Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-03-08
NEWSPAPER WORK.
WHAT is SAID OF 1T BY A MAN
OF EXPERIENCE.

Young Man Apt to Be Disappointed
in Editorial Work-The Duties Of a
Reporter-Hours of Labor-Behind the
Scenes.
William Schachtel, whose connection with
the press of Utica has been long and honor
able made an address before the Y. NJ. G. A.
in that city last week on Newspaper Work"
Mr.. Schachtel said: 1.-THE young man
about entering journalism as an editorial
writer is apt to be greatly disappointed when
he finds that the rule by which he must
judge is the broad, liberal and impartial one
of the world, rather than his own narrow
and sometimes biased opinion. But, you
say, an editor should surely have the courage
to express his convictions. Granted and
there is not an editor living who will say
that he does not hold the opinions expressed
in his editorials: but if the truth were known
it would be found that his individual and
private opinion is far in advance of that
which he expresses in print. Many edi-
torials are as remarkable for what they omit
as for what they actually do say. Journal
ism is not the only field, however, whose
toilers are often wise as serpents and HARM
less as doves and who temper principle with
policy.
'The duties of reporter are simply cler
ical. Pe is to make clear, true statement
of what facts he finds, and in nine cases out
of ten it is as devoid of comment as frog is
of hair. Comment and the editorial 1--WE"
are the prerogatives of an editor, and it is
better So as reporters have responsibilities
enough without it.
mother fapt which iS NOT a plpaSinO rev.
elation to young reporter is that his time is
never his own. He does not work given
number of hours, or regular hours, as is the
case in almost every other branch of indus
try. If occasion requires it, he must work
twenty-four hours out of the twenty-four,
and be ready to repeat it the next day. The
work of reporting is regular only in its irreg-
ularity. Regular hours for meals or for sleep
must be discarded, and often to suit the
merest whims of individuals. Many can not
stand the physical strain, while many others
give up and seek work in other fields. On
the morning papers, as rule, the reporters
rise at noon, go to work at 80 or p. m.,
work until dinner time, which is any time
before s p m, returning to work imme-
diately afterward, and continuing until 2:30
or a. m, when the paper goes to press,
l-.yins 10r the next day. supper
| consists of a cold lunch intended to be eaten
at midnight, but oftener never touched until
the days work is done. If lucky, the re-
| porter gets to bed at a. m, to sleep till
noon, then repeat the same programme.
"If he is called to 60 out of town to report
trial in court or morning sermon in church,
| he must rise at 8 a. m., and thereby lose three
hours of sleep. On an afternoon paper the
| hours are no shorter. At work from a. m.
to 10 and II p. m., afternoon newspaper re-
porters fare 10 better, and as their busiest
| hour is at noon, they often do not get their
dinner until p. M, after the paper has gone
to press If you should find this mass of de-
i tail uninteresting, the apology must be that
this sketch was written in hours which right
| fully belong to sleep. The great diversity of
| the work is another feature which is apt to
| prove a stumbling block in the path of
young reporter. That it is necessary for him
to know what he is writing about is self evil
dent. Neither his education nor his brief ex-
perience in the practical affairs of life can
have been sufficient to make him familiar
with the many subjects on which he is called
to write.
"In regard to what appears the most
tSSANA@
loaves and fishes-let me say, once for all,
there is not a single, honest, self-respecting
reporter who does not wish from the bottom
of his heart they were abolished altogether.
To be freely admitted to dramatic enter
tainment in consideration of the fact that
you write notice for it, may seem high
privilege to some; yet even such sordid
| natures can understand that in a case where
obo, hot fhn
| tertainment will be inferior or not suited to
his tastes, the duty of attending becomes a
punishment. He attends and does his work,
but with no more enjoyment than the hired
singers at funeral, the musicians at the ball
or the walters at the banquet. 1t is matter
| of business; that is all. As means of earn
| ing q livelihood newspaper work is far less
| relnunerative than is generally believed. 1t
| is very CALLING to many newspaper writer's,
editors as well as reporters, to know that
they are working for less money than the
| compositors who put their articles in type.
"From the facts thus given in regard to
| newspaper work it would appear anything
| but attractive or rcmunerativc, yet that it
| has substantial charms cannot DO denied.
! knowledge is power.' and there is great
satisfaction in newspaper work, because one
| adds to his 5toc,z of knowledge every day.
From continued experience end habits Of
close observation reporter comes to see
things as they are from the inside, from be-
hind the scenes, and not as they appear to
the world outside Life's tragedy and COM
edy he sees mingled about him every day,
and his work is made interesting by its con-
trasts, which are often startling. Many
things which he prints may be interesting,
but the things he does not print would often
be more so."-Auburn On. W Dispatch.