Newspaper Writers Research Articles

Karen F. BROWN, (ed.). Best Newspaper Writing. Winners: The American Society of Newspaper Editors Competition. The American Society of Newspaper Editors Competition. The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, Florida, 1992.

Karen F. BROWN, (ed.). Best Newspaper Writing. Winners: The American Society of Newspaper Editors Competition. The American Society of Newspaper Editors Competition. The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, Florida, 1992.

The Language of Life: An Introduction to the Science of Genetics

The Language of Life is described as a lucid and literate primer for laymen—a challenging assertion. I am impressed, however, as a layman and physician, by the manner in which this purpose has been accomplished. The writing was done by Muriel Beadle, whose past experience as a newspaper writer is clearly seen in the brisk, rapid unfolding of the authors' story of man's quest for knowledge in the field of genetics. With considerable success they present a continuum from mendelism to the modern concepts of a gene and the biochemistry of the genetic code. They draw information and examples from the fields of evolution, anthropology, social sciences, and medicine, with particular emphasis on classical and biochemical genetics. The language is simple, clear, and often personal. Interspersed are opinions and anecdotes which add considerable color to a scientific tale, although some of the editorial comments seemed unnecessarily pointed. The text is

A Not-So-New-Era in the Stock Market

In an article written on the stock market which appeared in early 1956, I made the following statement: It would appear that stock prices at the present time are rising in a manner which partakes of both cyclical and secular influences. The cyclical component of current stock market prices is subject to reversal. The secular component, however, promises further growth -a possibility to be recognized by newspaper writers and others dramatizing the stock market whenever it reaches higher levels.'

The Vaudreuil Expedition, 1752

H TENRY Ford's well-known distrust of written history is shared not only by man in street but also by many newspaper writers, publicists, and, more conspicuously, politicians. Such distrust emanates in part from numerous myths or simple inaccuracies with which historical writing abounds. Another explanation is that frequently historical truth is a dull gray, neither black nor white, and that unequivocal answers concerning many questions relating to past cannot be found. The man in street, however, is unaware that most errors which appear in printed page are corrected not by laity but by historical scholars who are satisfied only by arriving at closest approximation to truth. Fransois-Xavier Martin, a distinguished Louisiana jurist, during i820's directed his attention to writing a history of his state, and in i827 he published a work, the result of tremendous research and labor, which a contemporary characterized lifeless as minutes and records of proceedings in a court of justice.' Martin included in narrative of administration of Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal, Governor of Louisiana, 1743-1753, a circumstantial account of an expedition against Chickasaw Indians who following peace of Aix-la-Chapelle in i748 continued, he said, to harass French settlements along Mobile and Alabama rivers. Citing no specific source of information, Martin stated that: In consequence thereof, Marquis de Vaudreuil marched into their country at head of a body of seven hundred men of regular forces and militia, and a large number of Indians. He was not very successful: enemy had been

Noah Brooks: Reporter in the White House

The Washington correspondent of the Sacramento Union during the Civil War years not only was an able reporter but became a confidant of President Lincoln. In this portrait of wartime journalism in the capital, the author also summarizes the career of a 19th century newspaper writer and editor

The Newspaper Experience: Crane, Norris, and Dreiser

HE SIGNIFICANCE of newspaper work for the careers of Stephen Crane, Frank Norris, and Theodore Dreiser has not been widely recognized, although this experience was invaluable in formulating many of their unconventional attitudes toward life, their selection of subject matter, even their techniques. It is true that newspaper writers were compelled to devote their time, energy, and interest to the loud and ephemeral demands of the city room; and while, at first glance, this atmosphere may seem stifling, it was actually a richly rewarding and fertile one for the men who were to lead the revolt against the ideals of the genteel tradition. No doubt the bohemian nature of newspaper life in the 'nineties contributed to this opposition to bourgeois values. But more important, probably, was the intimate relationship with life, the variety and contrast, which a newspaper assignment made necessary. James L. Ford, a seasoned newspaperman, indicated in I894 the value of newspaper work for a career. There are, he wrote, young men working in newspaper offices now who will one of these days draw true and vivid pictures of modern New York as it appears in the eyes and brain s of those who know it thoroughly, and very interesting fiction it will be, too.' Ford protested the literary quarantine of the most picturesque section

Stephen Crane and Painting

STEPHEN CRANE, John Berryman flatly states in his recent book,' owes nothing whatever, apparently, to painting. Berryman denies H. G. Wells's claim that the novelist was influenced by painters in his use of color, and he informs us that Crane knew, by the way, few painters-Linson, Jerome Myers, later Ryder; mostly illustrators.2 These statements may be challenged on several counts.3 It is doubtful what Mr. Berryman means by real painters. It is not possible to differentiate sharply between painters and illustrators in that period; Corwin K. Linson, for example, was an illustrator as well as a painter. And it is not clear what Berryman's general sources are or how much information he possesses concerning Crane's knowledge of Myers and Ryder. There is evidence, however, that Crane knew graphic artists very early in his career and that this experience was reflected in his newspaper writings in two ways: in his utilization of the image of the artist as subject and in his painterly stylistic devices. Crane, furthermore, discussed how important it was for the writer to be honest and independent, and he associated these attitudes with graphic artists and with the problems of what he considered to be a closely allied art form. Finally, Crane explicitly compared his own general literary intentions with the technical and philosophical implications of what the French Impressionists, as he conceived them, were attempting in color.

Book Review: Weekly Newspaper Writing and Editing.

Book Review: Weekly Newspaper Writing and Editing.

Some Excesses of Slang Compilers

1J vocabularies of trades, professions and hobbies. These lists usually contain terms that have been deliberately invented by individuals and that have little currency among the members of the group to which they are attributed. In recent years two conspicuous examples have been the compilations of terms said to be used by soldiers and by jazz musicians. We may use these two examples to illustrate some of the objections to this uncritical method of presenting new American speech. If a soldier in the mess hall wants the canned milk} he is presumed to say, 'Pass the armored cow, please.' If he signs the payroll, he is signing the scandal sheet. To sleep in a real bed instead of an Army cot is to hit the f af9:y whites. The Army bugle is a misev pipe. A furlough is a homing device, and hamburgers are hand grenades.l Such terms have long been a standing joke among soldiers, who are as surprised as civilians when they come across them in the press. Compilers of jazz slang2 (including a contributor to American Sl?eech) tell us that musicians say sliver sucker for clarinetist, doghouse for bass fiddle, gitter or git bow for guitar, syringe for trombone, and use such terms as in the groove, longhair, and slay 'em. Yet, these terms do not appear in the literature on jazz, and are not used in daily conversation among musicians. A score of jazz players in New York whom this writer questioned knew the meaning of only a few such terms, and even these are not customarily used. Since compilers of these expressions tend to copy from one another, some of the terms gain a doubtful currency among the compilers themsel,ves, but not for the purpose of ordinary discourse. Generally these terms are invented by persons not actually members of the community that is said to use them. The military terms above have been created by newspaper writers, veterans of World War I who remember the comic aspects of army life, teen-age girIs with teen-age boy friends in uniform,

The Fifthieth Year of the Journal

It has rarely happened that two men have made outstanding contributions to a branch of earth science over a continuous, period of 50 years. These men are Bauer and Fleming. The contributions to terrestrial magnetism and electricity cover a wide range but not the least important is the founding and unbroken publication of the Journal of Terrestrial Magnetism and Atmospheric Electricity as an International publication. Bauer showed great vision and Fleming recognized the continuing need of a medium available to all students of the subject with its many and constantly increasing manifestations, and both made important personal contributions.Some years ago a newspaper writer listed the JOURNAL among magazines with queer names. If the writer could be confronted with the contribution to the war effort of these apparently abstruse subjects he would not repeat his mistake.

Legislative Tactics of Unregulated Lenders

State legislative lobbies of unregulated lenders resort to tactics generally identical with those of a modern dictatorship waging a propaganda campaign against a neutral state selected for invasion. In each case efforts are made to confuse, to divert attention, to soften up the opposition and, to secure the assistance of agents within the victimized ranks. Like Soviet Russia, nominating Finland as an aggressor, or like Nazi Germany, pretending fear of invasion from Poland, lobbies for unregulated lenders open a publicity campaign against licensed small companies in advance of a state legislative session at which an attempt to tighten the small laws is expected. With the aid of scandal sheets and sometimes with the aid of standard newspapers, the lobbyists inspire attacks upon licensed small companies as loan sharks, legalized racketeers, and 42 percenters-where that annual charge is allowed by law. This method of attack is carried on throughout the session by speakers before legislative committees, through newspaper advertisements and on the floors by members of legislative houses. Lobbyists and members of the legislature who have been won over to the side of the unlicensed lenders impugn the motives of legislators, editors, or bar association committeemen, who work against them, using the phrase tools of the sharks, and similar epithets. When all else has failed, the last resort is to parliamentary delaying tactics, including the filibuster. The purpose of such a campaign is manifold. The lobby hopes to attain one or more of these objects: to confuse the public and uninformed legislators; to discredit and embarrass disinterested crusaders against the racket; to prevent passage of the complete Uniform Small Loan Law or of an amendment to enlarge the scope of the existing law to cover salary buying or other lending dodges; to repeal the entire Uniform Law, if such a statute is on the books, as a method of eliminating competition from licensed lenders, or as a confusing counter-attack; to lower the rate licensed lenders are allowed to charge borrowers so that they can no longer do business and so that revenue of supervisory officials from license fees shall be inadequate to finance * Managing editor, The Daily Democrat, Tallahassee, Florida. Newspaper writer in Georgia, North Carolina and Florida, since I921; editorial writer and political commentator on Florida newspapers, since I925. Commissioned by Governor in I940 as Director of Information, Education and Morale on Florida Defense Council. Conducted editorial campaign for regulation of unlicensed lenders during Florida legislative session 1939. Author, How A FEW FLORIDA LEGISLATORS SAVED THE 240% LOAN SHARK RACKET OF THE SALARY BUYERS (1940).

"He's on Parole"

The words Probation and Parole are perhaps two of the most abused and most misunderstood words in the language at the present time. They are mistreated by persons in all classes of society even by those who should know better. Newspaper writers are as a rule rather exact in their use of words but they are the most serious offenders in using the words, probation and parole, synonymously. The New York Herald Tribune printed an editorial on this subject on April 26, 1936. The editorial was entitled PROBATION IS NOT PAROLE and was in reply to critics of the Division of Parole in the Executive Department of the State of New York, who mistakenly believed that John Fiorenza, the murderer of Mrs. Nancy Titterson was on parole at the time this murder was committed. This editorial was unusually clear and convincing and the writer appeared to be very well informed, but even he made two errors of fact. In a recent review of a moving picture, GIRLS ON PROBATION, October 20, 1938, Kate Cameron, the movie critic of the New York Daily News used the words, probation and parole, all through the review as if these words were synonymous. The purpose of this article is to make clear the difference between probation and parole, to inform the reader of the functioning of the various parole and probation departments in New York State, and more especially in New York City, and to say a few words in defense of the State Division of Parole of the Executive Department, State of New York, which is blamed for most of the probation and parole failures in this state.

Book Review: Newspaper Writing and Editing. Revised and Enlarged Edition

Book Review: Newspaper Writing and Editing. Revised and Enlarged Edition

The Present Chaos in Psychology and the Way Out

There is at the present time a bewildering variety of schools of psychology in open rivalry and conflict with one another. The Press and the general public, in America, at least, seem to be aware of only two of these, namely the psychoanalytic and the behaviouristic schools; and the newspaper writers and the average highbrow are content to mix snippets and catchwords from these two utterly different schools, ignoring all the rest, unless they add to their shop-window display some uncertain reference to the work of the mental testers.

British Food Journal Volume 30 Issue 11 1928

British Food Journal Volume 30 Issue 11 1928

The Social Value of a Code of Ethics for Journalists

RECENT criticisms of American newspaper, sweeping and condemnatory, of which Mr. Upton Sinclair's Brass Check may be taken as extremest example, ignore so many factors in social problem of press, in its past, in its present, and in its future, that final result is much heat without any appreciable light. Yet questions Mr. Sinclair attempted to raise, and failed to raise in any effective way in mind of profession because of intemperance of his methods, are important ones and worthy of study. An educated and idealistic newspaper writer, employed by one of leading New York dailies, suggested to writer that Mr. Sinclair's book was important enough to deserve-what? Not confutation, but rewriting by some careful, independent, trained investigator, who could work without excitement, who would accurately define all his terms, and guard and support every generalization with adequate documentation. For it is generalizations in book that are important if true, and in so far as they are true. Fresh from a rereading of Mr. Sinclair's eloquent Philippic it was privilege of writer to serve as host to a hundred responsible newspaper editors, most of them newspaper owners, representing very nearly all larger papers of one of western states. They had travelled, some of them, hundreds of miles to be present at a twoday session at School of Journalism of their state university for discussion of newspaper problems. Nor had these discussions to do principally with advertising rates, wire service, charges for job printing, or wages. The point of most intense and general interest in conference was adoption of a code of ethics for journalism which has since been described by Editor and Publisher of New York, a leading professional magazine, as striking the highest note that has been sounded in American journalism. This code was passed unanimously, and a subsidiary motion was passed that it should be given fullest publicity in order that public may check us up if we fail to observe it.

The Educational Campaign for Banking Reform

RGANIZING the National Citizens League in 1911 was no less a task than organizing the country. It was the final step, outside of political declaration and legislative action, to bring about a demand for the reform of the nation's banking laws. The havoc of the last panic had been wrought. Emergency legislation in the form of the AldrichVreeland Act was on the Statute Books. The Monetary Commission had junketed, experted and ruminated and Senator Aldrich was working on a reform proposal. From these statements it might be gathered that public sentiment had at least begun to crystallize; that the subject of all this discussion and effort was nearing the point of issue and action. Nothing was farther from the truth. There was no popular comprehension of what it was all about. Panic meant only a lack of currency. Newspaper writers were miles at sea. Politicians were floundering in darkness. Practical bankers were looking to their few leaders for guidance. The economists, however clear their theories, were blinded by traditions. and precedents of long standing. There was a dominant desire for a change but any suggestion of a practical plan raised a clamor of hostility to centralization, the great political bugaboo. The persistence of political rancor found a new demonstration every time a central bank or the centralization of banking power was mentioned The traditions of the Democratic party stood as strongly in this respect as when Andrew Jackson and Nicholas Biddle fought over the Second Bank of the United States eighty years before. The mention of asset currency roused the smoldering fires of greenbackism and free silverism. It was plain that many people cherished the belief that issuing currency w s a sovereign power of the governme t, and Mr. Bryan was present to insist that such was the case.

Book Review: Newspaper Writing in High Schools.

Book Review: Newspaper Writing in High Schools.

The liquor question and municipal reform

National Municipal ReviewVolume 5, Issue 3 p. 411-418 Article The liquor question and municipal reform George C. Sikes, George C. Sikes Chicago Mr. Sikes, the author of this article, has been identified with civic organizations and has been a newspaper writer in Chicago for nearly 25 years. He was at one time secretary of the municipal voters' league; later, for a period of about five years, he was secretary of the Chicago bureau of public efficiency.-Editor.Search for more papers by this author George C. Sikes, George C. Sikes Chicago Mr. Sikes, the author of this article, has been identified with civic organizations and has been a newspaper writer in Chicago for nearly 25 years. He was at one time secretary of the municipal voters' league; later, for a period of about five years, he was secretary of the Chicago bureau of public efficiency.-Editor.Search for more papers by this author First published: July 1916 https://doi.org/10.1002/ncr.4110050307 AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume5, Issue3July 1916Pages 411-418 RelatedInformation

Cotton as a High Explosive

AT the recent meeting of the Society of Chemical Industry held at Manchester, Mr. W. F. Reid is reported to have made the statement that nitrated cotton is not a high explosive, though every chemist knows that it is the typical high explosive. The fact that certain newspaper writers have differentiated between nitrated cotton and nitrated benzene or toluene, or any other coal-tar derivative, has nothing to do with the differentiation of a high explosive (which is of itself nitrated, and contains within itself sufficient oxygen to allow of its explosion) and those mechanical mixtures, such as gunpowder, which have been now superseded. A letter from Sir William Ramsay published in the Times of July 19 makes all these matters perfectly plain, and no responsible person would dispute them. I was present in the House of Lords when Lord Charn-wood brought his statement before that House, and I also heard the rest of the debate, including the answer of the Marquess of Crewe. The House, consisting of those who are necessarily laymen so far as their chemical knowledge is concerned, found some difficulty in following the arguments as to whether any substitute for cotton could be effectively used.