Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-18
NEWSPAPER TOLL.
A NIGHT IN THE OFFICE OF A DAILY
JOURNAL.
A Picture by One who Has Served Hls
Time as Telegraph
Editor.
rcore,pOnicnco Of the Richmond Dispatch.i

The daily newspaper has coma 10 De
almost as much of necessity 20 inc
/ American citizen as his daily bread. Inc
/ merchant. the manufacturer, the pro
/ fesgioual man. the banker. tho working
man. all have an Unsuitable thirst for know,
/ ledge Of what il going on about them. and
/ the record Of each days events hnds eager
{ readers in every class and condition OF
/ society. To present this record in concise
and attractive form is the mission OF the
| daily newspaper.
! Much has been said and written concern
| ing the systems Of gathering news, the Ia
| bors Of reporters, the ingenuity OF inter
viewers. the vigilance of the editors, the
| probing OF mysteries, the still hunt, the
! rush. the excitement. and the adventures
/ of those upon whom dcvolves the duty OF
searching out facts and giving them TO an
expectant public. The demands, the per-
pl,xities. the struggles, and the triumphs
| OF this branch Of the service have been set
/ forth frequently and graphically.
But there "a one quiet room IN every
newspaper Office where the toll goes on
I with unrufled monotOny, where no hustle
| or hurry is apparent, where the surface ot
| the current is smooth and placid; here
| there is no noise save the click OF the teie-
| graph instrument; here there Is no run;
ming in and out, 10 excitement, ana
scarcely any conversation. Yet here
| Is centr.ng point for the news
Of the world: here from every quar-
| ter OF the globe comes the story OF
| every event whose Importance entities
! il to a place in the chronicle OF
! human affairs. How this news Is obtained
! shall not here be reoOunted; suffice IT 20
| say that the work IS mainly performed by
! two Great OrgauiZatiOus-th old establish
| cd Associated Press. experienced, alert,
| well equipped, far-reaching, and with sucn
| perfect system that no important event
! escapes IT,: and the younger United Press,
| Widc-awakp pushing. and ubiquitous, a.
/ ready "a formidablor rival toits elder compeu-
/ tor in the business Most daily papers are
| supplied with news by one or the other
! anl occasionally bOth) OF these as
| sociations. The great journals in the large
| cities also have their legious Of special COZ
| respondents. and. according rs Their IN
! come viii permit. give original and eK-
! clusivcn dispatches from all important
| points. But in cities OF from 10000 10 l50,-
! 600 population the daily papers are ~ q
! General thing members Of the Associated
! Press or the United Press, and receive the
greater part IF their news over the WIRE Oh
| one Of these associations.
HOW THr NEWS u RECEIVED.
! How is this news received? In what
| shape does it first reach the EDITORS eye
! What manipulation IS requisite 20 present
! IL IN attractive form. so thatthc " Morning
! Boomer" which is left mt your door bright
/ and early, shall by Us appropriate head
] lines and proper arrangement or matter,
/ inform Won readily and intelhgibly on the
facts and issues Of current history!
Each news association is composed OF q
| certain number of morning and evening
papers. These papers hgye the exclusive
uee of special wire which passes through
al their Offices, with the headquarters lf
located in the FaeO at New York. At
O'Clock in tho morning the report Tor
evening uaucIs begins and continues until
latcin the afternoon. Al halfpast q O'Clock
IN the evening the repor- Tor morning pa
pcrs begins and continues until hali-past
2 or o O'Clock the next morning, or ~ spc-
| cial emerrcncies until much later hour.
Tho telegraph editor" Of morning
paper either receives q duplicate copy OF
the dqv report. written III maniioil, OF
| clips II fr .m the afternoon paper, con-
dcnsiug an the news in The smallest space
possible. If be- did not THUS economic
| space there would be insufficient room lett
| for the frcshcr. more important, and vo-
luminous night dispatches. Having mus
| boiled down" all uews received during
tho day. me is ready for his ail-night duties.
First come market reports from oil lmpor-
tart business centres. These are turned
over 10 the commercial editor. Then COM
| meucos the stream OF general news, flowing
| i'm from All parts of the world, and the ar
duous labOrs Of the night are well under
way.
NECESSARY QUALIFICATIONS.
There are two tables side by side. One
is occupied by the telegraph operator,
whose work demands special aptitude and
| training. quick ear, close attention, and
the ability TO write rapidly and legibiy. \
fair education and familiarity with persons.
places. and current events are also valuable
adiuncts in this department of news
| paper work. Each sheet Of manuscript
! passes Immediately into the hands OF
the telegraph editor, who must correct
all errors OF spelling. punctuation, CAPT
| talizatiOn, and style. and write over every
item an appropriate head He must esti-
| mate promptly and accurately the import
apce Of each piece of news and assign II TO
its proper classification. He must pay due
regard TO the policy of the paper as topoli-
tics. religion. and sensatiOnallsm. Some
Journals devote extended space to prize
fights. social scandals, and the like, % tho
sacrifice Of legislative proceedings and
congressional debates: while others as a
rule pursue the contrary policy. Some
| Journals favor their political news with
| editorial headlines in accordance with
their partisan predictions. and even
! go so far as to suppress or mutllatc dis-
! patches relating 10 the affairs OF the op-
position. Others are impartial IN this
! respect. and 10 matter how rabid may
be their editorial expressions, their
news pages present simply u faithful
chronicle Of events, speeches, and plat
fosms, with heading uucolCred by part
| san preferences. and indicating fairly the
matter which follsws This is the policy
which makes papers trustworthy and gives
them popularity. aud winch III many
cases is never varied from except
during the exigcncies of .prcsidentiall
! campaigns. In matters of tins KIND
the telegraph editor j. frequently
obliged 10 exercise very exact judgment,
and approach closely without stopping
over il, the verge of forbidden ground. 1t
DE- IN hl- power. bv an uuUlse expression IN
o headline. to fill the managing editor
with dismay, throw the business depart
| ment into a spasm, and crate q general
[ CONFUSION throughout the establishment,
or even the community.
SUBSTITUTES.
The news often comes in disconnected
fragments Early in the evening there
NAV be threc-line announcement Of o
vote in the House Of Commons. Jhls Is
immediately o.iitedn and placed on the
/ cOpy-lo1k. Other uows pOurs in, and an
hour later comes dispatch headed: Sub
! stitute for brief item about House Of Com
mons" Then foilows an extended debate
ON some phase Of the Irish question. Wnich
il soon becomes evident il 10 lr one OF the
most important dispatches VI the night. It
/ suddenly breaks of ~ the midst Of speech
hv Paruell and the wire il given over 20 q
baseball score. haH dozen accidents, the
| arrival Of m ocean steamer. and the death
OF some prominent person. Thca comes
the direction add House OF Commons"
followed by the conclusion Of PGrnelPs
speech and q reioiuder 10y the Government
leader. This again may DO interrupted,
and p speech by some prominent politician
be licked over the wire. preceded by the
| following directions " viii indicate later
whore 10 use" This means that ban
ouet or convention Is in progress and
that time is to be gained by sending
the speech in advance Of the routine pro-
ceedincs. Later the introduction will
| come. stating the time and place Of the
meeting. its object. presiding officers, and
general proceedings, and az the proper
point VIII be the direction: insert
speech Following this there may be a
dispatch as follows:
"BUIIETrN-It IL reported that q disas-
/ irons fire IS rigging in q tenement district