The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1941-04-24
BY Robert H. Gamble


clubwoman) Are you the editor?
Well, I'm so pleased to know you.
I'm Mrs. Wacky of the So-and-So
Club. They've asked me to handle
the publicity for the play they are
giving on July |, and of course
while I love to write | haven't
much time this week. You know
we Wackys come by journalism
naturally Somebody in my family
always has been a writer. Why
my grandfather once had a three
line poem published in the Police
Gazette. So, want to ask you II
you won't run my articles just ex-
actly as I've written them. Really, !
don't think you could improve on
them. Now let's see, your paper
will be out three more times before
our play is given That's fine. Will
you use this same story for the
next three weeks?
Editor: I'm sorry, Mrs. Wacky,
but we obviously couldn't run the
same story word for word three
straight issues. Would you want to
read the same story about the coun-
ell meeting for three consecutive
weeks?
Mrs. Wacky: No, but that's diff
ferent. Well, of course, If you don't
want to cooperate I'll simply have to
tell our members and they'll stop
buying your paper. Now another
thing. I would like to have you use
this on the front page at the top
right hand corner in as big type as
you have and | also would like you
! to use exactly the same headline
which ! have written.
Editor: But Mrs. Wacky, we can't
promise you any particular spot in
the paper. The town might burn
down tonight and that certainly
would be more important front
page news than the story about
your club play Now as for the
headlines, while it is awfully nice
CT you to write a headline for us
you see that is an art in itself.
! Every word in headline must be
counted like in a crossword puzzle
and each line has a maximum count
depending on the size Of type we
specify for any particular head Now
we will try our best to
Mrs. Wacky. Well, it looks to me
like you just refuse to cooperate.
You won't run my story as | have
written it for the next three issues,
you refuse to use my own original
headline and you won't promise to
use it on the front page. Say, I've
never had this kind Of trouble be-
fore with any newspaper including
the New York Times. You don't u.
Telephone rings)
Editor: Hello, hello. Yes Who?
Oh, yes, Mrs. Numbskull. Well, |
can't promise to use it on the front
page, but I'll see what can be done.
Yes, I'll take it down. Go ahead. Yes
Yes Yes editor
spends 20 minutes taking down
notes over the telephone) Yes,
have it all. Read it back? Well, we
don't take it down word for word
Mrs. Numbskull. We just take notes
and then write our story.
Mrs. Numbskull Well, | think
that is terrible. Here / spend hours
of my time writing perfectly good
story and then you tell me you're
going to write it in your own words
Well, I've never had this trouble be-
fore and I have been a reader Of
your paper for rs years. Goodbye
Enter Crabface: Good morning
Are you the Editor? Well, I'm Mrs
Crabface and | have been appointed
publicity chairman for the Ladies
Cream Circle and / have a story
here about little affair we gave.
Editor (scans story: But, Mrs
Crabface, this happened three week
ago, I think it is a little too old tt
publish now
Mrs. Crabface: Yes, | know, bu
you see just couldn't get arount
to writing it any sooner. Can't yol
run it anyway? What differenc
does it make?
Editor; Well, we try to run up t
date news, after all, this is suppose
to be newspaper. Now you would
! MT like to read story about nun
der which happened three week
] ago, would you.
Mrs. Crabface: I never read mui
I der stories anyway. Now look, ST