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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1976-09-02, Page 3taking off for two weeks to enjoy very, Oct 'holiday, • on . roads that'll be nearly empty :because everybedit' Oise "Wilr 11,f, 1)44 at Expositor reportprjoim Alper will be taking on extra, work while I'm away, including the writing of this eelual_o• Watch for loha, net( week in this: spot, 01) SPEC 1 PRE-AMFLIFI.. SPEC--.2 POWER AMPLIFIER STEAMING RIGHT ALONG — Steam ennes aren't your usual walkathon entrants, but Saturday's walkathoh sponsoredby the Winthrop Community Park had one in it. The steam engine is owned by Glen McNichol and Martin Murray-who 4 were sponsored for $300. (Staff Photo) Columnist explains What is a newspaper? . (Continued from Page.2 ) yet, at a reception beingrhosted by the town. story if he/she sees. fit. The mayor was there, I was there. The mayor. I have had editors take a story and ruin it. I got a little drunk. He stopped me in the have had editors take a story and improve it middle of• the entrees and burst out in a immensely. And that editor can make or break scathing indictment of my abilities as a y our story. He/she usually writes a headline newspaperman. for that story. So the reporter covering the "I was- at • that meeting last night", he meeting usually has nothing to do with the shouted. And the whole gathering stopped to heading that appears above the Siory. 'Yet, listen: "In fact, !Chaired that meeting. As far that editor was not at the meeting, probably as I'm concerned, you can't report for beans,--linows nothing about your institution or I thought it was a different meeting you were writing about.'.' And that is the story. He was a small-time man, not used to the workings of the press, his first year as mayor and green, as fresh, spring-grass cow dung. ' Few people really do understand what a reporter's job is. He or she must sit through a two or three-hour meeting and sift the wheat Dann the chaff. N obody in his/her right mind would read the minutes of a meeting or even an account of a meeting in chronological order. It is the reporter's job to,decide what is the important item from that meeting and use that in the —lead" paragraph of the story. People are busy:--If the reporter does not provide the reader with a real, 'ball-grabbing lead graph, the reader is not going to stay with the story. In fact, statistics reveal that 15 per cent of the readers leave the story after reading the headline; another 25 per cent of the readers leave the story after the second or third paragraph; another48 per cent leave if the story is turned to another page (called a "jump" story in the profession). So, it is up to the reporter •to get the most important item of that story in the top graph or two because too many readers skim the pages. A good lead graph keeps the reader interested in the rest of the• story. Now then: What the reporter chooses as the lead may not usually is not -- what you, as a participant in that meeting, consider the most important item. But the reporter's job is to write interesting stories, not promote the organization holding the meeting. Which is where the cheese gets a little more binding. You, as an executive member of an organization, for instance, may feel that the $3,000 cheque donated to the Society for the Prevention of .Cruelty to Spittoons is important. But the reporter feels that the big argument between the chairman• and the executive director about whether or not the director should take that trip to a convention inAcapulco is the most important item in the meeting. I mentioned a moment ago that the heading -- the headline -- on a story is read far more often than the story itself. Yet, in most lar ger newspapers; the reporter who covered the meeting has nothing to do with Writing the heading. 'He/she 'writes the story. The story goes to a deskman -- an editor -- and -that editor has the authority to chop hell out of that OM. ,;$ organization but has the power to make or • break the story. Sounds bad, doesn't it? But it really isn't. In too many cases, reporters get too dose to their sources and have trouble writing a headline that is completely objective. That's why the editor writes the head. It must also be , remembered that newspapers are a business. If too many readers skim too many stories, those readers will quit buying that paper. That's bad. Advertising rates are based on circulation. The more circulation you have, the more you can charge for advertising. .The more advertising you have, the more money you make. So, reporters must write stories that are interesting, informative and provocative. That is why the meeting you ,attended may appear distorted sometimes. • We scream about freedom of the, press. But: freedom of the press rests solely with the reporter, the editor and the managing editor. They make the decisions as to what is news and what is not. And I believe that is a good system. Reporters • and editors are trained professionals. That's why we have a Journalism program in our college. That is why, if you submit, some written copy to a newspaper, if it is a good newspaper, the story will be re-written by a competent reporter. Granted, sometimes -- too often, perhaps'-- an incompetent will rewrite -your story but this is a right -- a privilege -- maintained by newsmen. In recent years, most newspapers have become increasingly aware of thee fact that those great, unwashed thousands out there reading the deathless prose contained in the pages of the paper have something to say, too. Which is why letters -to-the-editor have become an important part - of most newspapers. But here again, the paper reserves the right to limit the number of words in a letter. Sp ace is at a premium, especially in these days of high newsprint costs. Make no mistake about it; if you have a letter, to the editor which should go in today's paper but a department store has an ad that is going to use that space, the department stare will get the nod. Can't think of much' more to say ... just attend some of the lectures in theJournalism program and get the true picture. Besides, I'm about to pour a long, tall cool one. Mae Hillebrecht who celebrated her Y ou're Invited Reports of the Ontario Horti- cultural Societies Convention held in Kitchener in June, will be given by Mrs. Robert Newnham and Mrs. Ethel Boyes-who were the official delegates from the local society. There is a possibilty that slides may also be shown. The meeting is to be held September 8 at 8 p.m. in the town hall. ** * ** * Members of the Seaforth Horti- cultural Society are asked to prepare now for the October 13 meeting. Each one is asked to take part in a plant, bulb or root barter. To be able to take something home, you Must bring something to exchange. Right now is a good time to take slips from geraniums, foliages, ivy , plants etc. that have grown too large or have been 'outside all summer. Put them to root in water, their plant themin any sort of container you don't mind parting• with and you may take something home in exchange. Those who might have surplus bulbs or roots, dahlias, gladiolus, iris etc. might like to exchange them for something also. The speaker for this October 13 meeting is to be from the Mitchell NUrsery. dt, Will send them the "Expositor" at any location in Canada 348-9951 Mitchell open Fri. Nights '0)1 Nine 1•006 sow.; moo:. toolko onoim 4.0* i—' 66fo, ilia* lid. *Om 4* NW* dow,"0.0. wner ..4666 galiie Brown Leather Tie with Nathan Sole 'Sizes 8 1/2 -4 Smyth's Shoe Store Brown Leather Strap' With Wedge Sole Mail Coupon Sta age shoes For Name Brand Shoes Properly Fitted at $myths . Shoes . We Have' a Full Range of Back to School FOotwear in ail sizes & widths Salted with and in safoly_, For tourist _and leisure relatO businesses it's time 10—talkefl a breath and wind down from hectic all day and half the night stuniner hours. All round, the week after LabOur Day signals a back to work and the serious business of ,veryday living. Now that we're getting back into the swing of things after the summer holidays, I have a serious suggestion for all of our readers aver 18 to contemplate. , Will you run for council in the December municipal elections? If you won't, will you urge someone who you think would do a good job for your community to run? Elections in Seaforth, and McKillop and Tuckersmith and Hibbert, and all the other municipalities in Ontario are only three months away. Now is the time for the complainers, and those who' have ideas and care about their communities' future Correction 4. are held at 1:30, not 2:30 as was retiorted in last week's Expositor. "to put their money Whet" their 11194.4 are and run for vloctiort. The, quality of government our legal-towns and towlit010 for the most '..p4rt, good.; Wp're lucky. But many councillors aren't running in December; they feel they've done their bit and most of them have contributed a,- lot. There will be many openings on local councils and capable people are needed. to run. But even if no one is retiring in your area, I think every citizen has a duty to make sure there's an election for every spot on every council or school board. Are we going to have government by acclamation or arrangement or by election? 'A sure indication that democracy Is working in Huron Countrwould be a good fighting election in every municipality. Will you do your bit to make that happen?' • • All my words about - holidays- being over not withstanding, I'm It's back to school next 'wgek. and that signifies a beginning for for. a WOO part of the popniatiOn of Seaford) and area; those under0 who still go. to school,' But it's a bit of a beginning for: the rest of us too. For me It's bad( to the inside the, house projects that I dismissed with, "I'm not going to-spend a sunny summer weekend doing that" away back in June, • For mothers who work at home it's back to the routine of having to get the kids out for school in time, and having a bit more time to themselves just because those kids go off to school. For most employees back to school means that vacation time is over for another year and they can start looking forward now to, and , more relevant, saving for, their 197'7 summer holidays. For farmers back to school is kind of a restless, anxious time as they watch those corn and bean fields and itch to get the"harvest Two people were wrongly identified in a photo in last week's Expositor t taken at the flower show. Brenda Sauvage and Lucy Bushie were in the photo with. Mabel Turnbull. Under another photo the names of John Nielsen and Steve Underwood were reversed. The Expositor apologizes for the errors. Huronview Auxiliary meetings Bill Austin wins ,$500 at Mildmay Bill Austin of Seaforth was the' winner of $500.00 at the Rotary Bingo in Mildmay last W ednes- day night. The pager that fol- lows the students to college Call 527-0240 Kids Leaving for College? 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