Middletown transcript., 1915-03-20
THE REPORTERS SPHERE


The Morning News printed the fol-
lowings contribution BY Rev. R. L.
jackson, pastor of Hanover Presbyter-
ian Church:
No hing gives me more pleasure than
to help a newspaper reporter who is on
the square. If | can hand him bit of
news that is ripe for publication l am
happy in doing so. My heart goes out
particularly to the cubs, the tender
youngsters compelled 10. venture where
angels fear to tread. greatly admire
their courage. am with them in all
their nervy uosings for news, provided
they play fair. like to see them re-
turn to the Office with a good scoop if
they have gotten it by being pluckier
and speedier than the other fellow,
No class of men is so roundly berated
as the reporters. Some of them richly
deserve it. have had reporters (not
of this city, but of other cities) deliber-
ately make me say the very reverse of
what l actually said. 1t made spicier
story. 1t gave them something which
called for big headliness. But this
class do not believe is in the majority.
Reputable papers don't want deliberate
falsifiers on their reportorial stats.
They want clean, honorable men who
psefer truth to falsehood,
The reason why many reporters are
considered such internal liars is that
they are so everlastingly lied to by
those they interview. Many people
pretty much on the square in most mat
ters have no conscience about stuffiing
a reporter. They give out an incorrect
story and when it is read by those who
know the facts the first exc amation of
the latter is: ''These damnable report
ers have put in a lot of lies." Of
course, it would hardly do for the paper
to say that Mr. So and So, most high
Iy honored gentleman, deliberately
lied. The said gentleman would not
feel fiattered by such an explanation
Again, many men speaking in the
presence of reporters do not realize
how their remarks will look 10 cold
type. Many remark uttered with
playful twinkle of the eye and in soft
gentle voice when reduced to print
sounds positively fearful. "A public
speaker must be reasonable and remem-
ber that the reporter cannot reproduce
his beautiful smile and soft, caressing
tone. People who have never heard
the evongelist Sunday imagine him,
judging from his printed utterances, to
be man-eating tiger in trousers.
When they hear him and see him put
on the soft pedal whenever be has
particularly shocking thing to say,
they get another idea of him. The
word 'hell' looks perfectly scandalous
in cold tyye. Some M can say it in
way that makes it eminently respecta-
BILE. Don't ask the impossible of the
reporter. He can't reproduce your
charming manner, your melodious voice,
the benevolent atmosphere of your
presence. All he can do is to hand over
to the composer your naked words with
prayer for the tender mercies of the,
reading public to rest upon you.
have known quite number ofnews
reporters. Ihave found them as rule
honorable an" upright, obhging and
helpful, Many of them have no 8 asy
lime of it. Their hours are often ire
gular. Their pay is none too big. No
wonder they get bit CYNICAL seeing
behind the scenes as they do. With alb
their shortcomings they are lkable
fellows and deserve better of us than
they get.
The press is a tremendous power in
the community. Not the least of the
factors contributing to it's power is the
rep 'rter. The newspaper public should
see to it that the reporters contribu-
tion is wholesome and ennobling in its
influence and this it can do by giving
an honest, disinterested lift to the man
who is trying to work fol the highest
good OF the community.