News writing : $b The gathering , handling and writing of news stories

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    NEWS WRITING

    THE GATHERING, HANDLING
    AND WRITING OF NEWS STORIES

    BY

    M. LYLE SPENCER, PH.D.

    PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH, LAWRENCE COLLEGE
    ON THE STAFF OF "THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL"


    D. C. HEATH & CO., PUBLISHERS
    BOSTON    NEW YORK    CHICAGO


    COPYRIGHT, 1917,
    BY D. C. HEATH & CO.


    TO
    THOMAS B. REID
    DEAN OF THE WISCONSIN NEWSPAPER MEN




PREFACE


The first week of a reporter's work is generally the most nerve-racking
of his journalistic experience. Unacquainted with his associates,
ignorant of his duties, embarrassed because of his ignorance, he wastes
more time in useless effort, dissipates more energy in worry, and grows
more despondent over his work and his career than during any month of
his later years. Yet most of his depression would be unnecessary if he
knew his duties.

To acquaint the prospective reporter with these duties and their proper
performance is the purpose of this volume, which has been written as a
practical guide for beginners in news writing. Its dominating purpose is
practicalness. If it fails in this, its main purpose will be lost.

Because of this practical aim the attempt has been made to approach the
work of the reporter as he will meet it on beginning his first morning's
duties in the news office. After an introductory division explaining the
organization of a newspaper and acquainting the beginner with his
fellows and superiors in the editorial rooms, the book opens with an
exposition of news. It then takes up sources of news, methods of getting
stories, and the preparation of copy for the city desk.

In discussing the writing of the story, it has seemed necessary to
devote much attention to the lead, experience showing that the point of
greatest difficulty in handling a story lies in the choice of a proper
and effectively worded lead. Likewise, it has been necessary to discuss
the sentence at great length and to touch the paragraph only lightly,
because the one is so much a matter of individual judgment, the other
subject to such definite laws,--laws of which, however, most cub
reporters are grossly ignorant. In some classes in news writing the
instructor will find it possible and advisable to pass hastily over the
chapter on The Sentence, but as a rule he will find a careful study of
it profitable. In Part III, that dealing with types of stories, emphasis
has been laid on interview, crime, and sports stories, because it is
these that the cub reporter must be most familiar with on taking up his
work in the newspaper office. For the same practical reasons the volume
omits editorial and copy reading, and makes no attempt to teach the
beginner to be a dramatic critic or a city editor. It aims to give him
only those details and that instruction which shall make him a
competent, reliable reporter for the city editor who first employs his
services.

The book is written also with the belief, based on practical experience,
that news writing as a craft can be taught. It is not contended that
schools can produce star reporters. The newspaper office is the only
place where they can be developed. But it is maintained that the college
can send to the city room men and women who have been guided beyond the
discouraging defeats of mere cub reporting, just as schools of law,
medicine, and commerce can graduate lawyers, doctors, and business men
who know the rudiments of their professions. And this contention is
based on experience. During the last four years the studies here offered
have been followed closely in the class room, from which students have
been graduated who are now holding positions of first rank on leading
American dailies. Some too, though not all, had had no previous
experience in newspaper work.

All the illustrations and exercises except two are taken from published
news articles, most of the stories being unchanged. In some, however,
fictitious names and addresses, for obvious reasons, have been
substituted.

For aid in the preparation of this volume my thanks are due to Mr. C. O.
Skinrood of _The Milwaukee Journal_, Mr. Warren B. Bullock of _The
Milwaukee Sentinel_, and Mr. Paul F. Hunter of _The Sheboygan Press_,
who have made numerous criticisms upon the book during its different
stages. Their suggestions have been invaluable. For permission to
reprint stories from their columns my thanks also are due to the
_Appleton Post_, _Atlanta Constitution_, _Boston Transcript_, _Chicago
American_, _Chicago Herald_, _Chicago Tribune_, _Des Moines Register_,
_Indianapolis News_, _Kansas City Star_, _Los Angeles Times_, _Milwaukee
Journal_, _Milwaukee Sentinel_, _Minneapolis Tribune_, _New York
Herald_, _New York Sun_, _New York Times_, _New York Tribune_, _New York
World_, _Omaha News_, _Philadelphia Public Ledger_, and the _Washington
Post_.

                                                                 M.