San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-12-19
HOW THEY GET THE NEWS.

day."
This is the every day question of
the average citizen to the newspaper
reporter. 1t rattles him when it
doesn't make him mad. 1t implies
that his business Is a mere matter of
accident and that he walks around
in a wild quest for 'items" which
are forever trying to dodge him.
The general impression seems to be
that the reporter is a cross between
Paul Pry and Old Sleuth. Yet there
can be nothing further from the fact.
The reporter is pure and simple, an
intelligent fellow with knack OF
writing what the people care to read,
of good address,, with his eyes little
deal more honest than the majority
of those who try to throw mud upon
him. For the rest he Is not hunting
for stray "items." The system of col
Letting news for the daily papers is
as thoroughly syste mixed as is the
work of man-of-war, or in q great
factory. The city editor is the chief
Of reporters and he assign them to do
just one thing at a time and he expect
ed to devote his whole attention to
that one thing at time and he is
expected to devote his whole atten-
ton to that one thing avoid sprawl
ing about after "items".
The city editor Is the hardest work
ed man on the local staff. On an
evening paper he is up early in the
morning, and during his breakfast
manages toread two or three Of the
morning dailies and note the stories
they have left unfinished, which
must be followed up by his reporters.
On the road he gets through with the
other dailies, and on arriving at his
office he proceeds to make out his
assignment books. This is simply 8
short memorandum of every event of
the day he knows of, with the name
of the man who is to cover it oppo-
site.
There are always a number of
stories more are less important, that
have nothing to do with departments
specially assigned, which the mem.
bers of the general staff are called
upon to look after.
A bout o'clock in the morning the
reporters of the evening papers reach
the editorial rooms and are
CuA-CO up ny obo ohu
receive their assignments, with
what special directions may be neces.
sary, from the city editor. They are
provided with clippings from the
morning papers that they may know
all that has been previously published
on the matter in hand. They are al
so told chow much to make of it''-
that is, how much space the city
editor is willing to devote to It,
Sometimes the reporter is told ia
"give it all it is worth" and some.
times the instruction will be take
all the space you want" In the first
instance the city editor trust to the
reporters Judgment, and in the other
he wants to have enough copy at
least to put "scare" or display head
on 1t.
In addition to the men with regular
assignments are the special men, al
ready alluded to, who are supposed
to be able 10 handle anything which
may turn up. There are always a
number OF them around in the city
room of the paper ready ocover some
thing unexpected, like the ringing in
of three "6's" on the fire gong, or the
collapse of building like thai in
Park place.
But these are not all the resources
the city editor has at his command
There are several press associations
and these furnish him daily with a
long list of happenings. For this the
associations, receive so much a week
from each daily in the city and they
furnish their reports on what's known
as "ilimsy," which is manifold paper,
the same copy being sent to every
editor. In important matters, how
ever, every paper relies on its own re-
portorial staff. but the ''fiimsy" otter
helps on occasions where the regular
reporter employed on the paper has
missed something.
In the routine of the work there is
little or no difference betw cen report
ing on an evening paper and a morn
ing paper. The difference is mainly
in the hours. The work of the even
ing newspaper man begins early in
the morning, and ends in the after
noon, while that of the morning re-
porter begins in the afternoon and
ends in the morning.