The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-01-01
PREPARING PRESS REPORTS.

How to Arrange Manuscripts of Re
marks for the Use OF Reporters--Wh ny
Some People Are So Well Reported.
IT falls to the lot of most ministers
and of many prominent laymen to read
a paper or give an address under cir
cumstances where they are likely to be
reported by representatives of the press.
During the winter there are not few
occasions where technical topics requir-
ing close reasoning, are discussed A
preventative of the Church Economist
turned the tables recently and inter-
viewed reporter who makes special
ty of religious gatherings. He was
asked what speaker, reading a paper
OF giving an address at such place
ought to do in order to secure an ac-
curte, or at least an intelligent report.
1--WE have to deal with three classes
Of men," he said, "One class shrinks
fro mall publicity. while doing public
things. He will not grant the use of a
photograph, or If he does grant II he
makes lot of conditions which we cam
not comply with He maintains a
standard in regard to his article or adj
dress that Is too exacting for our re-
sources. For example, he says the pic
ture must be reproduced in a certain
way, nd that the speech must be print-
ed exactly as he gives 1t or not at all.
A reporter can give no such guarantee,
because the editor can give none. There
are other people to be reported, and
material conditions to deal with
| Another class is made up of those
who offer their pictures without being
asked for them, and flood US with cop
les of their addresses. Perhaps we
want them and perhaps we do not. or
the two classes 1t IS hard to say which
causes US the most trouble.
1.-THE third class is the one we like to
encoup I. I have in mind a certain
doctor He is to read a paper at a con-
ference. He knows a report of 1t will
be wanted. He takes pains to see that
the paper is finished some days in adj
vance of the meeting. If asked for his
photograph he sends it, and makes no
conditions for he knows that whether
it is reproduced we'll or i'll the public
does not hold him responsible Concern
ing the text he knows what points he
considers of greatest importance. If it
is on subject that is hard to report,
he calls in his typewriter, asks her to
take some carbon paper and make half
dozen copies, employing perhaps four
hundred words in the synopsis and
writing it in the third person, without
quotation marks. He may use marks,
however, If his Judgment approve, be-
ing guided, of course, by the matter in
hand. At the top Of the sheet or sheets
he has the typewriter print his name,
his title, his literary degree, if he have
such; the name of his church, IL he be |
pastor, and his address when at home. |
If his topic be one easy to report, as a |
story of travel in foreign country. |
with little In it but incidents, he selects |
for copies two or three of the best,
his copies in the same man. |
ner as before.
''These copies he carries 10 the meet
ing. If he asked for them he produces |
them. IL he is not no one knows he |
has them. The advantages of this plan |
are many. First, 1t secures a better re-
port, for his judgment is employed rath-
er than that Of the reporter In the Sc
lection. Second, it saves labor at a
time when labor has to be done bur-
riedly and, hence, imperfectly. Not all
grievances will be avoided by such a
course, for with all Fluctuations it may
happen that the picture comes out bad
y. or the heart of the text may be cut
rat by an ignorant or careless editor.
" the exigencies of space. But in the
ong run such careful course will be