Daily Republican., 1886-12-04
Reporting Raiiroad News.

The PhtlAdel phia and Reading Rail-.
road Company by establishing 3 bu-
reau OF information for the press at
their Philadelphia headquarters have
entered upon = commendable and prac-
tical pan OF disseminating details OF
incidents aud accidents that should be
adopted by all railroad companies, and
such sources OF Information should be
established 10 all cities and towns
where newspapers are published. The
general practice now 10 60 refuse all such
tnfor nation to representatives, Of the
press, who had no other motive nor de-
facts Of something that they know full
we'll hes taken place, and which they
want to know something about that
there may be no mistake In Its publica-
ton. Accidents have often occurred
ut such hours in the day that reporters
have not had time 70 spend 10 going TO
some distant point TO CLEAN from out
siders facts which employees OF the
company had locked up In their own
bosoms, bat which they dare not tell
for fear of ex pulslon from the service
of the company. An objection to pick
ing up Information promiscu ously In
the streets and getting 1t from every
body interested or not interested Is tina.
such informatio Is often incorrect and
may reflect unfairly upon one side or
the other or upon some person Interest.
ed. All this while there were men
within easy reach who knew all about
wha. had taken place and could have
given the exact facts had they been
permitted to do 30, and the people could
have been put In possession OF the exact
facts. Newspaper reporters as a gene
raj rule do not want to misrepresent
facts. 1t IL TO their interests and to
the interests Of the papers by which
they are employed to hunt up and give
the exact facts. No reporter who un.
derstAnds his business will desire to do
anything else; indeed were he to deviste
from this line he could not maintain
paper The true newspaper reporter Ia
the easiest satisfied man In the world.
II desired TO withhold @ part OF any re-
port that would reflect upon the eharac-
ter OF another, he is always ready to
respond 10 the request. He Is ut the
same time q good oon6dant. There
need be NO hesitation In telling the
whole story Of an incident or accident.
He knows what Is proper and what 10
not proper to publish and he respects
the popular desire and will. A report
er is also q good detective. His famll-
iArity with cases coming before the
Courts, schools him In the ways of the
world. He knows when an attempt Ia
made TO take advantage Of his supposed
sxedulIty.
The uost way TO have correct report
OF anything Is to tell the reporter all
about 1t, and II there 10 anything that
Is desired not TO be published those de-
sires will always be respected. A re-
porter Is al ways sharp enough to know
when a part Of report Is held back,
and often when he asks for news he
perhaps knows more about what is
withheld than what Is given to him.
But 1t was not our purpose to go aside
on the merits or dement's Of newspaper
reporters. That came incidentally with
the subject, naturally 80, as 1t is more
difficult TO get news rom railroad cor
porstions than from any other source.
For this reason we sanction the move.
ment inaugurated by the Philsdelphis
and Reading Company, and we hope
the same movement may be insugu'
rated in Wilmington by all eur railroad
companies.