceptional thing occurs, telephone at the earliest possible moment. Give all the facts you can get , and the news will be written up in the office. If the matter is one of great importance, the editor way wish to send a reporter to assist you ; so please be prompt. Do not send jokes, the point which will be seen by only a few who are “ in the secret.” Keep in mind the fact that late new's is usually the best news - best because it will surprise the readers who haven't heard it , and because it will make those 204 who have heard it wonder how the paper got it so soon , and how it could be printed so quickly.
Speak a good word for this paper whenever you can. Send to the office the names of persons who should be, but are not, subscribers. Sample copies will then be sent them. Don't mistake advertising for news. If your storekeeper asks you to say he has just received a large stock of the latest goods, tell him that is the kind of item the paper makes a charge for.
Grammatically speaking, write as well as you can. But don't hesitate to send news because you fear you may not construct faultless sentences. It is the editor's business to correct copy, and he would much rather receive ungrammatical letters giving all the news than grammatically correct ones that fail to give it. Don't attempt "fine writin'." The plainest English is the best.
The Editor's Part
The editor is trying to do the best he knows how. He may sometimes leave out items that you send. He will not do so except for good reasons. Very often his reason is lack of space. Seeing other less important matter in the paper, you may wonder how this can be. Generally it will be because the other matter was in type before yours had reached the office, and sometimes it will be because it had already been printed on what is called the "first side" of the paper. Even if you get your letter to the office ahead of the time specified, he may have to cut out sime items because of an unexpected rush at the last moment. It is no uncommon thing in this office to "kill" from one to three columns of matter each week, because received too late to handle.
A Word in Conclusion
The editor is, as you will find as you come to know him better, a reasonable as well as a well-intending man.
He has filled this little booklet with a lot of do's and don'ts, that, if every one of them could be heeded to the utmost, would make everyone of his correspondents an ideal newsgatherer. He would frankly say, though, that he is conscious he has preached a great deal better than he would him self be able to practice!
The most expected in the way of practice, from our correspondents, is that each will profit from the suggestions to the best of his or her ability and do just as well as he or she can.
If at any time you think of some way in which this newspaper can, in your opinion, be made more interesting to its subscribers, do not hesitate to write or speak to us concerning the matter. Suggestions to that end are always welcomed.