The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-03-12
NEmsPAPER ERRoRs
why They Cannot AIyvays BE sueoeaa9ully
Guarded q galnst-

berated his favorlte Journal and uttered
abjurgatons concerning its editors and
reporters because of some error Of fact,
some mlsspelhng of a proper name on
some incorrect statistical statement.
And yet if these fault finders were to
stop and think, the wonder would be-
not that there are bIunders in neHsDa-
pers, but that there are so few.
Although in a general way modern
readers of modern newspapers know
something of the methods employed ETA
laying the news Of the world before the
people at daily or weekly intervals, yet
few not actually engaged in the work re-
alize through how many hands each
'siten' has to pass from the time 1t liz
perhaps rumor on the street and
compact paragraph or a ssdOu BILE loaded.
scare headed, screaming scoop" columns
in length and an integral part of the
printed sheet. Let the reader of this
letter mentally follow the fortunes of
single, plalns everyday news item on it's
way t0 the reader and he viii under
stand what 4 mean.
Among the assignments given ont by
the city editor one has been for the in
vestigation OF rumor that Judge Hevi-
waite and Lawyer Huccumso have had
an alteration on the street. il hap
pened the day before and has Sd far been
kept out Of print. 1t may be permanent
Nv kept out. but it must be run to earth.
and q reporter who is known TO have
knack Of tracing and unraveling lust
this sort of story is started out
lit viii not do. in the opinion Of this
experienced ssQatherup.n to 20 direct td
the judge and The lawyer until the sa-
LENT points Of the story have been cot
together. So the reporter visits first
judge Hevizvate's friends. to whom he
saws he understands that the Judge cot
decidedly the worst of it ia the contest.
verbal ~ nhvsical. Thew have been
sworn IL secrecv ia the subject. but tais
slxiIlfuI exhibition of his SLIGHT inforrna.
ton b. the reDorter IS TOO much for
them, and they proceed to Indignantly
deny the insinuatiOn. and to tell the true
story Of the row. according to their
lirh+s
After the reporter has seen four or FIVE
Of The judges friends. each Of whom has
talked more or less. and each of whom
has been thanked for setting the reporter
straight. he seeks the friends of LAWYER
Huccunso. Similar tactics and similar
experiences. follow and with q mass 81
conflicting s4fnaterialn ID liz nossessiou
the newspaper man then goes to the prin-
cipals. Each of aese protests against
publicity. PERHAPS beth refuse 10 talk
DEF19 BOTH talk TTHoIV last fine
Tenortar returns to the neyvsnanar offre
ana +a.la 4-.a s+orv II brief III ba un7ar.
stands 7t IL the -5+v editor
.sHalf column, says that function.
ary laconically, posing his blue pencil
for moment in the air. ssTelI both
sides in full
Then begins the ranortar.'s ra91 work
At least 72 raan have told him lib differ.
emit tales of the trouble. which must alI
be fused into 4 half column ~ snace-
say from 500 to 500 vvords-and s.both
sides must be told in full" When the
story is completed by the reporter. it is
more nearly q column than half that
length.
ssFTurrv M vonrs SINGS ont the eitv
editor. ss1Iust have that story nozvir
Then To . ssreadar % ssT4ara emf f1,ia sfua
down about balf-0u5elzf0
And the l5ire renci1 of. the reader GOES
remorseIessIv and RAPIDLY THROUGH sen.
fences and paragraphs that were care.
fully prepared with d view of vivin1
ssboth sides in full. :" q ssbead" Isl written.
the whole rolled tight and shot through
a pneumatic tube to the COMPOSING room.
There the copy is cut into sstakes. o.
pieces 81. a few lines each. The later TIT
smaller. ana riven oat to rerbans !. ba7f
dozen separate printers. Each sets bis
take as RAPIDLY as possible using in do.
inc so MANY little uiecas Of metal IN
very short time the stakes" are assem-.
bIe5 and the story is ssrravad % IN the
a.-e.,a-a+a e71 +t,e v--s7- a,.o,,, e0o j.. 0or
n5+5 Az r-s+s1 III. t,--,.s, l,s,-e T,s5, .,-s-,--
"a IA sequence bv -7a 4ge4, III sz+tir,s- FIJI
story. and every tv43e cut Of its Dronar