Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1929-07-25

sitting in the top of that cactus sing
ing like a canary bird, that would be
news. So it is. anything out of the
ordinary is news and the more out of
the ordinary, the more prominent its
place in the printed column.
OF course it is not possible to fill
up the paper with stories of cows sit
ting in cactus plants, so therefore the
personal column has been originated.
1t is the duty of the correspondent or
writer of this column, to fill it with as
much personal news as possible using
as many manassas possible, for the
average person likes to see his or her
name i'm print. In writing personals
or any other news stories, it is i'm
perative to get and give the initials or
first name of the party or parties be-
ing written about. Never say. Mr..
Jones', but say John Jones'" leaving
off the title Mr." in all cases except
i'm weddings and it is well to give the
poor fellow this last courtesy in this
event. When speaking OF, man and
wife, say, "Mr. and Mrs. John Jones"
never say John Jones and wife" nor
Mr.. and Mrs. JONES'
In an important happening. give the
full name of each party, residence,
date, hour and place. Don't eXag-
gerate but be specific and to the point.
The editor of a newspaper can suffer
considerable embarrassment by guess
or miS-Statement of facts. In one of
the eastern states some years ago, so
the story goes, the old Civil war veter-
ans staged celebration and conven-
ton and in printing the story, the
newspaper proof reader overlooked the
fact that only one ''r' appeared in
Scared" with the result that the SEN
tence read, THE battle scared war
veterans marched stately down the
street. The next day, needless to
say, one by one, the veterans came to
the editor and inquired as to his sin
cerity in the write-up. The editor
explained that it was a typographical
error and that he would cause it to be
corrected the very next issue i'm a
black box On the front page. Well the
proof reader was destined to be at
fault again, for there in bold type was
the fatal line, with an 20" as in bottle
instead of an "a" making it read,
THE bottle SCARED war veterans
marched stately down the street."
The editor left on the afternoon train
on his annual, but unprecedented va
cation. OF course this was not due
fn il,fl ly..f hn ,rf Of no
respondent or the one who wrote up
the article, but it does show what
mis-statement of facts or mis-inter
probation can do.
Another problem, which the news
paper writer is frequently called upon
to face is that of distinguishing be-
tween real news and advertising 1t is
difficult for the average person to I'M
derStand the source of revenue of
newspaper and it is this mis- under
standing that causes people in many
cases, to unintentionally request copy
published that is strictly advertising
copy. The newspaper has space for
sale for its livelihood just the same
as the grocer has a stock of groceries.
People or organizations would not
think of asking him for free grocer
les for some event, then why should
the newspaper be called upon to give
its space in an advertising way free
of charge? A good way to judge ad-
vertising copy from news is, from the
standpoint of admission. Many news
papers have made it point, and it is
good one, to charge for advertising
function, where an admission charge
is made or where revenue is derived
therefrOm. True enough, there is a
certain amount of news value in the
announcement of certain function to
take place, but the party or organiZa-
ton responsible for it, should take
some paid space and then the news
paper management would feel more
like cooperating with them in max
ing the function known to the public
and therefore mutual benefit would
be enjoyed. | thank you.
A. w. CONAWAY.
Askov. Mimi. May Is, 1929.