HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1977-03-09, Page 8So you're publicity chairman
Here's what to do
and necessary details, including
the full names and addresses of
local persons involved and any
identifying titles they may have.
You naturally will want every
story you give the editor to be as
accurate and impartial as though
it had been prepared by her own
reporter.
In fact, when you give a story to
the editor, you in effect become a
member of her reporting staff.
She can rely on you as a
dependable and discriminating
news source by publishing the
material you prepare, or she can
fire you as a reporter by tossing
your material into the
wastebasket.
Don't misinform her or make
mistakes that may appear in print
and reflect adversely on the
newspaper. She won't trust you a
second time.
Write it Hot
When it is physically possible,
the editor will want the news no
later than the day it happens. A
happening or event, that is days
old is generally no longer news, it
is history — and most
newspapers leave the writing of
history to the historians.
Much of the time y ou can give
your story to the editor before it
happens. For example, you know
well in advance that your group is
going to conduct a banquet or
hold an election of officers or
sponsor some other similar
activity. Always see to it that the
editor has this information at
least 48 hours prior to the event.
Once you've ,given her an
"advance" story, the editor will
expect a "cover" or account of
what happened at the event.
If, for some reason, the event
fails to take place it is your
responsibility to notify the editor
immediately. If she prints a story
announcing a meeting at a certain
place and a certain time, and on
that same day gets a call from a
reader stating that the meeting
did not take place, she is going to
have some choice comment about
the person who gave her the
story.
Avoiding Errors
If there were but one thing the
editors the country over had in
common, it would be an
insistence on accuracy. Stories
written in long hand invite errors.
if it's impossible for you to type
your story, print all names, and
make certain your penmanship
leaves no room for doubt in the
editor's mind about the spelling
of any word in the story.
By following these basic rules
when preparing a news story, you
will go far in building prestige for
yourself in the mind of the editor:
1. Ty pe it double spaced on
one side only on 81/2 " x 11"
paper.
2. Leave ample (1 1/2 ")
margins, both right and left.
3. At the upper left hand
corner type your name, address
and phone number. This will
identify you as a news source, and
the editor will have no trouble
reaching you if she has any
questions about the story.
4. Start typing the actual story
about one-third of the way down
the page, and keep the story
short. Most of your stories should
be restricted to one page, If the
editor wants additional details,
she will ask for them.
Keep it Short
Rising costs of turning out any
newspaper make it imperative
that all stories be told in as few
words as possible.
You will soon find that it's a lot
more ftin to see a brief item,
giving all the essential
information, in print — than to
contemplate that beautiful, long
story that found its resting place
MARCH 94 1977
So, you've been elected
publicity chairman! If you're like
most of us outside the publishing
field, the first question you'll ask
is, "How do I get n ews about my
organization into the
newspaper?" And, like most of us
outside the publishing field,
you'll raise a skeptical eyebrow
when the president of your group
answers, "Just give the news to
the newspaper."
Well, the president has given
you a good definition of your job,
but like any other job, there's a
right way and a wrong way to do
it.
What is a Newspaper?
A newspaper is a business.
And the people who work on a
newspaper are no different from
those who staff any other
business, with the exception that
they are more pressed for time
than the majority of us. Most of
us are engaged in writing,
editing; and printing in a few
hours enough material to fill the
average 100,000-word novel.
Keeping in mind the pressures
under which newspaper people
must work will make your job
easier.
They deserve your respect, but
not necessarily your awe; they
will appreciate your brevity, but
not your curtness. Because it is a
profession where people on the
outside often seem to think they
know better how to do the job
than those on the inside,
newspaper people will appreciate
your gaining an understanding of
how they work and of the
standards they must meet.
The Editor
Fiction writers and motion
picture producers for years have
pictured editors as hard-drinking,
cynical rulers, of public opinion.
You will be happy to know that
the vast majority of them are
persons just like yourself, with
the same concern for their
community that mo:st of us have.
There is probably no other
single person in town who
knows more about what makes
the community tick — past,
present, and future — than the
editor of your local newspaper.
Nearly every significant act of
every citizen from birth notice to
obituary passes across her desk.
She knows that the life blood of
her paper is news and ...let's face
it, there has to be a reason why
wastebaskets in n ewspaper
offices are bigger than they are
any place else...she makes only
one decision about anything that'
is not news.
Good Ideas
It will surprise you how soon
you will begin to develop a news
sense, to know instinctively when
a happening is news and when it
isn't.
One of the best ways to develop
this sense is to study your
newspapers, notice the kind of
stories used, which ones go on the
front page, and those used in the
society and club columns.
Try to adopt a simple pattern
for writing your stories. Imitation
can aid you greatly in developing
skill in presenting the facts with a
minimum of effort and training.
Follow the style and construction
of articles that already have
appeared in your paper..
It might be helpful to cut out
examples of various types of
stories from the paper and follow
their pattern when a similar
situation arises for which you
must prepare a story.
Tell it Honestly!
The ABC of writing a news
story is to tell — who, why, what,
when, Where and how. After you
have written your story # check it
against the five w's and the h.
The editor wants all the facts
8—THE BRUSSELS POST;
in the wastebasket.
Avoid adjectives and the
glowing tributes, If it takes more
than a page to tell, better read the
story over carefully and do a little
editing of your own,
Advertising or News?.
An editor receives dozens,
sometimes hundreds, of publicity
stories each day, most of them
labeled "News".
Many of these march briskly
across her desk and into the
wastebasket because she
considers them an attempt to get
a free ad that should have been
bought and paid for. Stories
extolling the advantages of
certain commercial products, for
example.
A brief examination of the
subject matter of your story will
tell you whether to take it to the
editor or to the advertising
department.
Avoid the Needle
It can be a temptation, when
handing a story to the editor, to
casually mention that brother
John, a big advertiser, thought
the editor ' would be deepy
interested. If you succumb to this
temptation, you won't be adding
sunshine -to the editor's day.
Further, most papers draw a
sharp line between the
advertising and editorial
departments.
Huron County COutitil was told
last Thursday that its Social
SetViCe. Committee was presently
considering entering into an.
agreement With Pinectest Manor
Limited at Lucknow to establish a
hostel which would provide
accommodation to psychiatric
patients 'requiring services over
and above ordinary room and
board,
It was explained, that As.
patients are released from the
Psychiatric- Unit of the Alexandra
Marine and detieral Hospital
Advertising pull will do little to
influence an editor regarding the
merits of a story. Chances are
she'll react adversely to pressure
of any kind.
Names, Names, Nanies
In each issue of a national news
magazine, there appears over one
column this comment: "Names
make news, This week these
names made this news."
People other than wife killers,
marijuana purveyors and bad
check writers, nearly always like
to see their names in print.
A person whose name appears
in the paper in a complimentary
way will buy, not one, but six
copies.
So it's well worth all the effort
that may be required to submit all
the names of the guests or
members or delegates or other
people involved. Sometimes it
isn't fitting to include full lists but
if in doubt, do it.
What about Pictures
First, study the paper to which
you plan to submit stories and
photographs.
Pictures for- the big photo-
graphic spreads usually are made
by the newspaper's own photo-
graphers.
On the other hand, the editor
might ask your organization to
take its own photos.
It is suggested that the
6ederich, they were often in
need of StiCh. accommodation,
Goderich Township Reeve
Gerry Ginn asked if this meant
that because the . Goderich
Psychiatric. Hospital 'had been
closed that costs were now
beginning- to fall back on the
county:,
John Ni1ckitition i. of the. county
gociat Serviets Department,:
explained that such 'was not really
the case as even when GPH WAS,
in operatiok accommodation WAs.
called for in Some •case's':
principals in any photograph be
as close together as possible,
almost crowded. Also, if possible,
unless it's not just a protrait, have
the principals doing something,
not just looking at the Camera,
This isn't alWays easy, but it can
be done.
Most of the time, you'll find it
to your advantage to call the
editor and ask her if she wants a
picture of your event.
Be sure to identify the people
as they appear in the photograph
from left to right. Type, their full
names on a slip of paper and
paste or tape it to the back of the
photo.
Don't type or write on the back
of the photograph or attach
anything with paper clips. These
practices bend and damage the
pring and result in bad reproduc•
tion of the photo.
New You're Set
We hope we haven't painted
the job of publicity chairman as
unbearable. Actually, if you can
bring to bear equal protions of
patience and persistence, you will
soon find you are making
pleasant stimulating contacts,
performing a worthwhile service,
and finding new enjoyment. So
here's happy news hounding from
....Occidential Life Insurance
Company of California.
He also informed council that
no dedision has been made at this
time but that a recommendation
in this connection Would likely be
made to council at a later date.
The Social Services Commitee
recommendation that the 1977
rate of $12:06 per visit as
requested by the Victorian Order
Of Nurses, be accepted was given
council approval,
That rate increase is still
subject to the approval of the
Ministry of Cottuntinity and Social
ServiCes hewever.
FIRST YOU TIE THEM ON — Sheila Ridhards showed some of the young Brussels
Brownies how to put on their snow shoes in a session at BPS. (Photo by Langlois)
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