Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1906-06-01

or before Saturday, June 30, 1906. Best news story ................$5 % Second best story .......... 2 % Third best story .......... % Next two, 50 cents each ....l % Next four, p cents each ...... 1 co
 Total of prizes ......a.... $10 co
 The competition is open to anyone not connected professionally with the editorial, reportorial or correspond ence staff of q newspaper Contribu- tions will be judged on their value as news items and on their general style and construction. News value is de termined by the amount of interest the matter has in itself News has a value independent of the form in which it is presented. but ordinary incidents can be related in manner to awaken interest when some of the elements of news are lacking. An ar ticle which combines news merit with good literary style has a double value.
 In all cities like Pine Bluff there are many happenings of legitimate news interest that do not find their way into the newspapers. This is not because newspapers do not want to print them, but because reporters dc not discover them. Reporters nec- essarily follow beaten paths in their search for news, visiting stated places from day to day, and their work be- comes routine to a large degree.
 The best stories are often found of the newspaper beats, being spontane- Ous or unexpected, and not provided for or anticipated in assigning report CTS to duty. In many instances these stories are run down by reporters and published, but in other cases they es- cape observation except in their i'm mediate localities and are lost to the newspaper world.
 In addition to the larger affairs which receive newspaper attention, there are many interesting minor in cidents of every day life that may be published with propriety, and the pur- pose of this competition is to awaken the news instinct and secure for pub lication timely stories that are now overlooked. Neighborhood happenings picnics, games, improvements, public complaints, accidents, births, etc, are often passed over by regular news gatherers, and will be found excellent subjects for stories to be entered in the Graphic contest.
 A Few Suggestions
 A few suggestions to contributors may be of service in the preparation of newspaper copy.
 Use paper about 7x9 inches in size, writing the hong way of the sheet, on one side only, and using a soft black lead pencil or ink.
 Don't be wordy or long drawn out, but let your story be clean-cut and to the point.
 Don't write mere fancy sketches. Stories for the contest must deal with real life and have an actual news basis.
 Contributions in competition for these prizes should be addressed News Contest, Graphic Office, Pine Bluff, Ark" and may ,.: be sent by mail or delivered in person. Each story should show the name and ad- dress of the writer, to be filed for reference in awarding prizes. If pre- ferred "pen names or initials may be signed for publication.
 Contestants may send in as many contributions as they please at any time during the contest, and all will receive consideration. It is pose for one person to receive more than one prize.
 All acceptable news stories will be printed in the Graphic from day to day while they are fresh and timely The contest begins at once and ends with Saturday, June 30. The prize winners will be announced in the ls- sue of Sunday, July ].