New-York tribune., 1906-07-15
UTILITY OF STENOGRAPHY.
When knowledge of Shorthand Helps the
Reporter.

The question of whether a knowledge OF
shorthand assists a newspaper reporter In tho
performance of his ordinary duties is a disputed
one among the very men to whom it applies.
remarked the editor of large daily to some
friends in the lobby of an uptown hotel last
evening in a discussion of modern journalistic
methods
''yrhere are some editors who adhere 70 the De-
lief that the reporters who do not understand
shorthand make the best all around men on
paper. II is an undeniabIe fact that the average
reporter does not understand shorthand ana
that he trusts to his trained memory to record
accurately the proceedings OF any event Which
he NAV he sent TO cover for his paper 1t is also
true that in most instances he does not neeu
else than his memory to make all the report
sons for this and the main one is that II is uh-
necessary to report other than the princlpal
points of a meeting, for instance or tne maui I
points of mans remarks or address NeWSPd-
per reporting is a business requiring skill ana
Judgment and in knowing what to leave out as
we'll as what to put in a report
''In these circumstances knowledge of short
hand is unnecessary. But there are occasions
when shorthand is Indispensable and there are
shorthand mem upon every paper. A Worh-
ing knowledge of shorthand is not easy 10 ac-
quire and as 1t is not Indispensable prerequl-
site to employment as reporter men 90 not noS
acquire 1t in this country. though IN EhsIanu
the opposite rule obtains and there the reporters
are mostly shorthand writer's
But it seems to me that a knowledge or
shorthand would be of great assistance to a
reporter. Once the mechanical part of short
hand is acquired, and / know for the reason
that am a shorthand writer myself, and did
my repOrtorial stunt years ago, the amount or
memor2ing and mental effort IL saves, to say
nothing Of pencil work, is astonishing good
shorthand writer who is also good reporter
has the good reporter who is not a shorthand
writer beaten hands down on any kind OF
hard reportOrial stunt. He can take as little
or much Of the proceedings OF his assignment as
he pleaSes, and with slight effort. Where a
running report is being made he can discard
hi cNo nj iV1Ho aH 0a INST to eraT
copy down to his paper But where the report
is to be written up i'm the city room afterward
the shorthand man has his&cOpy turned in to
the city editors desk, and he is on HIS way home
in the cars while the longhand man Is still at
the office struggling with his notes and his copy.
las an incident 70 personal convenience and
labor saving shorthand is valuable adjunct to
a reporters duties where his news qualifications
make of him good news gatherer and q good
reporter I think that the main difficulty lies In
the fact that 1t does not follow that because
is good shorthand writer he is good re-
porter and this is the reason why some editors
will select a longhand man over the shorthand
fellow. Some shorthand writer's are apt to
be prOlix in their reports, and this may call for
Newspaper work nowadays however is be-
coming specialized. Some men who good.
all around reporters for instance are utter fail
ures as interViewers now such an important
feature of newspaper life. And although | will
admit that to pull notebook upon some men
at an interview closes them UP like the pro-
verbal clam, upon others IL inspires confidence
that their remarks are to be taken as given and
not as the reporter thinks they should be taken.
they then talk more readily and the reporter
can afterward accept leave out what he
pleases of their remarks.
1T Is a frequent practice of public men TO
afterward deny. when confronted with their re-
marks in cold type. the accuracy of the quota
ton. This often causes serious complications
all around especially for the reporter but he Is
secure when he can produce his shorthand notes
of the interview, as has been done in a few re-
cent noteworthy cases. It shorthand were less
difficult to master. and it required only a few
weeks instead Of months to learn it is my opin-
ion that reporters would use it very largely and
Washington Star