New Britain herald., 1924-10-30
HENRSAY NEWS A TRAP FOR NEWSPAPERS

possible 10 verify. but which, "it true" would form delectable read ing.
 No newspaper having a due re- gard to its responsibilities 10 the public and inclined to be cautious in the face of the libel laws can afford 10 deal in hearsay informa- tion. Many a good story" is lost to the public prints in every news paper office usually greatly to the disgust of irresponsible re- porters who have no great stake to lose in case of legal jam-merely because verified facts are lacking. Except for this important point hearsay stories would form won- derful news from the standpoint of reader interest.
 Such stories pop up nearly every week. Much effort is lost in an at tempt to verify them, and the urge to print them anyhow often is very prominent. Newspapers that have done so invariably have plenty of time in which to regret their en- terprise. The law makes a sharp distinction regarding fact and sup position - and to an untrained observer supposition sometimes is as strong a staff on which to lean as fact. But the main difference in court is that one may not be able to prove supposition or hehrsay while a verified fact is always sus- ceptible of proof.
 The first thing 8 cub reporter has to learn is the distinction be- tween a charge and conviction nine out of ten tyros in the busi- ness show a tendency to convict a man before he is tried. In time the tyro learns through experience that verification is more important than hearsay evidence and by the time he graduates into journey man journalist he is convinced that carefulness and caution is by fai the better half of valor.
 Of course, occasionally an edito' will consent to 'take a chance, particularly if it appears to be 1T the public interest to do so. Hi chief penalty is to lose sleep a few nights until his mind calms dowr and until it appears likely that nc serious consequences will follow Tn other words, he finds that lucl had not deserted him. The chic danger Is that one lucky experienc' in courting trouble may make hin less amenable to caution the mex time and ultimately he loses tn gamble with chanca
 News is . tricky commodity. l newspaper is always justified il publishing facts if there is n doubt about the facts. But it is n rare occasion to be in doubt abou the available information at han by press time, and there is no la1 compelling interested parties t
 helping a newspaper to "get straight" when a human desire present to keep desirable informa ton from the source of publicity
 Between such individuals and
 newspaper it is sometimes a nj
 and tuck struggle, and the news
 paper, to be frank, does not aiway
 win.
 Press associations are in the sam
 fix as newspapers. Every telegrap
 editor can relate of instances
 news stories of high reader interei
 coming over the wire, only to |
 ordered killed" later by the pre-:
 association with the explanatio
 that verifcation is lacking or late information throws a dust cloud
 doubt around the facts. Such stori' sometimes may be in type and the forms when the "kill' chas' the story. The heads of press al sociations are loaded with great r' sponsibility and never take chance; they have thousands
 papers depending upon them ar the papers demand reliability. ] sprinkle the countrys neWspape
 with a libelous story would ce
 tainly be a calamity for the maj
 agers of such an association.