Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1901-02-28
Suggestions to Correspondents.

the cstt-and then she had one.
Country correspondents are ripe at
this season of the year and we are
going to have little friendly talk
with them. All good newspaper
men admit the value of news from
the country districts, and all know
the difficulty of getting themes
|pecially in seeing them regularly
from a given locality. Now, as a
first proposition herewith. it is not OF
so much Importance that the stuff
coming in from the country possess
literary excellence as that it consists
OF news. The editor can straighten
out the kinks; but nevertheless il the
average person who writes much or
little for the newspapers was a little.
more familiar with newspaper work,
| 1t would not only s,ve editing their
copy altogether but brighten the
country correspondence departn ent
percephbly. 1t is for the purpose OF
assisting anyone who has to do with
wiring for the press in any form that
these suggestions are offered by the
Kimball Graphic:
Write on one side of the paper
ONLY; leave wide margin at the top
OF the tlrst page, and plenty OF space
betwt n the lines.
Write proper names very plainly.
| If not a common lame, better print
lit. The compositor can make out
ordinary words by the sense Of the
item; if not he can substitute another
word, but he cannot do this with
prop name. II annoys a person
to see lis name in print wrongly
spel ed. Send il the news items
1regularly en time; otherwise they
lose halt their value.
| Do not depend upon memory, but
kee, a little nofe book. You will
be >urpris- d at the number of items
that can be gathered in this way.
Let every item tell It's own story;
| d. no, refer 10 an item published at
an indefinite period Some reader
may not have read the first account.
Follow slyie Ct paper il, capital
iza3lon. What is meant by stNls'
| is the rule every paper has about
apitals. punctuation, the use OF.
Mr. and 81 forth. To lllu 1rate:
some newspa sers capitalize the
names of political parties, senate,
House, Congress, Legislature and
similar words, while others do no..
Do not be offended if copy is cut
down. Sometimes an item sent in
has alreasiy beer written up and in
type. A other unaes there is lack
of space or time 10 put the matter in
TYPE. A country paper cannot be
expanded lise daily
| Do not garble a report of an event
through prejudice. Write the facts
a. they are.
Never mind the weather; the
editor keeps the people informed on
|that-though any special effects Of
severe cold or hot weather are legiti-
mate and interesting items.
Scandal or gossip is never wanted.
If you are in doubt about the ad-
visibility Of publishing particular
piece Of news, write it on a separate
piece Of paper and explain matters.
The editor can then use his own
Judgment and relieve you of all re-
[sponsibility
II you have long story OF i'm.
portant matter, tell it pointedly in
| the first six or eight lines. Then let
the details follow. Start with:
/ William Jones, IS years old. son of
Abraham Jones, was killed Thursday
morning by a runaway horse.
1 The editor Of your country paber
may write it this way:
! Thursday morning, as William Jones
was coming to town and driving
through Frog Hollow, a hog ran out Of
a cornfield and frightened his horse.
causing the animal to jump to one side
and upsetting the buggy, etc, etc,
/ Don't blame him; he's doing the
best heknows how. 1t is more than
likely that he has picked up at ran
dom all he knows about newspaper
writing and mighty little at that.
4 Do not place Mr.. before name
when the first name or initials are
given unles it is the style II pa.
per. The exception is formal wed