FOLLOW UP AND REWRITE STORIES
=News Possibilities.= The possibilities contained in a piece of news
are seldom completely exhausted by the first story published concerning
it. Causes, results, and significant phases many times cannot be
ascertained when the first story is written. New facts sometimes
develop from hour to hour, and very frequently from day to day. It is
the constant aim in newspaper making to give in each edition the latest
possible phase of every important event. Accordingly, news stories must
be rewritten or must be given new leads as often as the character of
the latest news warrants it. A story is worth rewriting or following up
as long as it is likely to be of interest to any considerable number of
readers.
Even when it is evident that the first story contains all the
significant facts and that additional details cannot be obtained, the
first story may, nevertheless, have sufficient interest to deserve a
rewriting by papers which have not as yet had an opportunity to publish
the news that it contains. A new feature is sought for in the first
story, and this feature, when played up in the rewritten story, gives
it a new turn. New significance, likewise, may be given to the event
in the rewritten story by looking at it from a different point of view
or by showing its relation to other events. Probable causes, possible
results, or striking coincidences may be “played up” as new features.
Often the next development can be anticipated to bring the rewrite up
to the time of going to press. Imagination is necessary for success as
a rewrite man, not in order to invent fictitious details, but to see
the event in all its relations and to select the most significant of
these for emphasis in rewriting.
Whether or not a story is worth “following up,” and how long it
shall be “followed up,” as well as whether or not a story is worth
rewriting, is determined by the newspaper man’s appreciation of news
values. Editors must be keen and accurate judges of popular interest in
current events to know when to continue to give space and prominence to
developments of a piece of news and when to drop it.
The division of the twenty-four-hour day between morning and evening
papers results in editors and reporters on papers of one of these
groups depending, to some extent, on those in the other for part of the
day’s round of news gathering. Consequently when the men on the evening
papers begin work early in the morning, they read with great care all
the morning papers, in order to find out what news has developed since
the last edition of their papers went to press on the preceding day.
The men on morning newspapers, likewise, scan every edition of the
evening papers in order to watch the course of events during the day.
This careful examination of newspapers is not confined to those of the
city; papers published in other cities of the state or of adjacent
states are gone over for any pieces of news that have local phases, or
“local ends.” The reading of all these newspapers furnishes the editors
with many stories that must be rewritten and brought up to the moment.
=Rewriting.= When news is to be rewritten without additional details,
the stories clipped from other papers are turned over to rewrite men
or to reporters to be put at once in a new form for publication. If
the editor desires more facts or later phases, he gives the clipping
to a reporter, who, taking the first story as a basis, proceeds to get
the desired additions before writing the new story. In either case the
first thing to do is to study carefully the first story to see what it
contains and what are its possibilities. Every bearing of the piece of
news on past, present, and future events must be carefully considered.
The importance of every possible relation should be weighed so that the
most timely and most interesting feature may be given due prominence.
Because of the rapid judgments on news values and the hurried writing
of news stories that newspaper making necessitates, the first story
may not bring out at all or may not give prominence to what is in
reality the most interesting aspect of the story, and it remains for
the man who is rewriting the story to take advantage of this neglected
opportunity. In his effort to tell all the details of the event itself,
the reporter who wrote the first story may not have considered ulterior
causes and motives or he may not have had time to see the event in its
relation to other events. With the perspective that a few hours often
gives, the rewrite man can judge more accurately of these elements and
in the rewritten story can give them the emphasis that they deserve.
In the rewriting of stories where no more facts are available, the
possibilities to be considered for the new lead are: (1) some feature
entirely overlooked by the writer of the first story, (2) some element
not given prominence in the first story, that may be made the feature,
(3) the next probable consequence or development, (4) some cause or
motive not suggested or emphasized in the first story, and (5) the
relation of the piece of news to some previous or coincident one.
The rewriting with no new facts but with a new feature played up in the
lead is illustrated in the following stories:
(1)
Lead in Evening Paper.
| After a week’s search of all the cities|
|of the state, the police found Mary|
|Sheldon, the twelve-year-old daughter|
|of Roswell Sheldon, millionaire paper|
|manufacturer of Wilton, at the Park|
|Hotel today where she has been living|
|for several days. She had informed|
|the clerk at the hotel on her arrival|
|Wednesday that she was waiting for her|
|mother who would arrive in a few days.|
|When asked by the police why she had|
|left home, she replied that she liked|
|to travel. |
(2)
Lead of Rewritten Story in Morning
Paper of Following Day.
| “I like to travel,” was the only|
|explanation offered by Mary Sheldon,|
|the twelve-year-old daughter of Roswell|
|Sheldon, millionaire owner of large|
|paper mills at Wilton, for running away|
|from home a week ago, and coming to|
|this city last Wednesday. She was found|
|by the police at the Park Hotel where|
|she told the clerk when she arrived|
|that she expected her mother to join|
|her in a day or two. |
(1)
Lead of First Story in Evening Paper.
| A giant hippopotamus, a cook, and the|
|ship’s crew, as principals, enacted for|
|2,000 passengers aboard the steamship|
|“President Lincoln” which arrived|
|here today from Hamburg, a “near sea|
|tragedy” last Tuesday when three days|
|out from Southampton. |
| |
| Otto Winkle, the fourth cook, was|
|sitting on the rail forward, dozing in|
|the sunshine. Just then from the nearby|
|cage of the hippo, consigned to the|
|zoo at Cincinnati and the largest ever|
|brought to America, came a tremendous|
|sneeze. The shock of the hippo’s sneeze|
|was too much for the somnolent cook who|
|unceremoniously toppled overboard and|
|in a moment was struggling in the wake|
|of the ship. A cry from some of the|
|passengers who saw the mishap resulted|
|in a boat’s being lowered, and the|
|cook’s being rescued. |
(2)
Lead of Rewrite Story in Morning
Paper on the Following Day.
| To be blown overboard in mid-ocean by|
|a hippopotamus’ sneeze was the fate|
|of Otto Winkle, fourth cook on the|
|President Lincoln, which arrived from|
|Hamburg yesterday with 2,000 witnesses|
|of the narrow escape of the assistant|
|chef. Prompt action in lowering a boat|
|saved the cook from drowning. The|
|big hippo, said to be the largest in|
|captivity in America, went on his way|
|to the Cincinnati zoological gardens|
|today without being aware of the|
|excitement that his sneeze had caused. |
=Anticipating News in Rewriting.= One of the simplest ways of bringing
a story up to the time of the edition in which it is to appear in
rewritten form, is to anticipate the probable result or the next
development. In the morning editions of evening papers, particularly,
much of the day’s news can be forecast and the news stories written
accordingly. Persons arrested during the evening and night, for
example, it is safe to say in advance, will have their cases considered
in the police court the next morning. Accordingly, the fact that a
person will be charged in court with his offense “this morning” rather
than the fact that he was arrested “last night,” constitutes the
feature of the first morning edition of the afternoon paper. Stories of
trials, conventions, investigations, legislative sessions, and other
events extending over a number of days or weeks can often be given a
new turn before anything new actually has been done by setting forth
in the lead what is to be done. The early morning resumption of a
search abandoned because of darkness the night before can be played
up in the rewritten story of a drowning, disappearance, or similar
occurrence. A midnight railroad wreck reported in a morning paper, it
is safe to say in the morning editions of the afternoon papers, will
be investigated by the railroad company and by inspectors of the state
railroad commission in order to fix the responsibility. Conjectures as
to his successor may be made a feature of a rewrite story following the
announcement of the resignation of a public official. To look forward
to what will happen is practically to give the news before it actually
happens, and this can frequently be done.
How without any additional facts the next development of a piece of
news may be anticipated and the time changed from “last night” to “this
morning” is shown by the rewritten leads following:
(1)
Lead of First Story in Morning Paper.
| Fire gutted the warehouse of the L. C.|
|Whitney Seed Company, 113 Canal Street,|
|shortly before midnight, causing a|
|loss of $75,000. Robert S. Wilber, a|
|night watchman employed by the firm,|
|was reported missing and is believed to|
|have lost his life in the fire. |
(2)
Lead of Rewritten Story in First
Morning Edition of Evening Paper.
| Firemen this morning are searching|
|the ruins of the L. C. Whitney Seed|
|Company, 113 Canal Street, for the body|
|of Nightwatchman Robert S. Wilber, 1913|
|3rd Street, who is believed to have|
|lost his life when the warehouse was|
|destroyed by fire last night. The loss|
|was $75,000. |
(1)
Lead of First Story in Morning Paper.
| As a result of an altercation with a|
|taxi-cab driver, Harold S. Parkins,|
|broker, 17 Hoosac Building, was|
|arrested last night in front of the|
|City Club of which he is a member,|
|charged by William Works, the driver,|
|with assaulting him when he attempted|
|to get the amount of his fare. |
(2)
Lead of Rewritten Story in First
Morning Edition of Evening Paper.
| Harold S. Parkins, a broker with|
|offices in the Hoosac Building, will|
|answer in the police court this morning|
|to the charge of assault and battery|
|preferred by William Works, a taxi|
|driver, with whom he got into a dispute|
|last night over the amount of the fare,|
|in front of the City Club, of which|
|Parkins is a member. |
=Finding the Relation of Events.= What seemed a single and isolated
event when the first story was written may be seen to be part of
a series of similar or related events by the time the story is to
be rewritten, and this fact can be used as a new, interesting, and
important phase of the rewritten story. Several burglaries, as
reported in the morning papers, may be found to have some peculiar
details in common, and this fact may give rise to the conjecture, as
the feature of the rewritten story, that they were the work of the same
burglars. A local storm story when rewritten may have as a feature the
extent of the storm as shown by telegraph stories received after the
first story was written. A fire, the origin of which was unknown when
the first story was written, may be connected with other recent fires
that broke out under similar conditions, and the probability of all of
them being the work of a “firebug” may be pointed out in the rewritten
story. By seeking relations between events, the newspaper worker often
finds important features for stories to be rewritten.
=“Follow-up” Stories.= In “follow-up” stories the gathering of new
details is the first step necessary to rewriting. Not infrequently the
latest details can be obtained by telephone, and the “follow-up” story
can be written in the office in as short a time as a rewrite story that
requires no additional facts. The condition of a victim of an accident,
for example, may be ascertained by telephoning to his home or to the
hospital where he was taken, and the facts thus obtained may be put at
the very beginning of the “follow-up” story. More often the reporter
must go out to get the latest developments of the event, just as he
would for a first story. However obtained, the new particulars are the
important ones to be emphasized in the lead.
Some of the different directions in which a story may be “followed
up” are similar to those suggested for rewrite stories; they are: (1)
causes and motives other than those given in the first story if these
are uncertain or inadequate, (2) results and consequences of the first
piece of news, (3) interviews with prominent persons in regard to
the event and its significance, (4) clues to the identity of unknown
persons or to the unknown whereabouts of those who figured in the first
news story.
Popular interest in the causes of fires, accidents, and disasters
generally, make such causes good “second day” features when the
explanation given in the first story is insufficient or unsatisfactory.
Motives for crimes or for any significant action are to be sought
for by the reporter. The important question always to be asked in
connection with practically every piece of news is, Why? Every result
of an event has new possibilities and should be “followed up.” In
stories of crime the identity of the culprit and his whereabouts, if
not given in the first story, are, of course, of great news value for
a “second day” story. Finally, the opinions of those concerned or in
any way interested in the event, as obtained by interviews, make good
material for stories following the first one.
In writing the lead of a “follow-up” story the reporter must not fail
to give as many of the essential elements of the first story as are
necessary to make the new details intelligible to those who did not
read the first story, and to recall the main facts to the minds of
those who did read it. This explanatory material is made subordinate to
the latest particulars, but cannot well be omitted.
The way in which a story is “followed up” from hour to hour and from
day to day by “featuring” the latest news and reporting in slightly
varied form the same essential details, is made evident in the
following leads of a railroad wreck, the developments of which had news
value for two days.
(1)
Lead of Story in First Morning
Edition of Evening Paper.
| Cincinnati, O., Nov. 13.—Two men are|
|known to have been killed and a score|
|or more injured when a Cincinnati, Lake|
|Huron and Western passenger train bound|
|from Cleveland crashed into a freight|
|on a siding at Wilmington at 6:30 this|
|morning. |
(2)
Lead of Story in Noon Edition of
Same Paper.
| Cincinnati, O., Nov. 13.—Fourteen|
|persons were killed and twenty more|
|were injured when a Cincinnati, Lake|
|Huron and Western passenger train|
|running between Cleveland and this city|
|crashed head-on into a standing freight|
|in an open switch at Wilmington, a|
|suburb of Cincinnati, early today. |
(3)
Lead of Story in Last Afternoon
Edition of Same Paper.
| Cincinnati, O., Nov. 13.—Failure of|
|the head brakeman to close the switch,|
|according to his own confession late|
|today, was the cause of the head-on|
|collision between a passenger train|
|and a freight train on the Cincinnati,|
|Lake Huron and Western railroad at|
|Wilmington, a suburb of Cincinnati,|
|early this morning, in which fifteen|
|lives were lost, and a score or more|
|passengers seriously injured. |
(4)
Lead of Story in Morning Paper
of the Following Day.
| Cincinnati, O., Nov. 13.—Delay in|
|installing a block system as ordered|
|three months ago by the railroad|
|commission of the state, in the|
|opinion of the inspectors of that body|
|resulted in the disastrous wreck on|
|the Cincinnati, Lake Huron, and Western|
|railroad at Wilmington, a suburb of|
|Cincinnati, early this morning, when|
|fifteen persons lost their lives and|
|fifteen others were seriously injured.|
| |
| The wreck was caused by the failure|
|of the head brakeman on the freight,|
|Otto Hansen, to close the switch to the|
|siding. [etc.] |
(5)
Lead of Story in Evening Paper on
Second Day.
| Cincinnati, O., Nov. 14.—Three separate|
|investigations were begun today into|
|the cause of the Wilmington wreck on|
|the Cincinnati, Lake Huron and Western|
|railroad, which killed fifteen and|
|severely injured as many more, with|
|a view to fixing the blame on those|
|responsible and to punishing them. The|
|Williams County grand jury under order|
|of Judge Hanty began to investigate the|
|wreck, while Coroner Hardy and District|
|Attorney Collum worked on the matter|
|independently. |
Lack of important additions to facts in the first story often makes the
lead of the “follow-up” story less striking in new features than those
given above, but the very absence of new facts in itself has some news
value, as is shown by the two following leads:
(1)
Lead of Story in Evening Paper.
| When Mrs. Herman Hansen, Hampshire|
|Apartments, widow of a former director|
|of the so-called “bread trust,”|
|unlocked her bedroom door early this|
|morning in answer to a plea “the baby|
|is dying,” she was faced by a masked|
|burglar, who pointed a revolver at her.|
|She had supposed that the voice was|
|that of her son and that his child was|
|very ill. |
| |
| The burglar searched all over the|
|house for jewelry, but failed to find|
|anything of value, as the diamonds|
|owned by Mrs. Hansen were in a safety|
|deposit vault. Her companion, Miss|
|Ida Schnell, a trained nurse, was|
|threatened with death by the burglar,|
|who later made his escape. |
| |
| It is believed that the burglar had|
|gained admittance to the apartment|
|early in the evening and had concealed|
|himself until after the family had|
|retired. |
(2)
Lead of Story in Next Morning’s
Paper.
| The identity of the burglar who after|
|concealing himself for hours in the|
|home of Mrs. Herman Hansen, Hampshire|
|Apartments, entered her room early|
|yesterday morning and at the point of|
|a revolver demanded money and jewels,|
|remains a mystery, according to the|
|police. |
| |
| There is not a clew to the identity|
|or whereabouts of the marauder and as|
|he had covered his entire face and|
|head with a black mask similar to that|
|placed on a condemned man, neither|
|Mrs. Hansen nor Miss Ida Schnell, her|
|companion, could give an adequate|
|description of his face. He had also|
|turned his coat inside out, giving it|
|the appearance of being ragged. |
| |
| A report that one of the servants|
|was suspected of being in league|
|with the burglar and that she gave|
|him entrance during the daytime, was|
|denied by both Police Captain Sullivan|
|and Henry Hansen, a son. Mr. Hansen|
|visited police headquarters last night|
|to inquire whether any clews had been|
|found. |
=“Boiling Down” News to One Paragraph.= For some stories the rewriting
consists of “boiling down the news” to a sentence or two containing the
essential facts, in order that they may be used as “fillers” or may
be grouped with similar short items under general headings, such as
“Sparks From the Wires,” “Telegraph Ticks,” “City News In Brief,” “Told
In Brief,” “State News.” Local news stories of this type are rewritten
from other city papers, and state news is often rewritten from daily
and weekly papers received in exchange and known as “state exchanges.”
Some of the news associations furnish brief stories of this kind which
may be grouped under one head or which may be used as “fillers.” A
single cross-line head, or a side head, is often put on these short
“items” by the man who rewrites them. Examples of rewritten stories of
this kind follow:
(1)
First Story in Evening Paper.
| Three boys, Joseph Dant, 19; Charles|
|Herrig, 19; and Oscar Kellin, 19;|
|were brought into district court this|
|morning for tearing up small trees|
|recently planted on Hartford Avenue.|
|The boys attended a dance Saturday|
|night and on their way home, according|
|to the testimony of Patrolman Higgins,|
|destroyed the trees. |
| |
| “You are each fined $10 and costs,”|
|said Judge Bellows. “You boys deserve|
|even more severe punishment. There|
|would be slight encouragement for|
|people to beautify their homes, were|
|boys like you allowed to go unpunished.”|
(2)
Rewritten Story and Head in Next
Morning’s Paper.
THEY PULLED UP TREES.
| After Patrolman Higgins had testified|
|that he found them pulling up young|
|trees on Hartford Avenue Saturday|
|night, Joseph Dant, Charles Herrig, and|
|Oscar Kellin, each 19 years old, were|
|fined $10 and costs in District Court|
|on Monday. |
(1)
First Story in Evening Paper.
| Amelia Minkle, 19, 656 Second St., was|
|run down and injured by an automobile|
|driven by Mrs. H. M. Greene, 931|
|Hillside Ave., at 7 o’clock this|
|morning at Eleventh and National|
|Avenues. The girl was on her way to|
|work. She alighted from a car and|
|started to cross the street when the|
|automobile turning the corner struck|
|her and knocked her to the pavement.|
|Mrs. Greene stopped her machine and|
|called the police ambulance. The girl|
|was removed to the Emergency Hospital.|
|Although painful, her injuries are not|
|serious. |
(2)
Rewritten Story and Head in Next
Morning’s Paper.
| GIRL HURT BY AUTO—While crossing|
|Eleventh Avenue on her way to work|
|Monday morning, Amelia Minkle, 19, 656|
|Second street, was knocked down and|
|slightly injured by an automobile owned|
|and driven by Mrs. H. M. Greene, 931|
|Hillside Avenue. |
SUGGESTIONS
1. Read all the local papers every day before beginning your work.
2. Remember that few first stories exhaust all the news possibilities.
3. Follow up every story as long as indications point to new and
interesting developments.
4. Look for ulterior causes and motives as new phases.
5. Look forward for new features to possible results and consequences.
6. Get interviews with persons of prominence and authority on all
important events, as new features.
7. Look at the event from a new angle before beginning your rewrite
story.
8. Play up the latest possible phase of the news in the lead.
9. Find a new feature to play up in rewriting when you have no more
facts.
10. Anticipate the next development of the event in beginning the lead
of your rewrite story.
11. Bring the rewritten story “up to the minute” by giving prominence
to features of “to-day.”
PRACTICE WORK
1. Rewrite the following story, putting the unusual feature at the
beginning of the story.
Samuel J. Willsie, an insurance broker living at 1991 Riverside
Drive, did not appear in the City Court yesterday for examination
in the supplementary proceedings in a suit over a loan of $200, and
Hein & Krug of 281 Broadway, the attorneys who obtained the order,
concluded that Mr. Willsie didn’t feel that he had been properly
served.
The lawyers had turned the order over to Samuel Greenman, a process
server of 188 East Ninety-Eighth Street. After trying to serve the
order without success he finally notified the lawyers that he had
seen Mr. Willsie sitting at his window in the Riverside Drive house
one night and that he had tied a copy of the order to a brick and
thrown the brick into the window, hitting Mr. Willsie with it. The
process server said that when Mr. Willsie picked up the paper and
looked at it he, the process server, immediately read the original to
Mr. Willsie at long distance and said “You’re served.”
Mr. Willsie said yesterday that no attempt, so far as he knew, had
been made to serve the order on him, and that he could be found at
his office every day. He said that while he and his family were at
dinner one night something landed on the floor of the room by way
of an open window. His son, he said, went in to see what it was and
threw the stone back into the street. The boy told his father the
object was a stone wrapped in a piece of paper. That was all Mr.
Willsie knew of the alleged “service.”
2. In rewriting this story, summarize the essential facts in the
opening sentence.
When a Third avenue elevated train reached the 166th street station
late yesterday afternoon the guards announced that the next stop
would be 177th street, the intervening stations being skipped.
At once there was a rush for the platform, which was already full of
people, and by the time the train was ready to go on, men and women
were jammed tight against the cars. The conductor was warned not to
start the train, but he pulled the bell and the moving cars rolled
the front row of those on the platform along with it. Six panes of
glass were broken and fully a dozen persons cut or bruised.
Six men who had been injured went to the Morrisania police station
and made a complaint. They were R. Nothstein, a clerk of 451 East
171st street; Frank Schwartz, a mechanic living at 415 East 176th
street; John Hurley, an engineer of 5415 Third avenue; William Balk,
a clerk of 3661 Third avenue, Charles Wold, of 1695 Franklin avenue;
and Thomas O’Brien of 341 West 167th street.
The police set out to find the conductor who started the train, but
as none of the complainants had taken his number, they were still
hunting for him last night.
3. Improve the lead of the following story by playing up a better
feature.
Interstate Commerce Commissioner Clark, in a statement issued today
in connection with the numerous wrecks on railroads in the United
States, said that conditions are deplorable.
“Most of the wrecks,” he said, “may be put in the class of avoidable
accidents. Poor rails, speed craze, and human negligence are the
causes.”
Mr. Clark declared that the commission is powerless to prescribe
adequate regulations to prevent wrecks, and that, though its
recommendations have been generally observed, they cannot be
enforced. He intimated that Congress should give the commission more
power to compel railroads to observe safety rules which are deemed
necessary from the commission’s many investigations.
4. Give this story an entirely different lead without beginning with a
summary.
Julius R. Wein literally sang himself into matrimony, and then sang
himself into a jail cell. The dulcet tones of his tenor voice won him
a bride and also caused his arrest on a charge of forgery.
A few months ago Wein, under the name of Jule LeGrande, was singing
in theatres in Chicago. Among others who admired his singing was Miss
Winnie Riley who characterized his singing as “divine.” So much was
Miss Riley attracted to the voice that she consented to marry its
owner. After the ceremony the two rented apartments at 1961 Western
Avenue. As before, the husband continued to sing in local theatres.
After a few weeks the young wife decided that vaudeville did not
offer sufficient opportunity and requested Wein to seek employment
in the field of business. He sought for and obtained a position as
cashier for the Universal Furniture Company at 1032 16th Street.
The salary of a young cashier was not so large as that he was
accustomed to earn as a singer, so Wein is said to have forged checks
amounting to more than $1,200, signing the name of the firm by which
he was employed.
Detectives who sought his arrest determined to use the voice which
had won Wein’s bride as a “bait” to cause his arrest.
The following advertisement was inserted in papers throughout the
United States:
FOR SALE—A Moving Picture Theatre, cheap. Can be operated to great
advantage by man or woman who is good singer and entertainer.
Three days ago an answer was received from Wintonville, Miss.
The writer signed his name as W. R. Reinhard. The handwriting
was recognized by experts as that of Wein, and the young man was
yesterday arrested by operatives of the Pinkerton Detective Agency
in the Mississippi city. Both Wein and his wife will be brought to
Chicago tomorrow.