The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-05-26
NEW YORK NEWSPAPERS.
Some Figures About what it Cost TO
Make Them.

IHteI'rletC lclth L. Il. DdHd an me D6Hy ct"e"'
"What does it cost to run frst-class
New York newspaper?'
at costs great deal more than 1t did
ten or twenty years ago. There Is great
Improvement in the intellectual quality of
the newspapers of New York city. They
are better furnished with talent in every
department, and spend great deal more
more money for contributions than they
used to spend fifteen years ago. The cost
of white paper formerly made up fully one
half of the whole expense of the newspaper,
now it makes up about One-quarter; then
paper cost from twelve to fifteen cents per
pound, now it costs from six to seven cents
per pound Owing to this great reduction
in the cost of paper, the well-established
newspapers in New York city are all of
them making money, and even the Tribune,
which has been weighed down by an i'm
mense investment in real estate, seems at
last to have got through with the effect Of
this misfortune, and has commenced to do
more than pay its expenses.
ga frstrate newspaper in New York
will require about ten editorial writers,
whose daily duty it is to furnish leading
articles and editorial paragraphs. Many OF
these writers have their special duties, but
there must always be five or six men who
are able to turn their hands to sub bjects of
any description as they happen to come up.
A competent writer of leaders will be paid
from 500 to $3.50 per week, and no man
fit to supervise them and perform the func-
tions of editor-in-chief can be had for less
than $3.50 to 5000 per week. The re-
porters are of two classes first, those of
the regular staff, who are paid by the week
at rates varying from $40 to $50. These
perform not only the routine duties of re-
porting, but are always prepared to be sent
off upon special service, in which case their
railroad fares, carriage hire, hotel bills and
other expenses are paid by the Office.
''Then there are number of reporters
attached to each paper who are paid ac-
cording to the work they perform, without
having any prescribed functions, and who
must hold themselves in readiness to do
whatever may be necessary. Some of these
gentlemen are men of talent and learning,
and in time will make their way into the
front rank as writer's and editors. know
men who, without having regular salaries,
average from $50 to S75 per week. OF
these two classes of reporters, taken to-
gether, a first-class paper must employ
about fifty. Next there are the cores
pondents, both at home and abroad, and
these are likewise divided into two classes,
those who are employed upon regular sal
aries and those who are paid as their con-
tributions are printed. In Washington, for
instance, each newspaper has need both OF
regular correspondents or reporters and OF
occasional contributors, and the different
papers differ as to the respective numbers
of these two classes. In Albany each New
York paper must have its regular staff de-
voted to its service, while in the other cap
itals of such states as New Jersey, Penn
sylvania, Ohio and Massachusetts, the
papers are served by occasional correspon-
dents, since the news of these more distant
places is, for the most part, not important
enough in New York to be constantly re-
ported there. In Europe, also, every lead
ing paper has its regular staff of correspon-
pondents in the chief cities. There must
especially be correspondent in London
and one in Paris, who report constantly
either by post or by cable.
"In the Sunday edition of most of the
prominent papers of New York city there
is always cable dispatch summing up the
news of the week and reporting interesting
political, social, artistic or literary events
on which the reporters of the Associated
Press, whose kilograms are forwarded every
day, do not ordinarily dwell Thus the
expenses of the sort of papers we are con-
sidering vary for the most part, mainly ac-
cording as they print large or small editions,
the chief difference being in their consump-
ton of white paper OF this, the Herald
uses more than any other journal On
Sunday especially its advertising sheets are
many, and on that day it will sometimes
print 130 columns of advertisements alone,
so that the amount of white paper it uses
is enormous.
''But apart from this item, the expenses
of one of these papers for the editorial de-
partment, including writers, reporters and
correspondents, will be from $4,000 to
$4,000 per week, and its ordinary telegraph
bills, including the cost of special cables
from Europe, will average perhaps from
500 to 81 900 per week; its composition
bills will vary from 81 900 to 1000; its
publication department will cost from 81 900
to $4,000; its stereotyping will be perhaps
$500, and its miscellaneous expenses from
81 900 to $4,000, making total of from
$4,000 to $4,000 week. Of course
these figures will be little less in dull
times when there is little telegraphing and
no occasion for special expenditures than
when there is great public excitement,
such as a presidential canvass or great
public catastrophe, when it is necessary to
send many men out and spend great deal
of money in securing news but the gen.
eral average will be about what | have
stated"