The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-22
MEN, WOMEN
AND THINGS

with the Associated Press in tank
town or a foreign capital, his ability
, to know news item when he sees it,
makes or breaks him as newspaper
man.
1t is quite easy to generalize about
journalism and some old vet knowing
the characteristics of English, French
and American papers, said: THE
French newspapers are the best writ
ten, but the worst informed, the Eng
lish papers are the worst written. but
the best informed, and the American
press osciliates between the two"
To show that American correspond
ents had habit of "trivializing news"
he exhibited a story published in one
Of Americas leading journals, cabled
from Paris, the story of a cab horse
who knew his way about the Villa
Lumiere so well that it was only neces-
sary to whisper in his ear, Care st.
Lazare," or Moulin Rouge" in order
that the animal should draw the cab
to the desired destination by the short
est route.
The critic cited this as but one of
| hundred of cases, where ridiculous
matters creep into our most sane and
reliable journals, and directed this lam
pooh at reporters who seem to delight
in writing nonsense. '1n such matters,
American journalism has been univer-
sally jeered at and it has deserved the
jeers." 1t may be true that in sober
| moments the public prefer the vivid
reality of things as they are to gar
nished nonsense, but please tell me the
moment, day, hour, week, month, or
year when the public is sober? 1 know
some wag will cite me to July l, 1919,
but the old Jag is not yet over.
Thomas Carlyle had yelping at his
heels the whole pack of "dry dust
historians, because he dared breathe
| into the French Revolution the breath
of life and made living men and women
out of the puppets which had SO long
walked asleep through the ponderous
| tombs labelled history. 1t was his vivid
| imagination which rescued oliver
Cromwell from the pit digged for him
| by the copy clerks of kings who pa
rading as chroniclers had buried the
mighty Oliver beneath their tiresome
stories of his day and time.
! And So when any one begins to cast
a stone at the reporters by charging
| that there is no profession or trade, in
| the world in which so small a premium
is placed on great ability and honest
for scamped work, Shoddy work, bluff
| flash and meretricious work are so
many, 1 take up a brief for the
"scribes' who each day by faithfulness
and perseverance put before the read
ing public much that is both interest
ing and informing.
I think l need only summon one wit
ness to testify in their behalf, for the
importance of the reporter was con-
stantly emphasized in the Kansas City
Star office under William Rockhill
Nelson, one of the outstanding news
papers of America. To be useful around
a newspaper az man, in his opinion,
must have the instinct of a reporter.
We might report news, or he might
report ideas. But at bottom.~he must
be a reporter and not Journalist" a
word the editor of the Star had no pa
ttience with.
This rarnindS mo of an ~incideDt told
me by John Henley. who some years
back was holding down the city desk
on one of our local papers. 1t seems
a flashily dressed individual floated in
and with bit of condescension pulled
out his card case and handed one to
him which bore the inscription, John
Jones, Journalist "Ah!" said John in
his most suave manner, Il have long
wanted to meet a Journalist and as
you are the first one who has come
my way may l have the pleasure of
introducing you to our managing ed
itor?' He fell for it and walked into
Buford Goodwin's den, when he was
in one of his ''nastiest' moods. John
went through the ceremony of intro
ducing Mr.. Jones and dwelt on the fact
that he was Journalist" but Bufard
never even looked up. but said, Jour
nalist, the devil Take him away;
there amt no such thing. they are as
extinct as the dodo in the newspaper
world"
The late William Rockhill Nelson. in
a long distance message to an audi
ence in one of the. Journalism weeks
at the University of Missouri, said:
"There is just one point l wish to en-
phasize to the young men who are ex-
pecting to engage in newspaper work
That is, that the reporter is the essen
tial man on the newspaper. He is the
big toad in the puddle. Young fellows
looking forward to newspaper career
often have in mind an editoriship of
some sort. We could get on pretty well
without various sorts of editors But
we should go to smash if we HAD no
reporters"
He banked strong on a reporter with
a nose for news and sense of indus
try? But he put the instinct to rec
ognize the real story in an event or
situation as the acid test for news
paper work. His advice was that il
"a man hasn't it. let him forsake the
newspaper field, He will never make a
success of it. He may cover assign
ments and become messenger boy OF
the city editor but his limit in dollars
and cents Will be about SO a week"
man with a sneer said: "Men who
can dream stories and write news are
in constant demand and are paid high
salaries" Evidently he was an editor
who wanted to guide and instruct pub
lie opinion, and was a bit sore because
b. 49, III