GATHERING THE NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 122, 25 May 1928, Page 3

GATHERING THE NEWS.

NOTHING LEFT TO CHANCE.

It has been said that a newspaper is like Jonah's gourd, in that it "comes up in a day md perishes in a day." To a large extent this is trne, and yet if you would trace the story of a aty back to the time of its smallest beginnings you would find no more helpful records than tloie of the newspaper files. Still, to the great mjority of readers a newspaper is the delight o{i day. No one wants stale news, but while it it fresh everybody thirsts for it.

And it is because everybody wants it that tbt newspaper men are so keen on their job. !lot only do they speed up the work, but with til keenness of the readers themselves they also look forward with sub-conscious alertness to the boar when the hum of the great rotary printing prases will resound through the building as the

"pd that the "Star" is aljout to shine. To iwp-dyed newspaper men the music of tfie rotaries is as balm to the soul. In anticipation it carries them along irresistibly, and in actuality it is full compensation for the rush of the day.

The staff of an evening newspaper will be found at their posts while the morn is still fash. In a sense they set out to build without Mterials, but these come to hand as they proWd. News covers the whole range of activities id interests of mankind. That is why its collection and presentation demand the services of kindreds of trained workers as well as the most <Bcient time-saving machinery. The daily routine involves the handling of news received by cable, Wegraph and radio; news from all sources in lie city, suburbs and provincial centres; news litteo by trained reporters and that sent in local correspondents; and special articles, ktters to the editor, and other varieties of Wrespondence. The whole of this must be coTdinated and sub-edited. The values in news •PM® must be estimated and according to the Uticipated taste of the readers or the standard.", the paper it must be condensed or expanded, •t times elaborated and frequently illustrated. All Highly Organised. 'Nothing in a newspaper office is left to As soon as any forthcoming event is Jounced it is entered in a reference diary, "ere are also certain routine events such as * Meeting of various public bodies and comf'jees, the sitting of courts of justice, meetings and so forth, all of which are toed on their appointed days. In addition, a record is kept of the date of arrival of . steamers, and of the movements of ®Ptttant personages. Interviewing is an import feature of present-day newspaper work, rations of the day are also kept in view, and, *Mt, nothing that is likely to be of public

interest is for a moment lost sight of. When the chief at the beginning of each day turns up his diary he allots reporters to give their undivided attention to each of the items entered on the list, and specially trained men are assigned to make inquiries in public departments in the commercial and mining world, in sporting circles and in every scene of activity where men congregate. The courts of justice are productive of many important news stories, but the most intimate items of all come from the hospital, the ambulance station, the fire brigades, and the police.

Day and night these avenues are watched, and should an incident of unusual importance occur more men are hastened to the scene to help in handling the situation. Before setting out from headquarters for his day's work each of the reporters initials his assignment to show that he has properly understood his instructions as to time and place. He also carries away some idea as to the space which is available for his assignment, although he must exercise his own discretion and expand or contract his story accord-

ing as the subject merits. It is part of the training of a reporter to assess news values. Over the Wires. When the news staff have scattered to the four quarters of the city, and some have possibly been sent to distant parts of the province, news begins to arrive by mail and telegram from various suburbs and provincial centres. The mailman at the "Star" deals in volume which is at times almost beyond belief, and the appearance of telegraph boys is almost as familiar at the "Star' as at the telegraph office —this latter notwithstanding the fact that pneumatic tubes connect the sub-editors' department with the telegraph office. Telegrams arrive in the early forenoon from all parts of the Dominion, and cables come freely from Australia, Canada, England, and other parts of the world. Each go to departments where they are dealt with by specialists. Another means by which news comes freely to the paper is that of the telephone, and long-distance calls are quite frequent. Years of experience in the collection of news both at home and abroad has resulted in a system which ensures that scarcely any event of importance can happen in any part of the world without being recorded.

Meanwhile the reporters are busily at work on their assignments. The great charm of newspaper work as far as the news writers are

concerned is its variety. As you spring lightly up the new marble staircase or conserve time by using the electric lift yoti do not know what awaits you. At every turn there is the prospective charm of adventure. To-day you may be speeding out by launch to meet one of the overseas steamers as she comes to anchor in the harbour, to-morrow you may be recording the proceedings of some public body, and the day after you may encounter tragedy or romance. An experienced reporter sees more of the inner workings of life than most men. Race Against Time. On an evening paper time is the essence of the contract, and most of the "copy" has to be written up on the spot. This copy is hurried back to the office by means of youthful messengers, and at the luncheon adjournment or when the assignment comes to an end the reporter returns to the offiee. In the meantime the copy that has arrived has been handed to a sub-editor, who exercises his well-developed judgment and

wields his blue pencil in accordance with the requirements of space and the news value of the copy. Space in a newspaper is a floating quantity which is regulated by the rate at which news flows in as well as by the rush of advertisements. There is ever a call for quick judgment and prompt action. In the hurry of writing a report at an assignment it is quite easy to make errors. It is the genius of the sub-editor to detect these and also to check up on anything of a libellous nature.

As the reporters return from their assignments they dispose of any further copy they may have in hand either my means of typing or writing in longhand. Nowadays in the "Star" office most of the men are expert with typewriters.

which, of course, produce the best "copy" for the linotype operators. Before reaching that stage, however, the copy passes through the hands of the sub-editors. Deft Touches of the Expert. It is surprising to an outsider how rapidly a smart worker will handle "copy." With hardly more than a glance the trained sub-editor will assess the news value of a paragraph, and with a few swift strokes he will improve on the headings and divide up a long report into two shorter and brighter articles. With him the reputation of the paper and the taste of the readers are always important considerations. This knowledge of how best to display the news is the secret of good sub-editing.

While city news is being handled in the manner described, telegrams and cables are receiving treatment with equally good effect. The cables in particular are difficult to handle. They are like crossword puzzles in the hands of one

who has not the necessary time to pore over them. There are no stops and no capital letters, and when the "sub" comes across the names of the three placed horses in the Derby sandwiched in between the name of the latest woman to enter the British Parliament and that of the latest bravo to achieve criminal distinction, it takes him more than a few seconds to put them where they belong. A message may be read in half a dozen ways, but experience shows the way to the correct interpretation. News Value in Advertisements.

A fact which must not be overlooked in taking stock of a newspaper is the very definite value which attaches to advertisements. Possibly few readers appreciate the extent to

which these enter into the problems of their daily life. The average home is definitely influenced by the announcement of the makers and sellers of all kinds of foodstuffs; the prices prevailing for clothes and household requirements are brought under the notice of the housewife; and the amusement columns suggest to those in search of relaxation where they may spend their leisure hours. '"Births, marriages, and deaths'' vitally concern the family circle, while news as to avenues of employment, articles that are for sale and what may be bought provide items of interest for thousands of readers. After receiving careful scrutiny for the elimination of anything of a doubtful nature the advertisements are sent direct to the special department, where they are set up into type. Policy of the Paper. The guiding principle in a newspaper office is that, as the representatives of the public, the recorders must tell the story of the day's happenings impartially and without comment. This may seem perfectly simple, but anyone who has had experience of Court reporting knows that sometimes from the witness-box two persons tell stories that seem diametrically opposed—and each is convinced that he is relating exactly what he saw or heard. The chief impresses upon his staff the importance of accurate observation. While the news of the day is being actively assembled important work is taking place in the editorial department. The editor-in-chief exercises a general supervision, and to him final appeal is made in any circumstances which call for guidance. He lays out the plan of campaign, discusses the questions of the moment with his leader writers, decides what subjects shall he treated in the day's leader columns, and is ready at a moment's notice to decide points at issue as they arise. How Emergencies Are Overcome. On another page the story is told of the mechanical marvels which combine to produce a modern newspaper. The greatest marvel from the pressman's point of view is that in the labyrinth of intricate mechanism no breakdown ever prevents the publication of the daily paper. In every department there are expert mechanics, who are masters of the machines. The oldest engineer of the Brett Printing and Publishing Company will tell you that in his long years of experience he has never known the work in any department to be held up for more than a few minutes. All vital sets of machinery are duplicated, and if the supply of electric power fails a

Diesel engine is immediately set going. Some few years ago, when the old reserve steam plant was making way for the Diesel engine, a sudden failure of the power supply left the linotype machines idle. Within a few minutes the engineers had fixed up a temporary plant with the aid of a motor-car engine, and the " Star " came out on time.

And early each afternoon, when the song of the great rotary presses breaks forth, there is a never-failing appreciation of their marvellous speed and efficiency. But for these machines the reading public would be kept waiting for hours after the other processes have been completed.

Speeding through the streets of the city go the delivery motor vans, and soon the 6'2 runners and 462 newsboys are distributing "Stars" in a radius of many miles from the place of publication. Meanwhile a scene of activity continues in the publishing department, where, on long tables, supplies of the paper are wrapped bundled, and addressed for long-distance carriage by train, steamer and motor car. By tomorrow morning the "Auckland Star" will be on breakfast tables ns far distant as Wanganui. Thus is demonstrated the enterprise, and the far-reaching influence of the modern daily newspaper as a factor in the everyday life of the people.