| Show EXPERT IN MANY linea A REPORTER HUSTLES HARD AND IN innumerable ROLES how he boeg to work to prodica a special article on a lemline subject greist tact necessary Nece in interviewing must lie l ie a good memory of the many millions of people who ind the newspapers how few stop to consider the amount of work that any article of importance represent sl the idea that news flows into the editorial rooms of a paper aa water flows down hilus not correct every scrap of news means labor labor to gather the first fact labor to verify it and find other facts necessary to make the story com alele and labor to write edit and print the story an article on some timely subject and not strictly news also means labor for instance a reporter is told to write a story on rapid transit he does not sit at his desk and draw on hi memory and imagination no matter how both may ba he boea ont and hustles he calls on the commissioners having the matter in charge he obtains their news he goes to the engineers and obtains expert opinions on the feasibility of the proposed plans he goes to the railroad men and asks their views on the practicability of the project he boea to lawyers and takes advice on the legal obstacles to be overcome he visits wall street to learn if capital is ready he consults the traveling public and business men as to their needs when he has die all this and read upon west other caitiff have accomplished hew his story lie weaves his facts together systematically building up his article as a lawyer builds up his case in conn so that a clear idea of the whole matter ia conveyed to the public his jury in gathering his information he receives much assistance the lawyer advises him on the legal pd ats without a fee and without even a mention of his name in the article unless it is necessary to back up an important opinion if the article has a medical bearing the views of a specialist or a leading physician are obtained without expense the physician may have a dozen patients arith fat fees awaiting him but he stops to put the newspaper man right on the medical side of the question the bank president cheerfully gives bis time to throw light upon a financial problem WHEN HE interviews the importer rushed with business pauses to discuss a subject from the commercial standpoint experts on every branch of the subject are ready to give their views to the papers but the callec aioo of all this data requires more hustling than the general public gives the reporters credit for gathering the material also requires brains the caliber of the re porter shows in every interview men prefer talking about what interests themselves the reporter must draw out what interests the public to do this is no eay task ministers talk politics and politicians talk religion when an inter vienia requested to pin these men down to the point at issue requires more tact ingenuity perseverance and ability to read mens char ackers and to draw out their thoughts than can be told in a big book some inan decline to talk unless the reporter estes shorthand and wil pledge his word that the interview wid be printed verbatim many of these men talk BO slow that a reporter taking long hand would be tired waiting for the next word others and this is particularly the case with women will only give utterance to long involved sentences treat ing subjects from an exalted standpoint if notes are taken in their presence such n interview published verbatim would sound like a southern darkas anition oni tion after the note book is closed these people unbend and talk rationally if the reporter knows his business he throws away his notes and writes out the latter part of the conversation omitting many things that should never have been told him IN VARIOUS the reporter suppresses nearly as much as he publishes he goes out to cover a murder pe plays detective and un earths many things that are news to the police he reports to them and keeps the public waiting a day or two that the ends of justice be not defeated he ia ubiquitous he works on every clew if the victim is unidentified and the name john smith is found on the body he runs down every john smith in town until he finds which one is missing if there are rumors of an impending financial crash in wall street the reporter visits the banks and houses fraid to be involved he talks with their officers he sees the bank examiner he in ewa leading bankers and from a mass of conflicting statements he gives the public a clear idea of the situation confidence is restored or a panic precipitated by his pen all our big daily papers have reporters who are experts in different lines of work each man knows how to get information quickly and accurately as well as how to write under the direction of editors who marshal them as a general marshals his troops they go out gather every item of information that ia obtainable write their articles and band in their copy careful copy readers edit the matter and write tb i head lines an art in itself when in cype the proof is submitted to tha editor and the paper is made ap all this work requiring care accuracy and thought is done with a rush tha great american Amy rican public reads its bulky newspaper in the morning with complacency ency oblivious of the great amount of work thai the closely printed pages represent new york recorder |
