The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-02-13
HELP NEWSPAPER
TO GATHER NEWS
Ii Everyone Would Contribute What a
Wealth of Items the Readers
Would Have

, 1t is recognizedly a newspapers job
to get the news. For that purpose re-
portcrs are employed Editors are also
engaged and it is their business among
ether things to direct the efforts Of the
news gatherers. On larger stories the
various angles may be brought out
through the ability of the desk men to
play up their several sides. However,
lis not a one-sided proportion, report
erS and editors must have their sources
of information. These sources in rela-
tinn to the general run of news is the
public In the case of small city pa
per, the public also includes a great pro-
portion of that publications readers.
These subscribers demand the news, yet
there are times. when they do their best
TO choke the source Of what they demand.
Illogically, they asSail the paper on days
when the local news falls eff where per-
haps a few hours before they had re-
fused information to the reporter when
eSt they knew about Perhaps it was
jut personal item, that little bit Of
nelghbOrhoOd news. 50 absolutely essen
tial to the success of the small city pub
lication. John Jones has gone on a trip
to New York. perhaps. but Mrs. Jones
says it isn't of enough importance to
make news item. But on the other
hand. when the daiya sheet comes TO hand
that evening she is exceedingly inter
ested in the fact that Mrs. Henry Smith
has gone to Boston for few days visit
or that Mr.. and Mrs. James Johnson are
the parents of Il baby girl. There are
scores of Mrs. Jones IN every place and
the reporter comes in contact with them
every day. He cpmes back to the Office.
perhaps. with the. complaint, Gee, they
h6le. because we haven't enough local
news and yet they hold out on me all
the time"
The newspaper in this regard is only
the medium of exchange by which those
in one part of the city may know what
those in another part are doing. Every
body is interested in the doings of some
one else and there should be no hest
ancy on the part of the readers to aid
in this exchange There are some per-
cry day of his life. who pick up and re-
member news of interest TO tell him
when he makes his regular rounds each
day. If every one would make ii a point
to do the same what Il wealth of meaty
local news would greet the readers each
day. And it would only be a fair ex-
change.
In commentiHg upon this the EuoSburg
Standard saws the public seems to think.
the reporter or editor viii be
informed of happenings about town by
wireless or some even more mysterious
way. Inc n3peF goes ON To say
Then. when tho paper comes out, and
no mention Is made of the event. the
editor is blars,d for not running a good
newspaper ar not getting all the news.
Remember there are good many people
IN this town. If the editor knew each of
them by name. besides their family his
tory and the chief events in the lives of
every individual. hc wouldn't be an edi-
tor. He'd. be q demi-god, resting his
feet ON a cloud and slipping amhroSia in
stead of inhabiting a brHken-doWn Office
chair and wondering where the money
for the next white paper bill is coming
froI& The life Of the average newspaper
man is a gay one. Gathering news is
second nature to him like picking his
teeth with the office pen aud cIISsng the
office towel. just the same, there's no
limit to his omnisCicnce. Last week We
thought of million, eight hundred and
forty-nine thousand three hundred and
sixty-four things Of Importance besides
a couple of hundred thousand small
items unworthy of mention And it was
n slow week. We're anxious for the news
for the papers, and it wont put Won out
much to drop by the office or telephone
Hs what's happening al Your home. Then
f the item tloesn't get in the uaper, you
have "A right to come down aud kick the
shifting ont of the cat. Otherwise don't
blame US
The reporters 10 their best to get oil
the news but there are times when il j.
humanity impossible to cover every