Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1883-01-24
Newspaper Writer'S.

The complaint has gone forth that tho
everyday young men of the press, and
some of the old ones are "color-hlind."
They miss in their nightly toll the SUBJ
tie flavor, that graphic quality, that
aroma or description, which is best la
beled color"
While the justice of this complaint is
freely admitted by the editorial profess
sion, they claim that outsiders cannot
possibly estimate the difficulties which
lie in the way of securing news writing
of uniform descriptive excellence. The
man who can write correctly, concisely.
rapidly and graphically. does not null
tiply himself to any great extent The
first then of these qualities are indis-
pensable in daily, and indeed in period
ical work; the latter is certainly very
desirable. But when one has to keep
time with his pen to the modulations Of
the press in the basement, while it runs
off the first half of the paper, he does
not pause very often or long in the hope
of drawing ''the aroma of description"
from the bottom of his inkstand, rs it
were. There are many men who, while
they even do excellent work if left to
their own time and way. notably fail
when they attempt to provide music for
a press that runs seven nights in the
week. The best newspaper style is not
formed in day or year. Supposing
young man, fresh from college. joins
the ''press gang of first-class office.
The words Of his commencement stage
GRAFTON are still ringing in his ears and
they represent mis- highest ideas of style.
lie is eager to produce them in an edit
orial; for he looks down on mere news
gathering AS beneath the highest estate
Of one SO learned as himself, and does
not always remember that there is no
present vacancy in the chair of the
managing editor. He would not be hui
mar ii he failed to work considerable
''high-falutin' into the items which he
writes. The inexorable blue pencil cuts
all of this out. and the youth soon set
ties down to hard facts and the business
of his own department. coming in time
to have a horror Of tlorid newspaper
English" Then comes the danger that
he will 60 to the other extreme and his
work become devoid of all color, on the
same principle that the traditional
Yankee, once noted for asking questions
While abroad, now travels with his lips
so closely sealed that the natives have
hard work to find out what he is like
But if the beginner has anything in him
he will 81 aduallv learn his forte and come
TO weave into his work u color of his
own that is all the more acceptable for
its originality.
The man who sees thing well can
usually describe it well. Habits of close
observation and well-trained memory
make up the foundations of success Of
all brain workers. And the journalist
who can store up any Bit of color he
may chance upon, for instant use when
it is most needed. is fortunate, indeed.
He is like the lawyer, who. when he was
congratulated on the exceeding appro-
priateness of Il story he had told jury.
replied. ''Oh, well, have been wait
ing fifteen years for chance to tell that
story" And doubly fortunate is the
news chronicler who, seeing and remem-
bering events well, also senses their cor
rect relations to each other.
That the tone OF our periodical news
writing is improving no one will deny
The quality of the men who devot.
themselves to it is constantly rising,
both as regards character and educa-
tion. The reporter is a growing power.
and he will yet come to stand on par
with the best of editors. Indeed he
should be able to play the editor at any
moment, and not only be allowed bu.
expected to make editorial comments on
the events which are occurring in his
own field. The Paper World.