The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1929-04-04
NOTHING IN THE PAPER

A common expression among peo-
pie in discussing home town paper
is that there is nothing in it, How
often one hears that remark, made
without the slightest thought or in
vestigation. Then the question arises
is the criticism justified? Well, let's
see:
While the people of the town &C
about their work and pleasures, the
local paper calls the hospitals for ae-
eident victims, the deaths, the births;
the undertakers for deaths, obituaries
times of funerals, place of burial-yet
there is nothing in the paper.
There are columns that give the
church news, time of worship, meet
ings, yet-there is nothing in the pa
per.
n social life, weddings, parties,
visitors to the city and trips from
the city are reeounted, yet-there is
nothing in the paper.
4 members of the hurrying throng
see an accident along the highway,
cars piled up, or railway accident,
but cannot get the particulars-they
look at the paper to get the informa-
tion. and nearly always find it in full
detail-yet there is nothing in the
paper.
Word comes of a fatal accident
aHrr, MT tlo
that the people know is that there was
a fatality or two. When the paper
comes out, they scan the front page
to see who was killed, and again they
find the full details-yet there is
nothing in the paper.
That was a fearful storm last
night, and I wonder what damage was
done is frequent remark after a
blizzard or gale sweeps over the coun.
ty. In the next issue of the paper
they find out what happened.
and oh, joy! Someone finds mis-.
spelled word in the paper, or a mis-
statement of fact. Immediately the
hammer is out. Sometimes these lit
erary critics write to the office to tell
OF the newspapers errors, and when
the communication is scanned it is
found that several words have beer
mlsspelled, the punctuation is a joke
and the capitalization is ridiculous.
In defense Of the papers, it may be
stated that very few of the readers
of q newspaper know anything about
the mechanical work of setting The
type, placing the stories in the pages
making the mats and molding or cast
ing the forms.
Here are few figures that may
give some comprehension of the de
tailed work. In single column Their,
are on an average $500 separat,
letters, punctuation marks and spaces
For an average page Of eight columns
the number would be $4,000. For
12-page paper the total separate let
: tere, spaces, ETC., if all were readin,
matter, would run up to the amazin,
figure of $4,000.
A paper is rushed through hurried
ly. 1t must get out on time. Fac
page has its minute to go to the pres
room. Sometimes, at the last me
ment, column, or article, is "rail
roaaed" through. That is, run i
without reading the proof. 1t is eithe
that or miss the train and make tn
paper late.
One of the daily experiences of
news gatherer is to find that no tw
persons will give the same story i
the same way. 1t is perhaps littl
wonder that there is at times mis-
take as to the lesser details.
But why go on? These critics Ell
JOY themselves, abuse the paper an
quarrel with some other member c
the family that grabs off the pape
when it is delivered before the critics
one gets to look it over for the el
rors instead of the news.-Cheyenn
Tribune.