The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1943-01-23
BY V. V. DAN
Wllberiorce University
News Co,erage lcontInued)


COLLECTION Of news. however. Is
- often very poor. Negro journ-
alists appear 10 have learned the
technique OF writing and editing
news without making equal prog
ress In finding news. a process
which requires larger OUTLAY OF
expenditure. Negro newspapers
have tended to deal almost COM
pletely with the quirKs and oddities
Of personalities. The news cover
Cd Is often OF the obvious type.
following the patterns Of common
gossip. To the well-educated read
er. many OF these newspapers Oft
en- become somewhat dull and dis
appointing after the initial novelty
wears of Institutional news is
ST ikingly lacking. even though
few papers like the Amsterdam
Star-Newr. the Peoples Voice, the
Philadelphia Tribune. and the
Chicago Bee do espouse local
causes and cover their local news
rather commercially. possibly be-
cause they are published in cities
with very large Negro populations
From the point OF view OF cover
age OF national news about the Ne
gro. the Pittsburgh Courier. the
Afro-American. tie Journal and
Guide, and the Chicago Defender
arc the first four leading weeklies.
How much emphasis these papers
give 20 national news and national
circulation can be gathered from
the fart. that the Pittsburgh Cour-
Ter publishes twelve different edi-
tions Local National. Pacific
coast. Louisiana. Florida. Seaboard
Washington tD.Cl. Philadelphia.
Ohio and West Virginia. Mid West,
Chicago. and Detroit: tho Afro
American six different editions:
Local tBaltimorel. National. Phila-
delphia. Washington. Richmond.
and Newark the Chicago Defend
or. two: Local and National. and
two affiliates: the Michigan Chron-
icle and the Louisville Defender:
the Journal and Guide. four. Local
(Norfolk), National. Richmond. and
Newport The National edition OF
each paper is meant 10 circulate in
every state where that particular
newspaper does not have state
edition or an affiliated paper in
that state or section.
BY and large. leading NeRr,
newspapers serve a wider area than
their immediate localities. hence
their selection OF news IS state and
national rather than local. Nau-
rally. local news is often sadly
neglected In a large number Of
newspapers. however. national
news appears annoyingly scattered
IL Is often culled from press serv.
ices or clipped from other papers
and used in part for filler purposes
Syndicated columns seem 10 be
printed sometimes for this reason
This indicates. In part. an inability
or lack OF EFFORT on the part q
newspapers to cover the local neld
adequately.
In the selection Of news. particu-
lar eulphasis Is naturally placed on
successes made by Negroes in
competition with whites. News ~
Negro churches and lodges. GER
tainly among the highest developed
institutional forms in Negro Gull
ture. tends generally 10 tell only Of
elections. social announcement
and similar obvious details. nos
sibly because such news Is gen
craly released to the press by
churches and lodges themselves.
Treatment OF Negro schools and
colleges runs In the same channel.
and attempts at improvement are
OFTEN frowned upon by these Insti.
tutlons in their desire 10 compete
with other institutions for newe-
paper space for which they often
pay these newspapers. Quite ire.
ousntiy' college news 10 written on