Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-11
UTILITY OF sTENoGRAPHY.
When a knowledge OF Shorthand
Helps the Reporter

THE question whether knowledge of
shorthand assists newspaper reporter In
the performances of his ordinary duties is u
disputed one among the very men to whom
it applies remarked the editor of large
daily to some friends In the lobby of an up
town hotel last evening In a discussion Of
modern journalistic methods.
There are some editors who adhere to
the belief that the reporters who do not
understand shorthand make the best all
around men on paper. 1t is an undeni-
able fact that the average reporter does not
understand shorthand, and that he trusts
to his trained memory to record accurately
the proceedings of any event which he may
be sent TO cover for his paper. 1t is also
true that In most Instances he does not need
else than his memory to make all the re-
port which may be necessary. There are
many reasons for this, and the main one is
that 1t Is unnecessary to report other than
the principal points of a meeting. for In
stance. or the main points of mans re-
marks or address. Newspaper reporting is
business requiring skill and judgment,
and In knowing what to leave out well
as what to put in q report.
I'm these circumstances knowledge Of
shorthand is unnecessary. But there are
occasions when shorthand Is indispensable,
and there are Shorthand men upon every
paper. A working knowledge of shorthand
is not easy to acquire. and as it Is not an
indispensable prerequisite to employment as
reporter men do not acquire it in this
country though in England the opposite
rule obtains. and there the reporters are
mostly shorthand writer's.
but 1t seems to me that a knowledge of
shorthand would be of great assistance to
reporter. Once the mechanical part of
shorthand Is acquired, and I know for the
reason that | am shorthand writer my
self. and / did my reportorfal stunt years
ago. the amount of memortzing and mental
effort it saves. to say nothing of pencil
Ia Inc c0a Short han n
writer who Is also a good reporter has the
good reporter who Is not shorthand writer
beaten hands down on any kind of hard
reportoria1 stunt. He can take as little or
much of the proceedings of his assignment
as he pleases, and with slight effort. Where
running report is being made. he can
discard his shorthand. as indeed he must.
to get his copy down to his paper. But
wEeFe the report Is to be written up In the
city room afterward, the shorthand man
has his copy turned in to the city editors
desk and he fs on his way home In the cars
while the iong-hand man is still at the office
struggling with his notes and his copy.
AS an incident to personal convenience
and labor saving shorthand Is a valuable
adjunct to a reporters duties where his
news qualifications make of him good
news gatherer and a good reporter. / think
that the main difficulty Hes in the fact that
It does not follow that because q man Is a
good shorthand writer he Is good reporter.
and this Is the reason why some editors
will select long-hand man over the short
hand fellow. Some shorthand writer's are
apt to be prolix In their reports, and this
may call for editorial criticism.
Newspaper work nowadays, however, is
becoming specialized Some men who are
good all-around reporters, for instance, are
utter failures as interyiewers now such an
important feature of newspaper life. And
although will admit that to pull note
book upon some men at an interview closes
them up like the proverbial clam. upon
others It inspires a confidence that their re-
marks are to be taken as given. ana not as
the reporter thinks they should be taken.
They then talk more readily, and the re-
porter can afterward accept or leave out
what he pleases of their remarks.
1T Is frequent practice Of public men
to afterward deny, when confronted with
their remarks In cold type. the accuracy OF
the quotation. This often causes serious
complications all around. especially for the
reporter, but he Is secure when he can pro-
duce his Shorthand notes of the interview,
as has been done In few recent note
worthy cases II shorthand were less dlfii-
cult to master. and 1t required only q few
weeks instead of months to learn. 1t Is my
opinion that reporters would use 1t very
largely and that 1t would be found of much
general utility.