Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-06-10
WOMEN IN NEWSPAPER
AND MAGAZINE WORK
Mrs. Sophie Kerr Underwood,
Well-Knowr Story Writer,
Talks to Girls of University
of Vermont, Where She Was
Formerly a Student

Before an interested audience at the
Billings Library Monday evening Mrs.
Sophie Kerr Underwood of New York
told something of the opportunities
for women in the line of newspa per
and magazine work, AMI gave n brief
description of how magazine work is
done. Nineteen years ago" said Mrs.
Underwood II left Vermont with my
masters degree. ] don't know that
that degree ever did me n bit of good
but | do know that that one year in
Vermont changed my whole life. ] had
been brougt up and educated in Mary
land and there all of the surrounding
country is flat so when ! came up to
Vermont it seemed as though I had
come to new world. But the man
who had the greatest influence upon
me here and who has made the great
est difference in my life was Profess
able to stand here and tell him in
public. where he can't answer back,
what he did for me. He taught me
Just what a superficial education T had
had AMI how the mind is n tool and
can be trained just as the hands can
be trained. 1t was rude awakening
but it did much for me and feel that
owe much of my success to Profcr-
sor Emerson.
AS for the opportunities for women
in magazine work: There are COM
paratively few good magazines and
few of them will accept women in
editorial positions. There are perhaps
$50 positions open to women in this
field and they are all filled, and
there are about 100 applicants each
co.
the people holding these positions
cannot live forever. There is how
ever. large field for women in the
publicity. circulation and advertising
departments.
II find that many Of the young
women who come to sock positions at
our magazine have not much to offer
in the way of preparation. Many of
them have not even read the maya
zine on which they wish to work. I
should say that an excellent way for
girl to get a position on a magazine
is to get thorough knowledge of
stenography and typewriting an
! then get position on the maya =
zine as stenographer Then she
is on the inside and can step into an edi-
torial position when one is vacant An
other good way is to do newspaper work
->t"SbdpeT Work is eScellcnt training but
she should not stay in this line of work
100 long Tor the newspaper attitude is very
different. The magazine is usually not
/ printed until three months after il is made
up and so 1t must print matter that will
he lasting. 1t must also be careful to print
material which will influence the public
! in the right direction. The newspaper, on
'he other hand, must print news. It can
not leave unpleasant matter out because
! OF its influence. The best papers tone it
down as much as possible. but they must
print something about It, because 1t is
news.
! 1T is easier to get position on a news
paper than on a magazine. and I should
advise anyone who wanted to get such "A
position to write something for the pa =
per and bring it in If this is accepted, do
that several times and then go in and see
the editor If he does not seem to want
you at once go again. but do not become
an office pest. AS for positions for women
on the newspapers. few papers want wom-
| en- in executive positions. The men have
the editorial jobs and they are going to
hold on to them. But women can do much
! IN the way of special and feature writing"
I Mrs. Underwood then told someth hing
of how magazine is run. saying that
each little detail must be studied out An
editor must accept or reject material ac-
cording to the effect il will have on its
readers as well as to whether it is reada-
BILE. Then after he has the manuscripts
he needs he must balance them up a heavy
story against a light one. etc. Then there
are the pictures to think about An ar
fist brings in big illustration and it must
be reduced to the size used on the maya.
zine. Some of these will not reduce well
and the art editor must judge if this is one
of that type. Then every margin and the
letter that begins a story must be care.
fully considered for nothing can be lef,
TO chance.
In speaking of the advertising, Mrs
Underwood said that formerly the maya
zines ran 40 per cent of advertising anc
60 per cent of editorial matter. Now it i.
either 80 per cent of each or SIS of ad
vertising matter and As of editorial Sh,
said she did not think the public lost mucl
by this, especially as all OF the hes
artists were drawing pictures for the ad
vertising section
Mrs. Underwood said that she coul,
not close her talk without n word of ad
vice to the girls of Vermont. I'm startin,
out on your work" she said you mus
choose which is Of more value to 70,
and cast away the less desirables d.
not know whether'it is best to cast ava,
all pleasures SO they will not interior
with success or not. That is big uues
, ton. But days work well done is wort
much. Friends change, you yoursel
change but the value of a good days worl
will never change and you can be just a
happy in little job well done as BIZ
one"
Mrs Underwood was introduced b.
Mrs. Pearl Randall WATSON, dean o
women The girls double quartet SAN
several Vermont songs and after the ad
dress many of the audience went up t
| rr,da r1unnd