The San Francisco call., 1896-05-10

Quoted on English lines would prove as
grievous q failure as have all attempts to
introduce American newspaper methods
in London, but there is reason to doubt 1t.
1t is conceivable that the love of novelty
in America and the comparative absence
of that sentiment in England would well
come London-molded newspaper in this
country as rich and pleasant diversion.
Let us imagine what a sensation would be
created by newspaper which is content
with news few days old, and which does
not publish it until it is assured of its cor
rectness; which displays total absence OF
that greedy and hysterical hurry so char
acteristic of Americans; which has no
"scare heads at all, and never resorts
to the practice of crowding the first
page with beginnings of thrilling news
stories broken at the bottom OF column
and carried over to some obscure part of
the paper. there to be hunted up
in an agony of impatience; which
in the presentation of its news shows a
fortnight purpose to instruct, brutal di-
rectness and simplicity of expression and
total absence of that peculiarly American
and diStinctively humorous practice of in
Producing what editors naively think are
literary effects II the presentation of
news and which shows that in the or
binary course of events the opinions of
trained specialists serving as editorial
writers are deemed far more important
and are more richly paid for than the
work of the ablest fash reporter in the
realm.
1t is not likely that an American pub
Usher will soon appear with the shrewd-
ness to discern in English journalistic
methods an opportunity to create q greater
sensation in this country than the hair
tearing, narrowing and soul-wearing meth
DDS. OF those who think that thrill is the
beginning and the end of newspaper ethics
young American reporter might sud-
denly leap into fame and a high salary
by initiating the style of London re-
porter, merely by reason of the fact that
his work would be so novel. Unhapplly,
American writers, particularly those for
the press, are getting further and further
away from those idioms which constitute
the true richness of the language and, as
Americans are Unsuitable readers, the evil
IS taking fierce hold on the whole body
of the people. 1t is not so in London.
English newspapers display the highest
elegance and finish in their editorial pages,
but the English reporters write the honest,
everyday language of the people, strong
and pure, and that is manifestly the only
kind suited to the presentation of news.
That idea is unknown in America. With
US the efforts to introduce in news those
grotesque qualities known as Zine writ
ing" and literary effects" explain many
things constituting the weakness of our
method. If the English papers were any
less successful or influential than ours
this violation of common-sense and good
taste on our part might be defensible.
OF course 1t is understood that this
criticism is not aimed at all American news
papers. There is here and there con-
spicuously meritorious paper that is not
Extensively sensational and hvsterical.
The New \ orE Sun and the San Francisco
CALL are worthy examples of that class.
There is room for hope that their influence
is steadily working for the common good
Being myself intensely American and
understanding that American journalism
is perfect reflex of our peoples tastes and
of our National temperament, and having
a certain affection for it as an incident of
general condition not less admirable than
that observable in Great Britain, l feel
free to indulge in criticism which | might
resent If 1t came from an Englishman.
As the language used by London report
ers is that of everyday life, it possesses a
strength foreign to the diffuse and smooth
writing of an American reporter. The
London reporter English is none the less
good because it is direct and honest; it is
all the better for that.
Here is an illustration: In many Ameri-
can morning papers it is the custom, in
narrating a happening of the previous
day, to obscure the adverb yesterday
by removing 1t as far as possible from the
beginning of the opening statement This
tax. The Englishman, recognizing the
plain fact that time is of the essence of
news, generally makes yesterday the
very first word of the account. American
editors have reason for not following that
sensible custom, but charity suggests that
it be not published here.
l have before me single copy of a lead
ing London newspaper, and it is so ricn
inmatter and suggestion that no trouble
is found in securing extracts with which
IN It1Ctr fhn
Here is an item-style, head, punctuation
and all-disclosing treatment radically
different from that which an American re-
porter would have been required to give it:
A NICE SoN.-Lewis Parsons, seventeen, re-
siding with his parents at 80, Millbank-street,
Westminster, was brought before Mr. She'll on a
charge OF violently assaulting his mother
Mrs.Parsons, whose upper lip was much cut
and swollen, said at midday on Wednesday she
sitting IN her kitchen, when her son caught
up couple of meat-bone and threw them at
her face. The jagged end of one struck her on
the upper lip, cutting it through to the teeth,
and the other also struck her face.-Mr. She'll
Has he ever done anything of this sort be-
fore?-Prosecutrix replied that some time ago
the lad kicked her on the knee and she was
laid up for three months in consequence
Mr.. Shell Ito prisoner: What have you to say
for behaving in tn way to your mother?-The
boy merely said he WAS sorry, and was sem
fenced to twenty-one days hard labour, his
worship promising him six months If he ap-
peared again.
Its peculiarities are numerous. Its great
compactness, Iucidity and completeness
are the most conspicuous Parsons is not
"aged seventeen" or seventeen years old''
or''seventeen years of age; ne is .'seven-
teen, and that is easily understood. The
whole of d dark, strong picture is drawn
with perfect intelligence in a few hard,
bold lines perfectly suited to it. No silly
attempts at pathos and no useless efforts
at description are made. This little
paragraph is the quintessence of art. So
jealous is the paper of its precious space
that it uses side head, and instead of
breaking the line for paragraph, it en-
ploys the dash. No useless quotation
marks are used, because the meaning is
unmistakable without them. The nara
ton of this incident is as simple, direct
and effective as the summary administra.
ton of justice with which it closes.
In the following is material that would
serve an American newspaper with mate
rial for several columns:
CENTRAL CRIMINAL CoURT.-On Monday the
rif Sos iOrQ of