NEWSPAPER SCOOPS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4303, 12 March 1901, Page 3

NEWSPAPER SCOOPS.

A “soocp” in newspaper language (writes Robert Dennis in tbo '‘ Daily Express”) is an item of exclusive news. This may be important or otherwise, but, of course, tho measure of the scoop is tho measure of the importance of the information.

In the early days of tho century newspapers were few and far between. Hence, it is not surprising to find that the history of scoops is a comparatively modern affair. It was not until the telegraph revolutionised communication that tho press began to turn its attention to obtaining first news, and it very often happened that the older journals, like tho "Times,” tho "Morning Chronicle” (now defunct), the “Morning Post,” cto., obtained their information merely by virtue of their existence. In these latter days scoops cost money, and plenty of it. Of tho papers which have been the first to give information of events of the highest importance, tho “ Times ” is a long way the foremost. Here is a list of a number of scoops made by the “ Times ” :

The capitulation of Ulm to Napoleon by General Mack in 1805, when 33,000 Austrians fell into tho hands of the victorious French. Tho dismissal of the Melbourne Ministry on 15th November, 1834, which changed the foreign policy of England.

The conversion of Sir Robert Peel to freetrade on 4tb, December, 1845, which apparently for. ever established freetrade principles in England.

Tho revolution in Paris on 25th February, 1848, which involved the flight of Louis Pmlippo, and the rc-establish-mout of the Republic. The unconditional acceptance by Russia of the propositions of the Allies on 17th January, 1856, which ended the Crimean, war. The outbreak of tho Indian Mutiny on 27 th June, 1857. The connection between Overend, Gurney and Co., and the fraudulent warrants on 16th December, 1858, which led to one of the greatest prosecutions and perhaps the .most disastrous financial crisis of the century. The Projet' do Traite, which Count Bencdetti,' the French Ambassador, is said to have presented to Bismarck on behalf of Napoleon HI., proposing the partition of Bjelgium ! and Luxemburg. This document is believed to have been given by Bismarck to ia. do Blowitz, tho Paris correspondent of the "Times,” and was published on 25th July, 1870. It was generally regarded as a complete justification of Prussia in the war against France. ' ,

Tho fall of Paris on 25th July. 1871. The provisions of the Treaty of Berlin two days in advance of the issue of the official copy. The resignation by Lord Randolph Churchill of the leadership of the House of Commons and of the Chancellorship of tho Exchequer on 23rd December, 1886, one of the most dramatic and unexpected political incidents that ever took place. Here is a splendid record of which tho “Timds” may well be proud. THE FALL OF SEDAN. There is a curious' doubt as to which paper was the first to announce the tall of Sedan and the surrender of Napoleon. The Prussian King’s celebrated message to “Augusta” is dated 2nd September, 1870, 1.22 p.m. At that nfoment the Emperor Napoleon ’had not visited the King. This telegram was published in the "Times” of 3rd September, in a part only of the first edition, but in all of tho second and third editions. On the same day the “Pall Mall Gazette” published an account of the capitulation of the Emperor, which was written jby the late Mr Molt White. The race jpr priority was so close that there really can be no decision, excepting that, in any case, the first ndws of the capitulation appears to have come through Reuter’s Agency.

The “Pall Mall Gazette,” however, certainly was tho first to publish the announcement of Mr Gladstone’s decision to retire from Parliamentary and public life on 31st January, 1894. Another celebrated scoop was that of the “Globe,” which, in an extra special edition of 30th May, 1878, stated that a Congress at Berlin, following upon the Russo-Turkish war, had been agreed upon, and that an agreement had been arrived at between England and Russia and signed that day at the Foreign Office in London. This was the famous Salisbury-Sehou-valoff Convention. The existence of such an agreement was officially denied, but on the 14th June ,the “Globe” gave the full text.

HOW THE “ GLOBE” SCORED. Upon a question being asked on the subject in the House of Lords, the Duke of Richmond and; Gordon said that the statement in the “ Globe” had been obtained by someone who had access to confidential papers, and that its publication was therefore unauthorised and surreptitious. The statement, he added, was not complete as an explanation of the policy of the Government, and was therefore inaccurate. The “Globe’s” information, however proved to be completely accurate, and a Police Court prosecution subsequently divulged the means by which it had been obtained.

The “Standard” distinguished itself in 1885 by publishing the fact, of Mr Gladstone’s conversion to Home Rule. It has also frequently been the first to give information of the highest importance, especially official news in connection with the Conservative party. Tho “ Morning , Post ” has generally been the first to announce news of great social interest, but we have not been able to trace any conspicuous example.

WAR, SCOOPS. Tho “Daily News” lias made its great reputation by war scoops. On the outbreak of the Franco-German, war, Mr (now Sir) John Robinson occupied the editorial chair, and lie initiated an entirely new departure by sending special correspondents to the scene of the conflict, with instructions to “telegraph everything/' The result was - that no fewer than seventeen correspondents poured their descriptions of battles into the office of the “Daily News” through the wires, and the'“Daily News” immediately jumped' into the front rank of tho metropolitan press. Not only did it have the first news of inreui-tant engagements, but it first published the fact of the outbreak of the Communists in Paris, the burning of the. Palaces/ including the Louvre and Tuilerios, the fighting in the streets, and the miassacre in Pere la Chaise. In the Russo-Turkish war, ■ also, • the “ Daily News ” distinguished itself, notably in connection with the siege of Plevna, descriptions of which for a considerable period were practically in the bands of Air Archibald Forbes, the only correspondent who was actually present at the fighting. , ; On 25th February, 1871, tho Daily Telegraph,” in a Sunday edition, told the British people that France had surrendered Alsace and Metz, thah peace was certain, and that the war indemnity had been fixed at 200 millions sterling. “The Germans,” continued this famous message, “ will enter Paris on Monday. * -