News Writing Part 18

=6. Paragraph Indention.=--All paragraphs, including the first, should be indented an inch, irrespective of where the preceding paragraph has ended, and should be marked with the paragraph sign, a rectangle (=L=) placed before the first word. If two paragraphs have been run together thoughtlessly and it is necessary to separate them, insert the paragraph symbol (--) immediately before the word beginning the new paragraph and write the same symbol in the margin. If the paragraph completes the page, a paragraph sign also should be put at the end, to indicate to the compositor that he may conclude his "take" with a broken line. No other lines than the first lines of paragraphs--quotations and summaries of course excepted--should be indented.

=7. Consolidation of Paragraphs.=--When it is necessary to consolidate two paragraphs that have been written separately, draw a line from the end of the first to the beginning of the second and mark _No_ -- in the margin. Use the same method when several lines or sentences have been canceled and the matter is meant to be continuous. Or when a new sentence has been indented unnecessarily, no paragraph being needed, draw a line from the first word to the left margin and mark _No_ -- there. If a sentence ends at the foot of a sheet, but the paragraph continues on the next page, draw a diagonal line from the last word to the right corner at the foot of the page, and on the next sheet draw a diagonal line from the upper left corner to the first word of the new sentence. These lines indicate to the compositor that any "take" ending with the first page or beginning with the second is not complete and may not conclude with a broken line or begin with an indented one.

=8. Crowded Lines.=--Do not crowd lines together. When the copy is typewritten, adjust the machine to make triple s.p.a.ces between lines.

When it is necessary to write the copy in longhand, leave a quarter-inch s.p.a.ce between lines. Crowded lines saddle much extra trouble upon copy-readers, compelling them to cut and paste many times to make necessary corrections. Exception to the rule against crowded lines is made only when one has a paragraph a trifle too long for a page. It is better to crowd the last lines of a page a trifle than to run two or three words of a paragraph over to a new page.

=9. The Pages.=--If a paragraph would normally begin on the last line of a page, leave the line blank and start the new paragraph on a fresh sheet of paper. One may not write on more than one side of a sheet, not even if there are only two or three words to go on the next page. In the offices of the big dailies each sheet is cut into takes, numbered consecutively, and sent to as many different compositors. Irremediable confusion would be caused for a foreman who tried to handle copy written on both sides, for each take would contain a part of some other compositor's copy. The new page, too, should be numbered at the top with an arabic, not a roman, numeral. And in order to prevent the figure from being mistaken for a part of the article, it should be enclosed in a circle.

=10. Insertions.=--The reporter should make as few corrections as possible. But where any considerable addition or insertion is found necessary on a page, instead of writing the addition in the margin or on a separate sheet, cut the page and paste in the addition. The sheet may be made the same length as its fellows by folding the lower edge forward upon the written page. If it is folded backward, the fold is liable to be unnoticed, and therefore may cause confusion.

=11. "Add Stories."=--When a story is incomplete, either by reason of the end of the page being reached or because all the story is not yet in, write the word _More_ in a circle at the foot of the page, the purpose of the circle being to prevent the compositor from mistaking the word for a part of the story. "Add" stories,--stories that follow others already written or in type,--are marked with the catch line and the number of the addition. Thus the first addition to a story about a saloon robbery would be marked, "Add 1, Saloon Robbery"; and the second would be, "Add 2, Saloon Robbery." An insert into the story would be slugged, "Insert A, Saloon Robbery"; and the precise place of the insert would be indicated at the top of the inserted page: "Insert after first paragraph of lead, Saloon Robbery." Such directions are always enclosed in rings so that the compositor may not set them in the story.

=12. Ill.u.s.trations, Clippings.=--If cuts or ill.u.s.trations are to be printed with the copy, indicate as nearly as possible where they will appear in the printed story by "Turn rule for cut." That says to the compositor, "Make in the proofs a black ruled line for later insertion of a cut." The make-up editor may change the position of the cut to obtain a better balance of ill.u.s.trations on the page or to avoid putting the picture where the paper will fold, but the direction will be worth while as an aid in placing the ill.u.s.tration accurately. Clippings included in the story should be pasted in the copy. Pins and clips slip easily and may cause loss of the clipping.

=13. Underscoring.=--Underscore once for _italics_, twice for SMALL CAPITALS, and three times for CAPITALS. Use wave-line underscoring to indicate =display type=. Many newspapers have abandoned italic type and small capitals altogether, because their linotype machines carry only two kinds of type, and black-face type is needed for headlines, etc.

Because of this, where one formerly might underscore a word for emphasis, it is necessary now to reword the sentence altogether.

=14. Corrections.=--When it is necessary to strike out letters or words from copy, run the pen or pencil through them and draw a line between those to be set up together. Do not enclose in parentheses words to be erased. A printer will not omit, but will set up in type, parentheses and everything enclosed within them. When a letter or word has been wrongly stricken out, it may be restored by making a series of dots immediately beneath and writing the word _stet_ in the margin. Two letters, words, or phrases that one wishes transposed may be so indicated by drawing a continuous line over the first and under the second and writing _tr_ in the margin. A capital letter that should be a small letter may be so indicated by drawing a line downward from right to left through the letter. Because of the haste frequently necessary in writing copy, it has become a trick of the trade to enclose within a circle an abbreviation, a figure, or an ampersand that the writer desires the printer to spell out in full. Do not "ring" a figure or a number, however, without being sure it should be spelled out. It is much easier for a copy-reader to ring a number that needs to be spelled out than to erase an unnecessary circle. If it is necessary to have the printer set up slangy, misspelled, or improperly capitalized words, or ungrammatical or poorly punctuated sentences, put in the margin, _Follow Copy_. For ill.u.s.trations of these corrections, the reader may examine the specimen proof sheet on page 276.

=15. The End.=--Mark the completion of the story with an end mark, a #, or the figure _30_ in a circle, the telegrapher's sign indicating the end of a day or a night report. Then read carefully every page of the copy, correcting every error, no matter how slight. Finally, give it to the city editor, unfolded if possible, but never rolled. If it is inconvenient to keep the pages flat, they may be folded lengthwise.

Folding crosswise makes the copy inconvenient to handle. The sheets should not be pinned together. The pin betrays the novice.

=16. The Story in Type.=--A reporter should read his story with painstaking care after it has appeared in print, to detect any errors that may have crept into it since it left his hands and to note what changes have been made at the city desk. It is told of a reporter, now a star man on a leading New York daily, that he used to keep carbon copies of all his stories and compare them word for word with the articles as they appeared in the paper. Only in this way can a writer change his style for the better and learn what is expected of him.

II. PUNCTUATION

=17. Rules.=--While every well-regulated newspaper has rules of its own governing the use of capital letters, commas, dashes, parentheses, and other marks of punctuation, and any article written by a reporter will be punctuated according to the individual style of the paper in which it is printed, no matter how it may have been punctuated originally, it is nevertheless worth while to offer the following general rules of punctuation for the guidance of news writers. And it would be well for every properly trained journalist to have these rules well in hand; for in the eyes of the editor and the printer, bad punctuation is worse than bad spelling, because the meaning of a misspelled word usually can be deciphered, while that of an improperly punctuated sentence is often hopeless. For one, therefore, who hopes to do successful journalistic work a thorough knowledge of the following rules of punctuation is practically a necessity.

1. Capital Letters

=18. Proper Names.=--Capitalize all proper names. A proper name is one that designates a particular person, place, or thing. In particular:

=19. t.i.tles of Books, etc.=--Capitalize the first word and all the important words in the t.i.tles of books, newspapers, magazines, magazine articles, poems, plays, pictures, etc.: that is, the first word and all other words except articles, demonstratives, prepositions, conjunctions, auxiliary verbs, relative p.r.o.nouns, and other p.r.o.nouns in the possessive case. A _the_ preceding the t.i.tle of a newspaper or a magazine is regarded as part of the t.i.tle and is capitalized.

=Right.=--Two copies of _The Atlanta Const.i.tution_ were produced.

=20. Names and t.i.tles of the Deity.=--Capitalize names and t.i.tles of the Deity and of Jesus Christ.

=21. Names of the Bible.=--Capitalize names of the Bible and other sacred books, of the versions of the Bible, and of the books and divisions of the Bible and other sacred books. Do not capitalize adjectives derived from such names.

=Right.=--The _Koran_, the _Septuagint_, the _Old Testament_, _Psalms_; but _biblical_, _scriptural_, _apocryphal_.

=22. t.i.tles of Respect, Honor, Office, or Profession.=--Capitalize t.i.tles of respect, honor, n.o.bility, office, or profession when such t.i.tles immediately precede proper names. Do not capitalize such t.i.tles elsewhere in the sentence. The prefix _ex-_ before a t.i.tle is not capitalized and does not affect the capitalization of the t.i.tle.

=Right.=--The Rev. Samuel Plantz, President Wilson, ex-President Roosevelt, Senator Newlands.

=Right.=--The archbishop and the senator were in conference all the morning with Mr. Bryan, former secretary of state under President Wilson.

=23. Names Indicating Nationality or Locality.=--Capitalize names distinguis.h.i.+ng nationality or locality: as, _Yankee_, _Creole_, _Hoosier_, _Wolverines_.

=24. Names of Athletic Teams.=--Capitalize names of athletic teams: as, _Giants_, _Cubs_, _Badgers_, _Tigers_, _Maroons_.

=25. Festivals and Holidays.=--Begin the names of festivals and holidays with capital letters: as, _Easter_, _Thanksgiving_, _Christmas_, _Labor day_.

=26. Societies, Political Parties, etc.=--Write with capitals the names of clubs, secret societies, religious denominations, colleges, political parties, corporations, railroads, and organizations generally: as _Riverview Country club_, _Elks_, _Baptist church_, _Mills college_, _Republican party_, _Santa Fe railroad_, etc.

=27. Ordinal Numbers.=--Ordinal numbers used to denote sessions of congress, political divisions, and city wards are written with capital letters: as, _Sixty-second congress_, _Tenth precinct_, _Third ward_, etc.

=28. Names of Buildings, Squares, Parks, etc.=--Names of buildings, blocks, squares, parks, drives, etc., are capitalized: as, _Times building_, _Temple block_, _Yellowstone park_, _Sheridan road_, etc.

=29. Common Nouns Joined with Proper Names.=--Capitalize any common noun joined with a proper name and meaning the same thing, when the common noun precedes. Do not capitalize the common noun if it follows the proper name. Thus: _Columbia university_, _University of Chicago_, _First Presbyterian church_, _Church of the Savior_, _National Bank of North America_, _First National bank_, _Memorial day_, _Fourth of July_.

=30. Boards, Committees, Legislative Bodies, etc.=--Do not capitalize names of boards, bureaus, offices, departments, committees, legal, legislative, and political bodies, etc., when standing alone: as, _school board_, _weather bureau_, _war office_, _health department_, _nominating committee_, _a.s.sembly_, _state senate_, _lower house_, _city council_.

=31. Prefixes "von," "de," etc.=--Do not capitalize the prefixes _von_, _de_, _di_, _le_, _la_, etc., except when they begin a sentence: as, _Capt. von Papen_.

=32. Toasts.=--In toasts, capitalize all the important words in the phrase indicating the person, the place, or the cause to which the toast is made: as, "My Country--May it always be right; but, right or wrong, my country."

=33. Nouns Followed by Numerals.=--Do not capitalize a noun followed by a numeral indicating position, place, or order of sequence: as, _lot 14_, _block 3_; _article III_, _section 6_, _act v_, etc.

=34. Resolutions for Debate.=--In resolutions for debate, capitalize the _Resolved_ and the _That_ following.

=Right.=--_Resolved_, That Missouri should establish schedules of minimum wages for workmen, const.i.tutionality conceded.

2. The Period

=35. Roman Numerals.=--Omit the period after roman numerals: as, _Louis XIV of France_.

=36. Abbreviations.=--Place a period after abbreviated words and after single or double initial letters representing single words: as, _Wm._, _Thos._, _Ph.D._, _LL.D._, etc.

=37. Contractions.=--Do not put a period after contracted words, including nicknames: as, _Bill_, _Tom_, _can't_, _hadn't_, etc.

=38. Side-Heads.=--Put a period after side-heads, including figures at the beginning of a paragraph. Compare, for example, the period after _Side-Heads_ at the beginning of this paragraph.

3. The Colon

=39. Formal Quotations.=--A colon is used to introduce a formal quotation.

=Right.=--The author also makes this significant statement: "There is every reason to believe that this disease plays a larger part in the production of idiocy than has. .h.i.therto been admitted by writers on insanity."

=40. Formal Enumerations.=--In lists of the dead, injured, persons present, and similar enumerations of particulars, use a colon to introduce the series.

=Right.=--Only four patrons appeared in this morning's police matinee: Chip Owens, Allie McGowan, Alfonso Blas, and Nick Muskowitz.

=41. Time Indications.=--In time indications and records place a colon between hours and minutes, and minutes and seconds: as, _Gates open, 2:30_; _Time, 1:42_.

=42. General Usage.=--In general, use a colon after any word, phrase, or clause when that which follows explains or makes clear what precedes.