CHAPTER VIII

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[Pg 198] 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[Pg 204] 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.[Pg 205]

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[Pg 207] 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

Read all the local papers every day before beginning your work.
Remember that few first stories exhaust all the news possibilities.
Follow up every story as long as indications point to new and interesting developments.
Look for ulterior causes and motives as new phases.
Look forward for new features to possible results and consequences.
Get interviews with persons of prominence and authority on all important events, as new features.
Look at the event from a new angle before beginning your rewrite story.
Play up the latest possible phase of the news in the lead.
Find a new feature to play up in rewriting when you have no more facts.
Anticipate the next development of the event in beginning the lead of your rewrite story.
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.

[Pg 210]

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.