The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-03-23
LOCAL bEN BUSY
GATHERINGNEWS
FROM over CITY
Many Details Involved In
Preparing Stories For
Publication

V;sitors to tho new Age-Herald build
ing have evidenced keen interest in
the making of the local department of
the paper, that part of the editorial
rooms embracing city news, society and
sports.
The local department, comprising the
city editor and members of the repor-
torial staff, copyreaders, headwriters
and assistants, care for all the news
OF birmingham and suburbs.
Details of the manner in which the
local news is handled offers an inter-
esting topic of study and abounds with
situations of human interest.
The reporters, men you meet on the
street, in your office and home and
with whom you come in contact over
the telephone, gather the news, either
from a regular run or by special as
Segment by the city editor. These men
are allotted regular hours for work, but,
like your doctor, they are never wholly
off duty, and are subject to emergency
calls day. and night.
Those of the reporters who have
regular runs or beats" to cover"
are responsible for the news original
ing there. Most of their time is spent
at their post of duty, but they are
in constant touch with the office. either
by telephone or by personal call.
Getting Stories To Office
After thorough canvass each man
telephones or returns to the office and
writes his stories. Stories of politics,
the city government, industrial news
and the hundred and one other local
items appearing in The Age-Herald
from day to day are thus gathered
and written by members of the local
staff, then passed on the city desk for
correction, elaboration or revision. The
final step in the preparation Of local
story is the head, which is written
in conformity with the Importance of
the story, then passed on to the COM
posing room to be set into type.
Not all of the local news, however. is
handled in this manner. There are spe-
cial reporters who duty it is to cover
any news that might break off reg
'ular run, and rewrite men, who handle
telephone news not originating from reg
ular sources and whip itno newspaper
style such copy as reaches the office
through the mails and otherwise.
An interesting feature in connection
with the handling of the local and
suburban news is the night shift, men
who remain on duty after the day
editorial staff leave. These men sell
dom get away from the office until
well near daylight. Often they meet
the milkman on his regular rounds.
The night shift is composed of sew
eral reporters who are constantly on
the alert for any news of local inter
est that might break late in the night,
such as fires, accidents, explosions
burglaries or news of a similar nature.
One man is stationed at police head
quarters until after the paper goes
to bed to assure publication of any
story originating there which would
be of interest to the readers of The
AgeHerald.
Many Elements Enter
The average newspaper reader has
small conception of the many elements
entering into the preparation of the news
he reads from day to day in The Age
Herald.
Take for instance, an accident oc-
curing late at night, dangerously near
the dead line," the hour for closing
the forms preparatory to the final run
of the paper.
An automobile tries to beat a pas
2 senger train to a certain crossing and
the inevitable happens. Two persons
are killed and as many more seriously
injured. Ambulances speed to the aid of
the injured. So goes the report received
at the office The reporter generally is