The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-14
MAKING NEWSPAPERS.
WORK BEGINS IN EARNEST At
O'CLOCK ~ THE AFTERNOON,
And from That Time Pill the Hour Of
Going to Press the Next Morning Every
Great Rate.
Special correspondeuce.l

Special Correspondence
CHICAGO. Oct. 11.-At ! o'clock in the
afternoon newspaper r.aking begins in
earnest. At this hour the editor in chief
and the managing EDITOR como in and hold
a short consultation. Then the oditor-in-
chief receives calls from his assistants.
and they talk over the subjects about
which editorials are TO be written for the
paper Of the following morning. The
chief editor has three or four writers
under him, including a witty paragrapher,
and this staff prepares page Of matter
each day. The editor-in chief, the reader
should understand, while directing the
general policy Of the paper, has little to
do with "Details and the actuaH manage
ment. All that is left to the managing
editor, the particular charge Of the editor
in-chief being the editorial page.
The managing editor now consults with
his assistants. His immediate assistant.
who has been at work since o'clock, tells
him what is going on in the country, and
the evening papers begin to come in with
their early editions. Telegraphic instruc-
fions are sent to various correspondents,
and, perhaps, there are special aud i'm
portant directions to give the representa-
tives Of the paper in New York and
Washington Most important Of all IS
the work Of the city editor. The city
editor has been at work for three or
four hours, reading all the morning
papers and making up what Is called bis
assignment book E(tlis book he has
memoranda Of all the known events Of the
day. If there arc meetings, weddings
sensational trials, police investigations;
If a prominent man IS due in the city, Ct
a noted criminal is TO arrive in charge Of
officers If n particularly interesting case
is to come mp in the divorce courts-no
matter what is likely TO occur or has al
ready occurred in or about the city-the
city editor must know all about it, must
have a record Of II on his book. and must
send a man, or q number of men, as the
case may warrant, 90 report IT. The city
editor tells the managing editor what lie
thinks is going 10 be "thc news Of the
day" That is something that every edi-
tor stops aud asks himself almost hourly,
What will be the best thing i'll the
papers tomorrow. the thing that poo
pie do the most talking and think
ing about" For that is the thing
be wants to spread on, the thing
he wants TO put his best men on, ana
have some pictures made for, If it is a
thing that will bear pictures, and when
put in type and ready 10 make up in the
forms he wants this thing, this news OF
the day, 10 lead the paper. that is, to
appear a. the first article On the FIRST page.
Tho first page Of u metropolitan news
paper Is like the show window of a mer-
chant, for it is there that tic best goods.
the novelties, the striking things, arc TO
be displayed. An editor who does not
know how 10 get his best news on his
first page, and who has not good iudg.
ment as 10 what is his best news, might
a. well quit and 90 into some other busi-
ness. He is o failure as an editor
The worst of il H. that all plans may lie
changed in an instant What at in the
evening seems 10 be the big news of tho
day may be- completely oycrshadowcd ty
something which comes in az midnight,
and the really great newspaper is one
which not only gets all news in coca
shape, but stands ready a. q moments
notice. 10 matter how late the hour. 10
accommodate itself 30 changed conditions
and to make the most of the latest and
best. There are newspapers, and some IN
Chicago. so lazilv managed that tho news
which comes is simply put IN the columns
until column after column is filled, without
any sort OF effort being made TO sift the
good news from the trivial and 10 make
the paper up in accordance Herewith.
81
The city editor has under lis control
twenty or EOrc reporters. Some Of them
arc men who have made regulations rs
writers and who draw salaries as large Us
the city editor himself The tendency Of
late is TO employ the best writers on the
city staff, and The man who can hustle
for news" who can take hold Of an event
Of any sort whatsoever. find out all about
it quickly, catch its spirit and substance
and put them on paper rapidly graph
icaily and reliably with keen perception
of what is material and what too trivial
to mention making Of the whole "a
story" that is. tale OF fact which Is
in that it las dramatic action,
cause, development, climax, crisis-a
story that is short, compact, Trustworthy
and at the same time possessed Of
that rare and Undesirable quail
ity called readablencss-such man
Is the highest type of journalist.
There are mol many such, end the few
there are command good wages. Some Of
them work by space. being paid ten or
twelve dollars n column, and in some
cases fifteen or twenty for all they write.
The managing editor OF The Tribune said
TO me the other day: There are two
classes of newspaper men who are 80
scarce that il is almost impossible 10 find
them One is the first class reporter who
can write anything. and has at his COM
mand dozen different veins suitable TO
as many sorts Of subjects The other is
the man who thinks. can hire five hun
dred newspaper men 70 60 and do what |
tell them TO do. but cannot find one who
has ideas Of his ,wn. There is a premium
out for newspaper men with ideas.
Some people suppose that a reporter
simply goes out in the town and depends
upon the good offices Friends who come
up to him and give him items" That is
true only ia small villages. In cities a
reporter wouldn't get printable item
once q month III that manner. Whatever
a man gets in big city lie is generally
sent for. He knows what lie is after, or
he has certain field 10 cover and the
news comes to him In that way For in
stance, one reporter goes into the city
hail i'm the morning and stays in that