Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-06-01
THE NEWSPAPER WOMAN.
Her Work Is Hard aud Her Employer Very
Critical

Her Work L. Hard aud Her Employer Very
Critical.
II has been loosely estimated that
there are several thousand newspaper
women In this country, In reality
there are less than two hundred ana
fifty. There Is n distinction between
newspaper writing and writing for the
newspapers, and the young lady who
"does little spnce-work' in the inter
walls Of her social or business engage
ments was not considered in the com
piation Of these statistics. The two
hundred and fifty writers who have
been considered are newspaper women
In the best sense Of the words, writes
Elizabeth G.. Jordan, in Lippcncott's.
They hold STAFF positions on journals Of
good standing, or they have had cNpc-
ricncc which fits them for such posi-
tions; they have learned 10 recognize
news when they hear IL, and they know
how to present IL 10 the public In
the most attractive form they can
Judge of its comparative value and the
amount Of space IL should be given in
newspaper; they can edit their own
copy II necessary; they know something
about Il cOmpoSing-roOm, and can dis
tinguish between form and u piece OF
type they have learned why II Is not II
sheer waste Of material 10 write on but
one side of their paper; they know that
II newspaper Office IL not u drawing
room, and that they can not expect
drawing-room manners In III they have
learned that the highest compliment an
editor can pay his woman associate is
10 treat her as II she were Il man,
promptly rcprimanding her for u blum
der and giving her word Of praise for
good wOrk-if he happens To think of II.
Last and most important point Of all,
these women earn their living with
their pens This II the crucial test.
Luck, pluck and influence may keep
one ailnat for few months, but the ed
itors of to-day are not knowingly buy
ing bad copy. II one particular editor
h disposed 10 overlook the charming
Miss Blanks little errors Of fact and
grammar, the copy-rcadcrs, the associ-
ate editors and the great power behind
the throne will soon throw u search
light upon them which can have but
one result Miss lilnnlS's worl, must
stand ON its merits. In no other pro
fchhipn docs She have 30 many and such
mcrcilcss critics
Al this, Of course, applies 10 woman
~ a reporter, the field In which She Is
most prominent, and In which man has,
~ usual, an advantage over her Many
men who can not write are making
good livings on the daily newspapers.
Perhaps they are able and willing to
work twenty hours out OF twenty-four,
nm excellent qualification; perhaps they
have sources Of information which 9th
ers lack; perhaps they ARE "men Of
ideas or have the news instinct, a"
which scents story long before II lifts
It's head In the path of the average re-
porter. In any case they earn their
salaries, and you will see them sitting
at their desks as the seasons pass and
~ the official heads around them rise
and fall. There are various reasons
why IA woman eau not take the place
Of such n man, as yet. She lacks the
training the instinct and the strength.
Perhaps too, she lacks the self-conf-
dence, although that is the journalistic
armour which, II she be wise, she will
select first and wear on the outside.
With self-confdonce there are other
qualifications which she must possess.
That she should have q good education