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The alphabet has only 26 letters. With these 26 magic symbols, however, millions of words
are written every day. Millions of words to report the world in newspapers. Words to tell
the news of local happenings and thousands of suburban, small town and country papers.
Millions of other words in magazines of various types.
In farm periodicals, in business publications, in fraid and nickel journals, and in general
and popular magazines. Giant presses print all these words, and someone
buys them, either on newsstands, through the mail or from news boys.
First, however, words must be written, and there are many writing jobs on newspapers.
If you visit the newsroom of a daily paper, you will find it very similar to any busy
office, although arranged somewhat differently. The newsroom is the heart of a newspaper.
The managing editor, who on most papers coordinates all activities of newsgathering, sends certain
reporters out on important assignments. This reporter is in a hurry, and for a very good
reason. He is going to cover a fire. Covering a fire is usually an exciting event,
but it doesn't come nearly as often as you might think. Amid the turnoil and confusion,
the reporter must be able to think clearly and quickly, and he must get his facts accurately.
Assignments of this type may keep the reporter out in bad weather for many hours of hard,
tiresome work. But there's a real thrill in seeing your own byline over a story when it's
in print, and there's always the feeling that you'll try to make the next story just a little
better. A newspaper of any size defines its local
territory into districts. Reporters are given certain beats in these districts, such as
the city hall, which they cover day after day. The hospital beat is a valuable news
source, and one on which events sometimes happen with startling speed.
Other reporters cover the airports, bus and railroad stations, which provide a good opportunity
to interview celebrities, arriving or departing. Reporters on beats are known as "outsidemen",
since they work away from the office most of the time, gathering news. Every reporter
must secure from the people along his beat a steady supply of the everyday happenings,
which fill most of the local news columns of a newspaper. The police station is frequently
assigned to beginners. The cover reporter takes information and leads on news of crime,
accidents and death, from the daily police record or blatter. Although he gathers the
news, the outsideman often does not write the story himself, odd as this may seem.
Much of the time he stays on his beat, and phones in his information. This is especially
true on the larger papers, and on nearly all daily papers when the deadline is near.
The information is taken at the other end by a rewrite man, who is usually a more experienced
writer, and is paid more for his work. After the story is written, and before it
is set up in type, copy readers edit it for errors, improve it here and there if they
can, and write the headlines. Then the story is set in type by the operator of a linotype,
a typesetting machine which casts the words in solid lines of lead type.
The placing of the type, after it has been set, is often supervised by the make up editor.
He has already planned a general arrangement of the paper on a layout sheet, and has selected
a spot for the story among all the other stories, pictures and advertising material.
Practically all daily newspapers have special departments in which certain sections of the
paper are written and edited. One of these departments handles the telegraph news, which
it receives from the great press associations. With reporters and writers scattered all over
the world, the press associations gather important news and relay it to hundreds of newspapers
over special telegraph wire services. This teletype at the local newspaper is bringing
in news reports from distant parts of the nation and world.
The sports section handled in another special department. The sports reporter must be a
specialist in his knowledge of sports. He gets his story right at the sporting event,
and often sends it in to his paper play by play.
The financial section is reported by experts in the field of business. Financial reporters
and editors must be able to analyze and explain business conditions as well as to report them,
and they must be extremely accurate, for even a slight error has been known to influence
the financial market. The society section, for the most part, is
handled by news women. Important social events are usually covered by society reporters in
person. However, much of the news for the society over the telephone. Women find it
difficult to compete with men in general reporting jobs, so girls who want to be successful in
journalism should prepare for work in a special women's departments.
Home decoration, child care, gardening and household hints are found in the home making
section, a department handled by women. Also included are cookery, meal planning suggestions,
menus, recipes, and attractive ways of arranging the table.
Work in fashions, beauty care and merchandise reporting affords further opportunities, almost
exclusively for women. Music and dramatic critics must be authorities in their fields.
They report from first hand observation, and to hold reader confidence, they must be truthful
in the information they give the public, and they must be fair to artists and performers.
The editorial writer must be able to write on many subjects, but instead of merely reporting
news, he analyzes it, and explains its meaning, often expressing his personal opinions. He
must reason accurately and fairly, and write in an interesting manner.
To understand and interpret problems of the day, he must read and study continually, in
addition to having a great amount of knowledge and experience. Another specialist is the
political writer. He must interview political candidates and
workers. He must also report and read many speeches, and be able to interpret for the
people who read his paper acts of government and the ideas of political leaders.
The work of feature writers is found in the Sunday editions and in magazines, and these
writers have names usually well known to readers. Some feature writers started their careers
by writing about their hobbies. A number of magazines will buy articles on how to do things,
and how to make things, especially if the writer can supply good illustrations.
The columnist is another writing specialist. It's nice work, but it takes years of experience,
and a genuine talent for writing. Some columnists and writers of many other kinds of material
are able to place their work with syndicates. The syndicates mimeographs copies and sends
them out to be printed in hundreds of newspapers, or at the local newspaper, a matrix is received
from the syndicate. The matrix is made of material like heavy
paper, into which has been stamped words and pictures.
It is placed in a casting box into which molten type metal is poured. The matrix serves as
a mold, and leaves its impression on the metal. When cool, the solid type metal, which now
is similar to type, is removed from the casting box and the matrix may be discarded. The type
is ready to be used to print the original syndicate material on the newspapers' own
press. The country editor, unlike the city editor,
must spread his attention over all phases of the business. He must go out after news
himself, and from local merchants, solicit the advertising that provides part of the
revenue from his paper. He must then write the advertising, as well as the news, and
plan the layout of each issue. And that's not all! He is also a printer,
knowing every branch of the business. He's typesetter, pressman and press feeder, all
in one. In fact, he has to know and be able to do a great many things which can be learned
only through actual experience, and there's no better place to get this experience than
on a small town newspaper. Being able to set type by hand is almost a necessity, for in
addition to his newspaper work, job printing forms an important part of the business of
the country publisher. All this knowledge and experience seems a great deal to ask of
one man, but he leads a happy life, and takes pride in the fact that he is in business for
himself. The publisher of a city paper has the responsibility
of running a large organization. His is a good position, and one you might do well aim
for. But there aren't many of them, as it is one of the top positions in journalism.
You will probably start outside, in just any kind of weather, reporting news, if you choose
journalism as your life work. News reporting is a young man's job, for the
reporter must have stamina and endurance to withstand the strain of long and streinious
hours of work. He must have the courage and perseverance to get the story in spite of
obstacles. The qualifications of a newspaper worker are not easy lines to fill. Check your
qualifications! Find out what courses you should take in school. If you don't like to
write, you won't be happy in journalism. If you do like it, practice writing as much as
you can. Your school newspaper and your english and social science your first assignments
toward success.