The Practice of Journalism, a Treatise on Newspaper Making

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1911 edition. Excerpt: ...persons who know nothing of newspaper work. They have no ability to judge the importance of facts in relation to news and the task of procuring the essential details is left wholly to the reporter. More often, too, he meets those persons who refuse to talk for publication or to give out information. Here is a condition that must be met. The reporter must devise some means either to persuade the person to talk or find some other source for his information. How will he do it? In a general way he will accomplish it by exercising his mental faculties and by the use of sound judgment, but it is clear that the solution of each problem must depend on the conditions of the individual case. A subsequent chapter will deal with some of the qualifications that every reporter should have and the exercise of such qualifications should aid materially in the solution of the various problems. The reporter, especially the assignment reporter, while his work is directed by the city editor, performs his work independently and chiefly by his own methods, so long as his methods are within the bounds of honesty and respectability. Just as the city editor's information on which he bases a story may be inaccurate, so also it is often meager or general. Hence he cannot be expected to know the conditions in each individual case and to tell the reporter specifically what facts to get or how to get them. John L. Given, in discussing the beginner and his first assignment, says: Most beginners in journalism get a shock when they receive their first assignment. The initiation of a reporter is very matter of fact. 'Well, Mr. Blank, ' says the city editor, 'a woman has tried to kill herself at Avenue A and Houston street. Kindly look into the matter.' He has not been told just...