The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-11-20
1lWhat Is NeWs?"

Essay of Mrs. II. C. Morris. Of Jeters-
VILE, which was awarded first prize
at the recent meeting OF The Times
Dispatch Correspondents Association
In Richmond:
Thu term news Is more intelligently
understood perhaps from Illustrations
than from any abstract definition Pri-
marily. 1t usually carries with 1t the
idea of recent occurrence, and 1t al
ways has reference to facts or events
which nave not been previously pre-
sented to ones knowledge.
trivial affair, II connected with
persons holding high positions, or even
those who have gained notoriety by
crime, often becomes news items OF
considerable interest. When Booker
Washington dined with the President
OF the United states almost every
secular paper In the country had a
story in regard to 1t; whereas, II that
same negro had eaten inner with
some poor Northern family who had
settled down here In Virginia no at
tention would have been paid to the
circumstance. A reporter visits the
cell OF condemned criminal and
makes a note OF every article of food
eaten by the poor wretch in his last
supper: the next morning one reads
this menu as news In the daily paper
Again all incidents which strongly
appeal to the emotions, or which deep
~ arouse the curiosity, vanity or adj
miration OF men, may be classcd as
news on their first representation to
the public. Heroic deeds are always
read with emotions Of pleasure there
fore these often become the subjects
OF most entertaining stories
Under this head may be included
freaks OF nature. wonderful Inventions
and discoveries, also donations to In
stitutions OF learning or charity
The rapid progress OF certain sec
tons and cities along Industrial an.
educational lines is not to be ignored
~ subject matter for the news writer
witness the entertaining and in
structiVe articles from the pen OF Mr..
Woodson.
Sporting news possesses a strong
fascination for large number of read
ers. as Is evidenced by the amount OF
space given to accounts of baseball,
athletics. races and other things OF
like nature
Fluctuations in the stock and pro-
duce markets. foreign and domestic,
are Items of news. especially to that
CLASS OF individuals known as specu-
lators.
Everybody likes to know what
everybody else Is doing; therefore each
little town paper has it's column of
local news, and every big daily Its
page OF social news and gossip, which
are often the very first things read
~ many.
Marriages and deaths are eagerly
scanned by large majority of people,
both being o. intense interest to those
by whom the parties are known either
personally or by reputation; the higher
the rank or social position OF the
parties concerned, the wider the circle
of interest.
Robberies. murders, suicides, trag-
edies of all kinds represent the strong
est types Of violated law. hence the
prominence these subjects receive at
the hands of news editors and CORE
spondents; OF these, suicide takes the
highest rank. since 1t is the direct vio-
latioH OF the strongly implanted prin-
ciple Of self-preservation.
Great CONGREGATIONS. floods, wrecks,
volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.
and especially If they involve great
loss of life or property. become sub
5ects of interest not only for reasons
already mentioned, but also from their
very terribleness.
National Affairs of all kinds-the
doings of Congress and State Legis- |
latures, the movements OF our fleets
and armies, and even of our high off,
Gals themselyes-are given conspic-
nous places on the pages of our dailies.
PRESIDENTIAL elections perhaps, occupy
the highest rank in this whole cate
CORY. since everybody Is interested In
the outcome to some extent at least I
and added to this is that natural
eagerness to see the result of race
IN which the participants are the rep I
resentatiyes of two or more political I
parties.
Scarcely less important are State. |!
municipal and county elections, In /
which there are not such a large num-
Der of people concerned, but here the
interest Itself is correspondence more
intense.
Our dailies are constantly In receipt I
OF information by cable or Associated
Press of something like the following:
Pope Plus X. died at $3.50 o'clock this
morning while in conversation with |
Cardinal Gibbons IAN attempt was
made on the life of the Mikado about
noon to-day" Then come reports
from London and Liverpool stock mar
kets: information received IN this man
ner is termed foreign news and is
usually worldwide in point of in
terest
The most intensely exciting. and
that which Is most eagerly sought, is
that which is called news from the
Seat of war" Imagine this great re-
public in the throes OF a civil con-
fict: a great battle has been fought:
mark how fercely the crowd besIeges
the telegraph office. the telephone, the
bulletin board. and the newspaper!
Who was defeated? How many killed?
and a number of other questions in
dicative of the greatest concern, for
here we have the most important
earthly events combined with the most
intense interest. and at the same time
an appeal to the emotions so powerful
that all other news loses interest
comparison.
In conclusion, news may be briefly
defined as what the other fellow has
not heard"
! South Boston Social News