Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-02-10


running the presses, and one-siNth Of
their time was devoted to gathering
and writing news.
The vital problem Of the country
weekly is that OF getting at the real
basis of cost finding The editor has
and his three sources of income are
circulation, advertising and job work.
Ii he does not get out n good, live pa
per he does not have il good circula-
ton. and If he cannot get advertising
he cannot run Il live paper because OF
the limitations Of his income and the
attention which must be given to the
job office i'll the attempt 10 make ii
support the publishing business. The
whole thing works in Il circle.
However the situation is better than
il was ten years ago Better postal
facilities, better roads. interurban ser
vice and motor cars have helped To en-
large the field and have increased the
circulation More people believe III
advertising than ever before, and have
studied it more, and advertisers OF we'll
known products Of national renoWn
are advertising in the country papers.
A topic in the Literary Digest says,
Samson took two columns and brought
down the house, SO he had the right
idea.
News value is always decided by the
reading public as individuals They
want timely happenings and like TO
know what is going on in the country
about them. They want contests for
supremacy. local sports, society, compe-
tition with other towns, and news OF
society groups. The strange, myster-
| ious. or unusual is always good news
material because it breaks the routine
and supplies sort of shock. Acct
dents. Opponents fines and deaths are
| good news to a paper Matters about
property. life and we'll being these all
| have their place in the well-balanced
paper.
| The country editors business is TO
| deal in matters of human interest,
whether it be TO tell that Jones has
| taken first prize at the county falr
with his pure-bred Holstcins, or any
| other happenings Of the community.
| There are many sources of news. Rail-
way stations, pOstoffices, clergymen,
| telephone exchange, schools, physi-
clans. board of health, fraternal ORDERS
| town council, clubs, hotels, street, etc.
a plan of work for the week must be
| followed. The day the paper is pub
| ished is a day devoted TO press work
The press is cleaned and all other work
| of mailing, sorting, 'etc, attended to.
| The lob work is continued and ad
changes made. and each day brings its
work, all preparatory for the next is
sue
| We are all familiar with laughable,
| misplaced phrases, supposed to be mis-
| lakes of the country editor or writer );
50 it is necessary for our newspaper
| man to have knowledge Of the King s
| English and to be able to construct
well-written local piece of news ont OF
| fragments cleaned here and there on
| the streets. in the postoffice or other
| places.
| NV neighbOr, who is newspaper
man, says the worst feature of the work
| is that you are compelled to stick your
rose into other peoples business in
| order to write truthful news; and 1t IS
| necessary, also, that a good newspaper
style of writing he fOllowed--clear,
brief. and concise. Elaborate or in
hated writing has no place in the coun-
| try newspaper. Punctuation, spelling
and accuracy are necessary. Then
there must be fairness in handling
news, and impartiality-aS Mary Jones
party may not be as carefully written
up as Alice Browns etc. Then there
are the things that would harnl-that
are more discreet if left out.
| The correspondence columns of our
country paper pay big dividends by
added circulation, advertising nd
greater prestige throughout that see
| ton.
These who have county correspond
ents from all neighborhoods are like
! the home talent play--we all want to
| see how those we are interested in are
playing their part; and so it builds up
! Il personal interest in the paper with
| increased circulation. Many methods
are used in this news gathering. School
teachers, by means of being in the midst
of things, are satisfactory correspond
ents. Women's Study Clubs and COM
munity clubs present possibilities in
the matter of moral correspondence.
Practically every community has or
CARNATIONS of this nature, and they
are usually interested in making their
home village or township a better place
to live in The secretary or press cor
respondent may be the one to present
the news. The publicity would be good
for both club and community, and most
of us arc not beyond the flattery of
printers ink and desirable publicity.
In the union station at Washington,
ID. C., there is the following inscription
on the wall: THE farm-best home OF
the family; main source OF national
wealth; foundation of civilized society;
the natural providence.