The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1903-03-12
THE STRAIN OF NEWSPAPER
WORK.

THE STRAIN OF NEWSPAPER
WORK.
BY no people will the close OF the
Legislature he hailed with as great JOY
as by the newspaper men. To them It
is nightmare 60 days long, extra work
and worry without end; sessions, COM
mittee meetings, interviews; the dread
of missing something" which grows
as the days pass.
So wrote Col. F. A. Odds from Raleigh
to Mondays Charlotte Observer. 1t
carries great significance for however
much they are criticized by an exacting
public, there is no set OF men in the
world more set upon for things they
can not help than newspaper men.
Take, for instance, the work of report
ing daily the proceedings OF two Or
three sessions OF the Legislature from
both branches of that body. Every
member who introduces a good meas
ure expects it fully reported, and every
constituent throughout the State ex-
poets to read in the papers everything
his representative does or says COM
mendable while in the Legislature.
And it might as well be said, for it is
true, that much of the speech-making
in the Legislature-that part which is
mainly directed to the galleries-is ex-
pected by such speakers to be fully re-
ported in next mornings paper.
The truth is, no one who has not had
newspaper experience, has any concep-
ton of the strain which newspaper men
live under all the time.
Col. Odds refers to the fear On the
part of the reporter OF "missing some
thing" and this is the nightmare that
haunts every paper, daily or weekly.
Sometime ago the writer happened
to be in the Office of big daily at
night while the hustling work OF get
ting up the paper was on in earnest.
The foreman interviewed the editor
concerning what should go in and
what should be left out. Column after
column for certain departments was
reported in, set up, and perhaps as
much more for the same department
ready. All had to be passed upon,
and much of it-indeed all of twas
regarded as important matter. Per-
haps the editor did not 80 regard it all,
but some others outside did. The
social people would be offended ii news
from their set was not printed relig-
ious meetings would think the papers
influence out of harmony with moral
ity if the church news was omitted
the newly married and their friends
would feel "slighted" if every marriage
within doubly reasonable distance was
not deliberately written up; the many
correspondents who were giving the
news from the four corners would be
hurt if their letters were not printed
the political guardians OF the State
and Nation would be..alienated for all
time if their contributions were not
promptly printed. And all these things
had to be canvassed and decided upon
in less time than it takes to write it.
Leaving the sanctum of the busy
editor of big daily paper, we felt sorry
for him in his perplexities tor We
knew there was no way out of it but to
do the best he could and then have
somebody "mad as a March hare" and
feeling like the editor acted meanly Of
"malice aforethought."
We may be excused for saying fur.
Their that similar and equally as big
odds and difficulties block the way
Of the editor of weekly paper. Els
pecially Is that part about "missinf
something" vexing question. Every
editor of local paper thinks his hom,
readers are harder to please than til,
readers of any other paper. But the,
are about all alike. II Miss Nancy
visit to Miss SaIlie Ann In the mex
town or village is cleft out" 1t make
about rs much Juror in one place q
another. If the editor or reporter ii
one town or village ssmisses something
that ought to have gone in the paper