.- "0 3.. .‘t .g '...|,_, I?!"I’If:§;‘_.§*§fi§§g"m .~ - 39::{assiswnnvtw NEWSROOM OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THREE MICHIGAN NEWSPAPERS Thesis for the Degree of M. A. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY EDWARD CLEARY HUTCHISON 1971 ABSTRACT NEWSROOM OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THREE MICHIGAN NEWSPAPERS By Edward Cleary Hutchison Little has been written in professional journals about the newsroom organization and practices of American daily newspapers. That is, the nature of the jobs involved in reporting and editing the news of a community and how those in the newsroom go about their duties. This study examines the jobs of the forty-one persons Who report and edit the news of Saginaw, Michigan, for the §aginaw News. It is not a content analysis, but rather a description of their work. The study explores some seemingly simplistic topics, such as hours worked in the News office versus hours spent working at home. It also touches some areas with deeper meaning and implications, such as reporters' percep- tion of the origin of story copy. Simply, do reporters think they are digging for stories or do they merely settle for the routine, the expected job of reporting? What do their superiors say about their work? To better understand the operation and management of the News, two other Edward Cleary Hutchison newspapers were studied, the Lansing State Journal and the Detroit Free Press. They were included to determine if newsroom organization was different for reasons other than differences in circulation. Each News editor, reporter, copy editor, photogra- pher and others with an involvement in newsroom Operations was interviewed. Also interviewed were the managing editors of the State Journal and the Free Press. It was found that newsroom operation and management of the News and the State Journal were remarkably similar, much of which is attributed to similarity in circulation. The Free Press organization differed dramatically, particularly in city desk operations Although circulation differences play a significant role in these differences, the Free Press city desk organization is dominated by management and news philosophies not readily apparent in the other two newspapers studied. The bulk of this study is concerned with the Saginaw News, where the reporting staff, particularly, is young, college-educated and inexperienced. It was found that reporters receive minimal supervision, despite their inexperience. But they also reported that this freedom was appreciated. And they saw few traditions or persons often accorded preferential news treatment that stood in their performance of quality reporting. This is a study of a newsroom in transition. When research was conducted, most reporters had been on their assignment about three months. Accepted by the faculty of the School of Journalism, College of Communication Arts, Michigan State University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts degree. NEWSROOM OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THREE MICHIGAN NEWSPAPERS By Edward Cleary Hutchison A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS School of Journalism l97l Copyright by Edward Cleary Hutchison 1971 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many friends have been of great aid and comfort to me in the nine months of my life that this study has so thoroughly filled. I am particularly grateful to my family for their understanding and concern during the long months. My academic and thesis advisor, Dr. George A. Hough, 3rd, deserves much credit for his long hours in reading and editing the work of an amateur scholar. I thank also Dr. W. Cameron Meyers for his early encourage- ment in my undergraduate and then graduate years at Mich- igan State University. Special thanks are due Mrs. Nancy Kless and Edward W. Miller for their tireless and careful editing of the text and to my sister, Judy Hutchison, for many hours of typing and retyping. I am also indebted to the editors and reporters of the Saginaw News, the Detroit Free Press and the Lansing State Journal for their many hours of time, often under deadline pressure, and for their suggestions, all of which have made this study possible. Thank you all. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES LIST OF FIGURES INTRODUCTION . Chapter 1. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE II. THE PRESS IN SAGINAW: PRESENT AND PAST . III. ORGANIZATION OF THE SAGINAW NEWS . . . IV. THE CITY DESK . V. AREA, WOMEN'S AND SPORTS DESKS . . VI. THE COPY DESK AND "VALLEY" AND "WOODS AND WATERS" MAGAZINES . . . VII. MISCELLANEOUS DEPARTMENTS OF THE SAGINAW NEWS VIII. COMPARISON OF THE SAGINAW NEWS WITH THE DETROIT FREE PRESS AND LANSING STATE JOURNAL, CONCLUSIONS . APPENDICES APPENDIX I: QUESTIONNAIRE USED IN INTERVIEWING . APPENDIX 11. DAILY BEAT REPORT AND PHOTOGRAPH ASSIGN- MENT FORMS . . iv vi viii 16 30 41 75 108 128 I63 I74 APPENDIX III. NEWSROOM LAYOUT OF THE SAGINAW NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I76 BIBLIOGRAPHY Table IO. LIST OF TABLES The Sa inaw News Circulation and Popu ation of Saginaw and Saginaw County, 1930 to l970 Number of Pages and Columns of News and Advertising Printed, l936 to 1970 . . Assignment, Experience and Educational Background of Saginaw News Editors Assignment, Experience and Educational Background of Reporters Assigned to the City Desk of the Saginaw News Sgginaw News City Desk Budget: Comparison with Total News Ho e . . . . . . . Hours worked at the News Office Daily and Percentages of Work Accomplished There by City Desk Reporters . Number of News Sources Contacted Daily by City Desk Reporters Experience, Assignment and Data on Origin of Copy Written by Reporters Assigned to the City Desk of the Saginaw News Team Composition of Reporters Assigned to the Saginaw News City Desk . . . . . . . Assignment, Experience and Educa- tional Background of Personnel Assigned to the Area Desk of the Saginaw News . . . . . . . vi Page 27 29 33 43 45 55 57 67 73 77 Table ll. Experience, Assignment and Data on Origin of Copy Written by Reporters Assigned so the Area Desk of the Saginaw ews . l2. Assignment, Experience and Educa- tional Background of Personnel Assigned to the Women's Deak of the Sgginaw News . . . . 13. Sa inaw News Women's Desk Budget: gom mparison with Total News Hole 14. Experience, Assignment and Data on Origin of Capy Written by Reporters Assigned to the Women Desk of the Sgginaw News 15. Assignment, Experience and Educa- tional Background of Reporters and Editors Assigned to the Sports Desk of the Saginaw News l6. Saginaw News Sports Desk Budget: omparison with Total News Hole l7. Experience, Assignment and Data on Origin of Copy Written by Reporters Assigned to the Sports Desk of the Saginaw News . 18. Assignment, Experience and Educa- tional Background of Personnel Assigned to the Copy Desk of the __ginaw News . . l9. Assignment, Experience and Educa- tional Background of Personnel Assigned to the Photography Department of the Saginaw News . — m 0 Page 81 87 89 93 96 98 103 110 . 131 Figure LIST OF FIGURES Newsroom Organization of the Saginaw News Newsroom Organization of the Detroit Free Press Newsroom Organization of the Lansing State Journal Newsroom Layou News . t of the Saginaw viii Page 32 147 158 176 INTRODUCTION The press, like any other institution, comes under great criticism from those who do not fully compre- hend the intricacies of the Fourth Estate. Even those within the press, and supposedly knowledgeable about its operations, find much amiss. Much of the criticism in- volves the content of the daily news package. Critics claim too much is left out, the wrong emphasis used, a fact misplaced; simply, that the press does not "tell it like it is." Some of this misunderstanding could be re- solved if the news gathering operations of the newspaper were better understood. This study, then, is an attempt to clear away some of the mystery. The study examines the newsroom operation and management of three Michigan daily newspapers, the Saginaw Ngggg the Lansing State Journal and the Detroit Free Press. The Sgginaw News will be studied the most extensively of the three for several reasons. In terms of circulation and geographical area covered by its news staff, the N31; is representative of the newspapers serving Michigan readers. Although the State Journal is an evening newspaper and in the same circulation class as the News, it must cover news t 3. of state government as well as local news because of its location in the state capital. The State Journal, then, is somewhat atypical of Michigan newspapers. The Free Press is not typical either. It is a metropolitan morn- ing newspaper with a large circulation outside Wayne County.1 Another reason for choosing the Ngw§_for fuller examination is that the author has worked two summers as a reporter for the N213 and is familiar with its opera- tions. I In attempting to clear away some of the mystery of the newsroom, each Ng!§_reporter was questioned to determine how his beat or assignment is organized, assign- ment procedures, decision making, hours worked and the division of authority between the reporter and his editor and reporters among themselves. This and other informa- tion was compiled and organized into tables, whenever pos- sible, and will be presented in tabular form and with ex— planatory comment that should provide insight into the jobs of reporters at the N313. The editor, managing editor, news editor, city editor and assistant city editor were also questioned. They were asked about their editing and layout responsi- bilities, methods of covering news of Saginaw, the extent to which reporters create their own assignments and their 1Audit Bureau of Circulations, Audit Report Detroit Michigan Free Press, A Report Prepared by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (Chicago, March, T970), passim. involvement in the total news Operation. They were also asked about news conferences among themselves, with re- porters and other department heads as well as other ques- tions aimedat determining how they perform their jobs. And, to provide a complete look at the newsroom, copy editors, photographers, librarians and other person- nel were questioned, not as extensively as others in the newsroom, but to at least determine their involvement, or lack of involvement, in the daily news operation. In addition to job related questions, all those interviewed were asked about their education and employ- ment background. Data from these questions will be pre- sented largely through the use of tables. The State Journal and Free Press were also exam- ined, but in much less detail than the Nggg. Descriptions of the newsroom operation and management of these news- papers is presented largely through charts, accompanied with some commentary, which explain and contrast opera- tional differences with the Nggg, This study, then, is a detailed examination of the Sgginaw News news gathering operations. Emphasis is placed on the city desk because it is the largest depart- ment within the newsroom and especially since it is re- sponsible for coverage of what the News can alone cover best--the city and all its attendant problems. This is not an analysis of news content, but in- stead a study of those who work for the flflfli and how they do their job. It is hoped that this study will provide some new light on news gathering procedures, as well as preserve for future researchers and historians, a picture of the newsroom operation and management of a medium-size American daily newspaper--the Saginaw News in l97l. CHAPTER I REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Library shelves and professional journals abound with scholarly works analyzing the newspaper and its role in a free society. The same sources yield page after page telling of those in the industry bemoaning the belief that no one seems to know or appreciate the problems faced by reporters and editors. Also in abundance are books that slickly glamorize the news industry; that tell of great and heroic deeds performed by fearless and high-minded editors and reporters.2 But remarkably little is to be found that is directly related to everyday newsroom operations: Who does what and how in the department responsible for gath- ering and editing the daily news. 2This is particularly evident in an examination of Warren C. Price's annotated bibliography, The Literature of Journalism (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, t e 3,147 items in the Price bibliography, l, 325 are either history or biographical entries. An additional 800 entries are found in the "Narratives of journalists at work and anthologies of journalistic writing" and appraisals, ethics and law of the press categories. Within the "Manage- ment of the Press" section are to be found only 119 items, most of which deal with advertising, circulation and produc- tion problems. Perhaps typical of text material is Principles of Newspaper Management, written by James E. Pollard and pub- lished in 1937. Of the twenty-two chapters in this study, only one is devoted to newsroom organization while nine- teen chapters discuss circulation, advertising, and promo- tional problems. The chapter on newsroom organization dis- cusses only types of management and includes a few organ-- ization charts of newspapers of varying sizes.3 Another study is Newspaper Business Management by Frank Thayer. 4 Published in 1954, it is somewhat more detailed than the Pollard volume in discussing newsroom operation, but at best, provides a brief sketch of the personnel involved in the newsroom. The most detail Thayer achieves in this area are time schedules of city editors of the Chicago 5 Igigggg and Chicago Daily News. Even more recent works such as Newspaper Organization and Management, by Frank W. 6 Rucker and Herbert L. Williams devote little space to discussion of the newsroom, but instead concentrate on business operations. 3James E. Pollard, Principles of Newspaper Mana e- ment (New York: Mc-Graw Book Company, Inc., 1937), pp. -32. 4Newspaper Business Managgment is a revised and some- what fresher version of a similar text written by Thayer, Newspaper Management (New York: D. Appleton-Century Company, 1938). 5Frank Thayer, Newspaper Business Management (New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1954) pp. 56-60. 6Frank W. Rucker and Herbert L. Williams, Newspaper giganization and Management (2nd ed., Ames, Iowa: The Iowa tate University Press, T965), pp. xi-ii. Journals such as Nieman Reports, Journalism Quar- terly, Columbia Journalism Review, Public Opinion Quarterly, and trade publications like Editor and Publisher or the Quill yield little more in understanding of the operation of the newsroom. However, a few studies of interest, which discuss involvement of publishers and editors in the news operation and analyze staff behavior and characteristics, have been published in various periodicals. Among those that will be discussed in depth include a study that questions the activity of publishers in direc- ting newsroom decision making, an essay that suggests pub- lishers maintain a hands-off attitude in news operation be- cause of possible court intervention, a study that examines editors' perception of newspapers in various behavioral models and a study of the problems of control of a newspaper and its effects in a one-newspaper city. The study of publisher involvement in newsroom de- cisions was conducted by David R. Bowers through question- naires mailed to all managing editors, or their equivalents, listed in the 1966 edition of Editor and Publisher Interna- tional Year Book. Managing editors were chosen because Bowers contends they are most frequently the news employee to receive whatever instructions may be issued by a pub- lisher.7 7David R. Bowers, "A Report on Activity by Publishers in Directing Newsroom Decisions,” Journalism Quarterly.XLIV (Spring, 1967), Pp. 43-52. The daily newspapers surveyed by Bowers were di- vided into three groups: Those under 15,000 circulation; those 15,000 to 74,999 and those with circulations of 75,000 or higher. A geographic split into nine areas was also made. Questionnaires returned represented about 49 percent of the total United States daily newspaper circu- lation. The questionnaire referred to news coverage only and did not include editorial, columns or opinion matter. The basic question asked managing editors was whether or not the publisher, or his representative, requested or directed the use or non-use of content or display in cer- tain news areas. His findings follow: --The closer the geographic proximity of the sub- ject matter, the more active was the publisher in directing the news gathering operation. In directing local news coverage, Bowers found that 11 percent of the publishers surveyed (through their managing edi- tors) were active all the time or often in news direc- tion. Approximately two-thirds were reported either seldom or never active in directing local news deci- sion making. --The publisher is most active in papers with circulations under 15,000. --Activities of the publisher are higher in areas which may affect the revenue of the newspaper than in issues such as politics, race, or war. Bowers found that a "sizable" number of respondents said they re- ceived direction from the publisher to print news about advertisers or news of their newspaper and its employees. --In papers of circulations of 75,000 and higher, Bowers found that when publisher activity was detected, such activity was directed more at content or display than in the use or non-use of news. --About 25 percent of the managing editors respond- ing said the publisher was never or only seldom active in newsroom decisions. The Bowers findings have an important implication for this study. Since publisher interference was found to be negligible, it is reasonable to exclude the question of such interference with the Saginaw News and instead concen- trate on an exhaustive study of the newsroom. A somewhat different outlook of the publishers' lack of interference comes from Dana L. Thomas writing in Barron's.8 Thomas observes that publishers' hands-off attitude, particularly in group newspapers,9 is more from 8Dana L. Thomas, "Lords of the Press? Political and Legal Hurdles are Mounting for 'Monopoly' Newspapers," Barron's, July 8, 1968, p. 5. 9Each of the newspapers examined in this study is a group paper. The Saginaw News is a member of Booth News- papers, Inc.; the Detroit Free Press is one of the Knight 10 a fear of possible court intervention than a belief in editorial freedom for the editors. As the United States Supreme Court is tending to discourage monopoly ownership of newspapers, publishers are becoming increasingly aware of the need to take a cautious disinterest in news deci- sion making, Thomas claims. Another study that questions the mechanics of the news content is that of behavioral models utilized by the editor. John DeMott notes that editors often explain their newspapers with models borrowed from other disciplines. Such models include political, commercial, clerical, his- torical and recreational functions of the newspaper.10 For example, DeMott considers a newspaper using the political model as disinterested in power for its own sake. The newspaper is not the community's ruler, but its most disinterested citizen. The editor or publisher sees his subscribers as constituents. With the commercial model, the editor or publisher sees himself as a businessman with a product to sell. The product and its quality rather than political impact or in- fluence becomes the newspaper's chief consideration. This model embraces the philosophy that "the customer is always right." papers and the Lansing_State Journal is a Federated Publica- tions newspaper, now a part of the Gannett group. 10John DeMott, "Behavior Models for the Editor," Nieman Reports, December, 1969, pp. 21-24. 11 The editor or publisher using the professional model envisions the newspaper as a hospital, providing a specific service to the individual client rather than to the public. With the clerical model, the editor or publisher decides it is his job to make moral judgment of community affairs. In this model, the editor is tempted to become increasingly moralistic and more given to viewing commun- ity events with alarm. The editor or publisher in filling the historical model sees the newspaper as "history on the run," or the "first rough draft of history." The editor is the intellec- tual, engaged in scholarly work. Finally, the recreational model: The editor puts his chief emphasis on the newspaper's entertainment func- tion. The call is for journalistic "grandstanding and showboating" in styles established in the days of Hearst. Another study of significance is by Charles E. Swanson, who set out to investigate the general problem of control of a newspaper and its effect in a one-newspaper 1] His conclusions were reached in observations from city. October, 1946,to May, 1948, of a newspaper published seven days weekly, with a daily circulation of 20,000 to 30,000. HCharles E. Swanson, "Midcity Daily: The News Staff and Its Relation to Control,“ Journalism Quarterly, XXVI (March, 1949), 20-28. 12 The newspaper had had no competition in the city for twenty years. Swanson named his very real, but disguised, newspaper the Midcity Daily, From extensive interviews, Swanson drew the following conclusion: --A questionnaire circulated among 25 staff mem- bers indicated that the business group, including businessmen, the Chamber of Commerce and advertisers was the only group of significance, outside the news- paper staff, in deciding what was to be printed in the Daily. A series of questions measured staff Opinion of the ‘ Daily's policy and its relation to control of the news. The findings are significant and worth repeating here, in part: This newspaper allows 'policy' to affect its news columns. Strongly agree, 4 percent: agree, 36; un- decided, 12; disagree, 36; strongly disagree, l6. Regardless of orders to write fair and unbiased news, this newspaper expects me to slant news in favor of the side its policies and interests usually support. Strongly agree, 0 percent; agree, 8 percent; undecided, 12; disagree, 32; strongly disagree, 48. In my experience with this newspaper I have had stories played down or killed for 'policy' reasons. Strongly agree, 4 percent; agree, 28; undecided, 16; disagree, 36; strongly disagree, 16. Swanson's conclusions are interesting: Operations of this newspaper showed the inadequacy of a definition of 'press monopoly' which implies that authority of 'all' newspaper owners is absolute over the news function of editing-writing and other 13 groups. Individuals within the groups traded opin- ions came to a degree of consensus and acted. They then repeated the process. Some member of the edit- ing-writing group shared in every decision on print- ing or not printing the news about Midcity. The Swanson study is of value here, as is the Bowers study, if for no other reason than that it dispels common conception that the publisher or editor is the only man that makes decisions about the news content of the newspaper. Once again, armed with this supportive evi- dence, the study of the Saginaw News takes on greater significance and validity with the knowledge that other studies have indicated that a great amount of control rests with the city desk and other editors of the newspaper rather than only with the publisher. Other research findings that will be discussed briefly here center around personnel considerations: staff size compared with circulation and the professional back- ground of the staff. Eric Odendahl, in a 1964 study of the college back- grounds of newsmen, found that 58 percent of American news- 12 This is an increase of papermen are college graduates. more than 3 percent since a similar study was conducted in 1953. Of these, about 26 percent are graduates with majors in journalism, a decrease of less than 1 percent since the 12Eric Odendahl, "College Backgrounds of Staffs of American Dail Newspapers," Journalism Quarterly, XLII (Summer, 1965 , 463-4. 14 earlier study. Graduates in the liberal arts field con- stituted 27 percent of the college-trained staff, an in- crease of more than 3 percent since 1953. Other results showed that the staff of 15 so- called prestige newspapers had about a 66 percent college trained staff, compared to a 70 percent showing of a sim- ilar ranking of newspapers in the 1953 study.13 Odendahl obtained his data from a list of 109 news- papers, selected by questioning every twentieth newspaper listed in the 1964 edition of the Editor and Publisher International Year Book. His study replicated an earlier study conducted by Keen Rafferty and Leonard L. Jermain.14 Another study of significance here is concerned with newspaper staff size and its relation to circulation.15 The late Paul J. Deutschmann found that for each 10 percent increase in circulation, an increase of approximately 8.7 13The "prestige" papers were selected by journalism faculty. The fifteen are: The New York Times, the Chris- tian Science Monitor, the Wall Street Journal, the St. Eouis Post-Dispatch, the Milwaukee Journal, the Washington Post, the New York HeraldTTribune, the Louisville Cour1er Journal, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Daily News, the Baltimore Sgg, the Atlanta Constitution, the Minneapolis Tribune, the Kansas City Star and the Los Angeles Times. 14Leonard L. Jermain and Keen Rafferty, "College Backgrounds of Staffs of American Daily Newspapers,“ Journal- ism Quarterly, 31 (Fall, 1954), 491-4. 15Paul J. Deutschmann, "Predicting Newspaper Staff Size from Circulation," Journalism Quarterly, XXXVI (Summer, 1959), 351-3. 15 percent in editorial staff size should follow. Deutschmann cautioned that this formula loses accuracy with newspapers of greater than 200,000 circulation. A newspaper with a 60,000 daily circulation, Deutschmann says, should have 42.9 editorial employees. The September, l97l,Audit Bureau of Circulations report showed that the Saginaw News then had a circulation of 60,288.16 The Saga} editorial staff, including editors, reporters, copy editors and photographers; the number implied but not specified in Deutschmann's study was 41.17 What has been presented here represents the best of the little research so far reported that is applicable to this study. It has been presented in detail so that it may be referred to in the discussion that follows. 16Audit Bureau of Circulations, Audit Report Sa inaw Michi an News, A Report Prepared by the Audit Bureau 0 Circu ations (Chicago, October, 1970), P. 3. 17Harold V. Lappin, private interview with the author, Saginaw, Mich., June, 1971. CHAPTER II THE PRESS IN SAGINAW: PRESENT AND PAST Saginaw, Michigan, had a population of 91,849 when 18 census takers made their rounds in 1970 and, like vir- tually all cities of that size, is a one-newspaper city. Within the Audit Bureau of Circulations city zone, from which almost two-thirds of the newspaper's 60,767 evening 19 circulation is derived, the Saginaw News is the only daily newspaper serving a population of approximately 160,000.20 The city zone includes the cities of Saginaw, Bridgeport,and Zilwaukee; Carrollton and Saginaw townships 21 and a part of Buena Vista Township. Other newspapers circulate within the ABC retail trading zone, which includes 18United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, United States Census of Population: 1970, Final Population Counts, MiChigan. Advance Report PC (VI) 24 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1971), 3. p. 19Audit Report: Saginaw Michigan News, p. 3. 20 21 Final Population Counts, p. 13. Audit Report: Saginaw Michigan News, p. 4. 16 17 22 a population of almost 405,000 in all of Saginaw, Tuscola, and Gratiot counties as well as parts of Midland, Bay, Clare, and Isabella counties.23 Two weekly newspapers are published in Saginaw, the .fiaasa, with a circulation of 1,459 and the TownshiplTimes, with a circulation of 3,550. Within Saginaw County there are four other weeklies, the largest of which has a circula- tion of 7,551. One daily and one weekly newspaper circulates in each of the portions of Gratiot and Isabella counties that are part of the Naaa_retail trading zone. At the northern- 24 most tip of the zone, in Clare County, are two other week- lies. Other dailies circulating within the Saginaw Valley, which is a rough triangular area which includes the cities of Saginaw, Bay City,and Midland, are the Bay_City Times and the Midland Daily News. If there could be considered any real news or advertising threat to the Saga, the Detroit Free Press would pose by far the greatest threat. The ABC reported that as of March 31, 1970, some 6,445 daily and 10,946 Sunday copies of the Free Press were delivered to Saginaw County homes or sold on the news stands. The bulk 22Final Population Counts, passim. 23Audit Report: Saginaw Michigan News, p. 4.’ 24Ayer Press, Directory of Newspapers, Ma azines, and Trade Publications (Philadelphia: Ayer Press, l97l) passim. 18 of these papers were distributed within the city zone.25 Much of this circulation can be attributed to the fact that the Free Press is a morning newspaper. As Saginaw is now typical in having only one daily newspaper, so also was it typical less than 100 years ago in having several. On a national level, the number of dailies doubled from 850 to 1,967 between 1880 and 1900.26 The development of the press in Saginaw followed the devel- opment of two settlements--East Saginaw on the east side of the river and Saginaw City on the river‘s westerly shores. To better understand the development of those two cities, it is necessary to review a bit of Saginaw's early history. The earliest white man is said to have come to what is now Saginaw in 1816 to scout a location for a wilderness trading post. Two years later, Louis Campau became the first permanent inhabitant when he established a post to trade with the Chippewa Indians. Then in 1819, Gen. Lewis Cass, who was later to become territorial governor of Mich- igan and still later secretary of war under President James Buchanan, met with Chippewa chiefs in a house built by Campau. The result was the Treaty of Saginaw, in which the 25Audit Report: Detroit Michigan Free Press, p. 25. 26Edwin Emery, The Press in America (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1962), hereinafter cited as Emery, p. 513. 19 Chippewas ceded seven million acres of forest lands to the United States government. Early settlers built their homes on the west shores of the river.27 An early developer, Norman Little, met hostility from those settlers who established their cabins on the west side of the river. Apparently discouraged in his land development efforts, Little shifted his attention to property on the east side of the river where he found some- what more but still limited success. The area west of the river came to be called Saginaw City and that east, East Saginaw. East Saginaw grew from no residents in 1850 to a population of 3,000 by 1860. The combined population of the two Saginaws was more than 20,000 by 1870, with East Saginaw accounting for about 15,000 of that figure.28 Consolidation of the two towns had been proposed as early as 1859. Each time the idea was suggested, it was promptly abandoned. Residents, particularly those of Saginaw City, claimed the cities would lose their individ- ualism if consolidated. The question was put to vote in 1873 under a proposal that would maintain separate highway and sewer systems as well as separate school and taxing districts, despite consolidation. About all the two cities ff 27Saginaw News, March 12, 1967, p. A-l. zaflaaa, March 15, 1967, p. A-l. 20 would share was a bridge to be built at the eXpense of both. The proposal was defeated, largely by west side voters, by a vote of 656 to 104.29 It was not until 1889 when the state legislature ordered consolidation and the writing of a charter for the new city. Court challenges followed the legislature's action, but the forced consol- idation was upheld and the first common council met on March 12, 1890.30 Thus, Saginaw was born 74 years after the Treaty of Saginaw was signed. With that in mind, an examination of the history of the press in Saginaw can now begin. Much will be drawn from the comprehensive Volume I of James C. Mills' History of Saginaw County, Michigan.31 Because of the frequency with which early newspapers appeared and dis- appeared, it will be necessary to consider the develop- ment of the press separately; first in East Saginaw and then Saginaw City. The first journalistic effort in East Saginaw was the Enterprise, started in 1853 by two men who were soon to fail because of insufficient capital and journalistic knowledge to keep the Enterprise alive. The owners sold zgflggie March 15, 1967, p. A-l. 30 31James C. Mills, History of Saginaw County,Mich{- ‘ n _ Vol. 1: (Saginaw, Mich.: Seeman and Peters, Pub- 5 ers, 1918), hereinafter cited as Mills. pp. 648-664. News, March 16, 1967, p. A-l. 21 the newspaper in 1854 to Perry Joslin who, with the aid of his partners, soon put it on a solid financial base. The Enterprise went daily in September, 1865, and contin- ued publication until its suspension in Spring, 1873. The earliest direct ancestor of the present day flaaa_was the Weekly Courier, founded in East Saginaw by George F. Lewis on June 16, 1859. Lewis apparently met with success, for in 1868, he joined with three other men to begin publication of the Daily Courier, which circulated each morning except Monday. The Weekly Courier continued publication and seemed to complement its daily companion. The Daily Courier was sold to S. S. Pomroy who hired Edwin D. Cowles, soon to be a leading figure in that area's journalism, and put him in charge of the news manage- ment of the newspaper. Cowles merged the Daily Courier with the Daily Herald fifteen years later. Cowles was editor-in- chief of the Courier-Herald until 1902 when he sold his interests in the business and moved to neighboring Bay City. The paper was sold to Walter J. Hunsaker of Detroit and Chase 5. Osborn of Sault Ste. Marie. Shortly after the purchase, Osborn was elected governor of Michigan and Hunsaker purchased his share of the enterprise. At the time of the sale, the Courier-Herald was the oldest newspaper published in either section of Saginaw. Aside from the Detroit Free Press, it was the only morning newspaper pub- lished in the eastern half of Michigan in a region stretching 22 from Detroit to Lake Superior. Much of the Courier Herald's success has been attributed to its acquisition of an Associated Press franchise in 1902 and its popu- larity with subscribers in rural areas. It was apparently the early success of the Courier Herald that prompted two printers, Joseph Seeman and Charles H. Peters, Sr., to establish the Evening:News in 1881. Seeman believed that people would have more time to read a newspaper after dinner, potential circulation of an evening newspaper would be greater, and such a paper could attract more advertising than one published for morn- ing distribution. The first issue of the Evening News ap- peared in the streets of East Saginaw on May 2, 1881. Paid circulation was only 500 and several thousand copies were distributed free. The Evening News had two major problems that kept it from becoming firmly established for several years. Mills says another morning paper in Saginaw (although he claims the Courier-Herald was the only morning newspaper, outside the Free Press, in eastern Michigan) established an evening edition and thwarted attempts by Seeman to 32 The Evening secure membership in the Associated Press. 32By invoking protest rights, an Associated Press member could prevent the entry of a competitor into the Association until 1945 when the United States Supreme Court ruled that protest rights were an unfair restriction of fiogpetition. See Associated Press v. United States, 326 . . 1. 23 Express, whose ownership and origins are unclear, had a modern plant, organized staff, a telegraphic news franchise and delivery routes--all necessities that the Evenipg News would have to establish if it were to be successful. The EveningyNews acquired Associated Press member- ship only after the publisher of the Courier-Herald gave his permission. The Evening:Express suspended publication about a year later, leaving the Evening News alone in the afternoon field for several years. Other afternoon papers were started and soon died. The Evening;News obtained United Press service after the demise of one of its com- petitors, the Mail, which with the Journal, another east side publication, gave the Evenipg News serious competi- tion. The Evening News changed ownership several times prior to 1910 when Booth Publishing Co. purchased the news- paper. In the spring of 1918, Booth purchased the Courier Herald and merged it and the Eveninngews to create the News Courier. The name "Courier" was dropped from the nameplate in 1927 and the newspaper became the Saginaw 521;.33 The development of the press on Saginaw‘s westerly shores closely paralleled that of East Saginaw. 335233; June 15, 1969, pp. D-l,3. 24 The first printing press was brought to Saginaw City in 1836 by Norman Little. His plans for improvement of the new city, to which he hoped to entice eastern in- vestment capital, included publishing a weekly newspaper and the first issue of the Saginaw Journal was published sometime in 1836. The exact date of its founding and its longevity are not certain.34 The second newspaper in Saginaw City was founded in 1842 by R. W. Jenny. The North Star was published for several years and then discontinued, leaving Saginaw City without a newspaper until March 3, 1853 when L.L.G. Jones began publishing the Spirit of the Times. It is not cer- tain how long or with what frequency that newspaper was published, but a copy dated 1858 has been preserved. The Valley Herald was another early Saginaw City weekly newspaper. The date of origin is uncertain, but the newspaper began daily circulation in the fall of 1872 and continued until Nov. 28, 1875. Another weekly, the Republican, appeared in 1879. It later became the Sally Republican and was published in the afternoon. Other news- papers in this period were the Saginawian and the Valley News, a semi-weekly paper. Another newspaper, the Daily News, began publication in 1877, and continued for six years. Its origins are not explained by Mills. 34Mills. op. cit., p. 648. 25 Consolidation of the two Saginaws was just three years away when the Evening_gournal was founded in April, 1886. Mills calls the paper a "healthy and vigorous paper, alive to the interest of Saginaw City." During the late 1880's, it was the only daily newspaper published in Saginaw City. The growth and development of the press in Saginaw followed closely the deveIOpment of East Saginaw, Saginaw City and, eventually, Saginaw. Without examining circula- tion records, it is difficult to determine whether the individual newspapers were circulated only on the side of the river where they were published. Although petty rival- ries existed between the two Saginaws--and it is probable that the newspapers catered to such rivalries--the diver- sity of the press in Saginaw can be attributed to the nationwide trend of frequent newspaper births and premature deaths. As the twentieth century approached, the economic realities of the newspaper industry became painfully ap- parent. What happened in Saginaw in the early twentieth century happened in most United States cities. The trend was for suspension of competing newspapers, mergers with rival papers, the creation of newspaper chains and a con- centration of ownerships.35 35Emery. 0p. cit., p. 514 26 As Saginaw has grown in population so has the Saaa_grown in circulation. As Table 1 shows, circula- tion of the flaaa_has doubled since 1930, while the pop- ulation of the city of Saginaw has increased about 10 percent. The population of Saginaw County, which accord- ing to 1970 census figures was 219,743, has nearly doubled since 1930. Saginaw is a heavily industrialized city. 0f the 62,750 persons over fourteen years of age and working in the county, about 40 percent of these were employed in manufacturing industries. Within Saginaw County are six plants of the Saginaw Steering Gear Division of General Motors Corp., two General Motors foundries, two large bean elevators and several Michigan Sugar plants. Considering this, it is not surprising that 40 percent of the county's work force is in manufacturing-related employment.36 Wholesale and retail trade accounted for almost 20 percent; professional and related services employed 8.7 percent and 6.45 percent was employed in transportation, communications industries and public utilities. These four major industry groups accounted for almost 75 percent of the county's work force, or almost 50,000 workers.37 36United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, United States Census of Population: 1960, Detailed Characteristics, Final ReportTPC (l) 24P (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1962), p. 24-387. 37United States Census of Population: 1960, De- tailed Characteristics. 27 TABLE 1 The Saginaw_flews Circulationa and POpulation of Saginaw and Saginaw County,P’C 1930 to 1970 Circulation Population Year Sunday Evening City County 1930 28,370 29,237 80,715 120,717 1935 26,525 26,894 -- -- 1940 30,351 30,454 82,794 130,468 1945 37,686 37,960 -- -- 1950 42,981 43,244 92,918 153,515 1955 48,228 48,463 -- -- 1960 52,044 51,756 98,265 190,752 1965 58,204 57,647 -- -- 1970 60,593 60,767 91,849 219,743 aCalculated from: News circulation records. United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Population, Vol. Missouri (Washington, D.C.: III, Part I, Alabama- Government Printing Office, 1932), p. 1134. CUnited States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, United States Census of Population: 1960, Characteristics of the PopulatTOn, Michigan, Part 24 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1962), pp. 24-20, 21. 28 The growth of advertising in the Saga and the num- ber of columns devoted to news has also shown an inter- esting growth pattern since 1936. As Table 2 shows, more columns of news were printed than columns of ad- vertisements sold. But by 1945 and continuing today, far more columns of advertising have been sold than columns devoted to news. With that rather sketchy overview provided, this study will now examine what the flaaa_does to fill these news columns. 29 TABLE 2 Number of Pages and Columns of News nd Advertising Printed, 1936 to 1970I Columns Year Pages News Advertising 1936 8,224 37,542 28,250 1940 7,958 34,503 29,161 1945 7,016 25,329 31,130 1950 11,948 36,115 60,587 1955 14,010 43,691 70,032 1960 12,928 39,637 65,092 1965 14,870 43,675 75,285 1970 16,114 53,136 75,776 1 Calculated from: of the Saginaw News. Circulation records CHAPTER III ORGANIZATION OF THE SAGINAW NEWS As a member of the Booth group of newspapers, the Saginaw News shares in management techniques that, while not unique, are not commonplace in the news industry. The editor and manager of each Booth newspaper are considered equal in their responsibilities to the publisher, Booth Newspapers, Inc. The editor has responsibility for all news and editorial decision while the manager is in charge of advertising, production and circulation. Within their respective departments are other editors and managers, such as the news editor, city editor, circulation manager, and advertising manager. Booth newspapers maintain a policy manual that guides department heads in making decisions, but does not specify or suggest editorial or news policies. At the time of this study, the editor of the Saga, Raymond L. Gover, was formulating a policy book specifically for the Saga that is to outline broad topics that he considers need clarification. Among issues to be included will be Saga policies concerning reporter participation in political, civic and other types of organizations. 30 IIIIII III 'l-Y IJ.\'IEI|'IIII. IT 1' II A 11.1.1! I‘ll 1" I III... TII‘IIIIII II I III, 31 Certain decisions are a matter of both editorial and business concern. For example, the number of columns allotted daily for news copy is a decision based on the number of columns of advertising, which falls under the domain of the business staff, as well as the needs of the newsroom. Such decisions must be made by department heads from both divisions of the newspaper's management. Because this is a study of the newsroom operation and management of the Saga, it is important to show, first of all, how the newsroom is organized. An organizational chart is presented in Figure l and in profiles listing biographical data of all editors with responsibilities in the newsroom. An explanation of the organization chart is important for a complete understanding of the newsroom operation as it will be discussed in the chapters to follow. Newsroom supervision, as shown in Figure 1, illus- trates that responsibilities are direct and well defined. For example, the news editor supervises, among others, the director of photography and the copy, city and area desks. These individuals also have subordinates. But it is import- ant to understand that these lines of authority between and to the various levels are direct. For example, although the sports editor appears to be on a higher level than the city editor, he has no super- visory authority over the city editor. Likewise, even though the city editor is on the same level as the area 32 .couwum mcwmmcme .cwaamn .> vFoLm: ”mogaom mcmpcoamm mempcoamm mcmpgoamm mcopcoqmm mcwmee< oesocoom mcwmme< cone: Fmemcmu mcwmce< Fmeoom A i ~ IF 0 eeeeew seem- meoeeem mcmpcoamm pcmumwmm< zaou ml¢ggglm0p05a . , m - s . copwum Levee“ . gmpcoamm copwum camcmOFwH ecu chNmmmz xcamcmopo;a copeum mewNmmmz semi xmmo mmc< emwgu xmmo maou XmFFm> eo cepomcwo mcmpmz use mnooz u _ . u H e, A ass—co copwcm copwum Loueum Loewem mew; mePm> m_cmeoz m2mz mpcoam >H memcnwn A . 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Briefly, each' box shown on the chart represents a department, or an editor, and that individual is responsible only to the editor supervising, as shown by vertical lines. Although it may appear that each editor has little or nothing to do with the newspaper beyond his own realm, this,in practice, is not true. As will be discussed later in this chapter, the editors meet at various times during the week to discuss overall problems and news content of weekend editions. The various levels, as shown on the organization chart, are in no way meant to indicate salary levels. They represent only supervision and organization of those involved in writing and editing the Saginaw News. The editor of the Saga, Raymond L. Gover, was appointed to that position in July, 1970. He was city editor of the Flint Journal, another newspaper, for five years prior to his promotion to the Saga. Before that, he was an assistant city editor and reporter for the Journal. He spent three years as a reporter for the EELE Huron Times-Herald before joining the Journal in 1954. Although total responsibility for the news and editorial content lies with Gover, much of his work in- volves activities outside the arena of the daily news pro- duct. His major contact with the daily news content is through a conference at 9:15 a.m. each weekday with various 36 editors in the newsroom. At this conference, Gover ex- plained that the news itself is discussed, then decisions are made as to how stories will be played, particularly on page one.. In reaching these decisions, Gover said the editors discuss how the story or stories will affect read- ers. The page is then planned accordingly.. Gover said staff-written and locally oriented stories are often used on page one, but that he feels no compulsion to automat- ically and always include one local story daily on page one. But, as he commented, page one selection is no "big deal. There's no wrenching, heaving,or hawing." Gover said he leaves most decisions largely to the editors in- volved and maintains a hands-off attitude by allowing them freedom to handle their desks as they see fit. None of the editors questioned said Gover had ever ordered them to "play" a story in a certain manner. As editor, much of his work is administrative, including com- munity relations and recruiting and hiring of new per- sonnel. He does take an active hand in the development and execution of day-to-day editorial policy. Following the morning news conference, Gover meets with the editorial editor, Charles G..Straddard, to discuss editorials for the next day. Gover said he prefers to print editorials com- menting on breaking.news, rather than stockpiling editorials of a timeless nature. Many of the editorials are written by Gover. 37 Next in the chain of command is Harold V. Lappin, the managing editor. Lappin has worked for the Saga for 36 years. Before his promotion to managing editor, he was news editor for fifteen years. Prior to that, he was a reporter covering several different beats at different times during his years with the Saga, He has no other media experience. Lappin described his duties as carrying out news operations according to the wishes of the editor. This involves the implementation of policy and supervision of department heads within the newsroom. Lappin said such direction is largely through advice rather than direct mandate. As was the case with Gover's supervision, edi- tors reporting to Lappin said supervision was received only when his advice was sought. No editor reported any coercion from Lappin. Lappin also said his job is largely administrative, with little or no daily contact with the news content of the paper. His involvement is usually limited to the morning conference with other editors. As the organization chart shows, Lappin supervises the sports and women's departments, the Valley Line column (a reader service feature), the television magazine and library operations. He also is responsible for editing and layout of the weekly travel page, which is allocated five columns in Sunday editions of the News. 38 Michael (John M.) Middlesworth is the news editor, a position he has held since coming to the News in 1969 from the Flint Journal where he was a copy editor. He also was editor of the yaipa_(Michigan) Sentinel for two years. Middlesworth is responsible for selecting stories for page one, acting as liaison with the advertising de- partment and composing room and allocating news space to all news department. As news editor, Middlesworth is directly involved in the daily news product. His involvement, however, is largely of a supervisory nature. Although the city editor, telegraph editor (who also serves as copy desk chief), director of photography, farm reporter, area editor and "Valley" and "Woods and Waters" magazine editors all re- port to Middlesworth, he has little daily contact with these individuals. Contact is usually limited to the morning news conference and other less formal discussion during the course of a day. Although he selects stories for page one, he does not edit them or write headlines. In selecting the news, he checks daily with the city and area editors for stories gathered by their reporters that they feel merit front page play. The telegraph editor gives him five wire stories and it is from these and his conference with other editors that the selection of page one stories is made. 39 The duties of the city editor, Mrs. Constance V. MacLeese; her assistant, Ronald W. Minard and other edi- tors who report to Lappin and Middlesworth will be dis- cussed in chapters to follow. In addition to the daily news meeting, editors in the newsroom meet each Monday to discuss the content of "Valley" magazine and feature story needs for the week- end papers. Mrs. MacLeese described these conferences as providing the editors with a blueprint for weekend cover- age, as well as can be determined five days before. Those attending this conference, in addition to Mrs. MacLeese,are Middlesworth; Minard; Wilbur E. Gustafson, director of photography; Esther M. Way, women's editor; Daniel I. Brandon, editor of "Valley" magazine, and the editor of "Woods and Waters" magazine, Frank Szarenski. Some of these same editors also meet weekly with the editor and manager and department heads, such as the composing room foreman, the circulation manager and others, to discuss areas of mutual concern. Such areas include deadline problems, greater coverage of circulatiOn areas (such as a recent drive to gain subscribers in Midland). and budget requirements. Later chapters will discuss and elaborate on departments shown on the organization chart. Because this is basically a study of the newsroom, much of the discussion will center on the city, area, womens, sports,and copy desks 40 with somewhat briefer discussions of other departments not as directly involved in the daily news product served readers of the Saginaw News. CHAPTER IV THE CITY DESK Certainly the color and individuality of any news- paper stems from its coverage of city and other local area news. It is in these areas that a newspaper can excel in covering what it alone covers best. The city or metro- politan desk of most American newspapers is responsible for such coverage. This chapter will examine the opera- tion of the Saginaw News city desk--what it is, who works for it, what their jobs are, how the jobs are performed and the supervision given reporters while performing their duties. At the time research for this study was conducted, the Saga city desk had just undergone a massive personnel change. After the appointment of a new editor in July, 1970, a new city editor and assistant city editor were appointed in December, 1970. With the change in these editorships came changes in reporters' assignments. Other than three "old timers," eighteen months was the longest any reporter had been on his current assignment when re- search was conducted. Most reporters when interviewed 41 42 months. And, the longest any reporter had worked for the News” again with the exception of the three mentioned above, was two and one-half years. A profile of the background and experience of the city desk staff is pre- sented in Table 4. The city desk, as the name implies, is responsible for assigning and insuring coverage of the news of Saginaw. Almost 40,000 copies of the newspaper's 60,767 evening cir- culation are delivered to homes in the cities of Saginaw, Bridgeport, and Zilwaukee; and the townships of Carrollton and Saginaw and part of Buena Vista Township.38 Coverage of this area is in the traditional system of reporting. Beats are: county; city hall; townships; police, fire and courts; education; business; automotive and labor; churches and social service agencies, and general assignment. The city editor has created "teams" of reporters to cover these beats. This organization will be discussed later in this chapter. The city desk presents news gathered by its report- ers each day on page A-3--the front page for city and local news. Space allocated to the city desk and relation of this space to the daily news hole is shown in Table 5. The desk has approximately two and one-half pages to fill on Tuesdays, Wednesdays,and Thursdays. 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ou Lomw> OcumzucH newscmOmm< Page» .mpzoucoz O>ONOPNO=H mcwpaom -OOOOm mzmz OH :0 acmEOumm< mamz ”canoes“ xqou Pmpou eo mmmpcmugma meek eO :OOOOO m2mz zucwmmm one we xmmo m.=msoz one o» Omcmwmm< mcmucoamm On cmupwcz xaou we :wmwgo co Open use Newscmwmm< .mucmwgmaxm @— m4m< mama menoz mo .>O:= .smP—Occzow ..m.< couwum museum m>wu=umxm memo» mN memo» FN memo» N Nm New: .N summon mmmppou weep opoxmo zpsom .m OPFOO meow» m Lopes: mucoam mama» op memo» e memo» e mm coo: ugmcuwm sawmcm>wcz cmmwguwz chpcmu .mpmuwewpgmu compmuzum Agmucoomm use Amo_owoom ..m.m copwum mucoam memo» o, memo» o_ New» P om OOPNOON .H mmsma .>w:: :Omwnowz Fmeucmw. .amopowuom ..<.m Loewe: mucogm mzpcoe m Osceos m mgucos m mN _m:m~oa .n snow prmem>wca OOOOO OeOeOOOz .OOOOO ecu cowmw>mpmp ..<.m Lopes: mugoam memo» m meow» m memo» N mN cmw~m>a< .< EOw_sz NgumzucH mzmz zucwmmm Newscm_mm< Oowumuzum pcmscmwmm< mzmz :H cue: co mm< mEOz OEOH mo spasm; mzmz zmcwmmm «:9 mo xmma masonm on“ ou.um=mwmm< mgopwum new mcmpcoamm eo uczocmxumm FOOOONOOOON new mucmwcmaxm .pcmscmemm< m— m4m<~ 97 assigned to the Sports desk. His previous experience in- cludes reporting for the Middletown (New York) Times Herald. Hart said that about 70 percent of his job con- sists of editing and layout and 30 percent is devoted to writing. John J. Pozenel: The newest man on the sports staff, Pozenel has worked nine months for the Saga. His specialty is bowling coverage, although he covers Sports news from Delta and Saginaw Valley colleges, Central Mich- igan University, and city parochial schools during football and basketball seasons. Before coming to the Saga, he was an administrative assistant at the Dow Chemical Company. Due to his relative newness to the Saga staff, Pozenel does little copy editing. Richard Wood: A sports writer at the Saga for four years, Wood was previously sports editor for a daily news- paper in Huron, South Dakota. He said his job consists of editing, writing headlines for wire service copy, layout for some of the sports pages, picture selection, and writing cutlines. His specialty is coverage of the Detroit Lions professional football team. He describes the jobs of the Sports staff: "There's a lot of variation. It's hard to" say what I might be doing on a given day." Much of the coverage provided by sports desk per- sonnel is seasonal and, because of this, each member's 98 assignment varies somewhat during the seasons. Beats are not firmly established, and, as Wood said, "it's hard to say what a Sports reporter might be doing on a given day." Three times weekly, the sports department is al- lotted the first page of a section, as well as inside pages. These section pages contain advertising and thus do not provide the layout flexibility that the women's de- partment and the city desk enjoys with a page free of advertisements. Table 16 shows the desk's daily news bud- get and its comparison to the total news hole for that day. TABLE 16 Saginaw News Sports Desk Budget: Comparison With Total News Hole Sports Desk Total News Percentage of Day Budget Hole News Hole Sunday 30 columns 205 columns 15% Monday 16 columns 101 columns 16 Tuesday 14 columns 109 columns 13 Wednesday 22 columns 115 columns 19 Thursday 16 columns 119 columns 13 Friday 14 columns- 111 columns 13 Saturday 24 columns 101 columns 24 Buckley is the immediate supervisor of the three reporters. He and Hart are supervised by the managing 99 editor. Buckley said the only supervision he receives is that which he generates through questions asked of the edi- tor or the managing editor. Hart described his supervision as "COOperation between Buckley and myself.‘' The reporters receive little direct supervision from either Buckley or Hart. Buckley occasionally has staff meetings, especially at the beginning ofea new season, at which beat coverage is discussed and general guidelines explained. But reporters said the only supervision Buckley exercises is when he reads their copy. In explaining su- pervision, Wood said there is "little supervision in methods as long as the results show up." Presumably, then, reporters are left to cope with their beat or assignment and receive little direction from their supervisors, providing that they perform their jobs to their editors' satisfaction. Each reporter said he was given virtually complete freedom in covering his various assignments. One reporter said: "It is only designated what teams will be covered by whom. The only requirement is that the teams then be covered. Other than that, I can cover the beat as I see fit." Unlike reporters assigned to the city desk, sports writers said they did not know of any "sacred cows” stand- ing between them and the sports coverage they wished to pro- vide. Only one reporter voiced opposition regarding a topic which may have been given Special consideration: 100 Under other editors, certain teams and towns were favored. The townships were favored, particularly Saginaw Township. There also was a time when we couldn't make derogatory comments about the teams, but this is allowed, providing it is done in good taste. And, another remarked: We are expected to take most [emphasis his] profanity out of stories and use good judgment in what stories we run, but this does not affect sports as much as other departments. Related to this apparent complete freedom is a comment by Hart who said that sports writing allows the reporter greater latitude in covering institutions and personalities than that allowed in other news area, such as that of reporters assigned to the city desk. What is perhaps most interesting about the sports staff's perception of a lack of "sacred cows" is that the nature of the reporting could generate many such tOpics with the potential of becoming "sacred cows." For example, Sports writers can easily make a hero of a second string football or basketball player through manipulation of copy, interviews, pictures, and other specialty coverage of the player. Although personalities are a great part of any news story, whether from the city, women's, or sports desk, the latter especially depends on personalities to give life to what could be a dull and monotonous listing of nothing more than game statistics. The chances of the birth of such a protected subject, for example, in the 101 coverage of a second string player, appears to be much greater on the sports desk where readers expect to find more colorful and relatively "loose" writing than perhaps in copy produced by the city desk staff. It also is possible that the great number of sports events occurring almost continuously precludes any special coverage, thus eliminating a "sacred cow." Every high school has many different types of sports teams, and readers expect news coverage of their children's high school sports. Obviously, the flap; staff has to establish some limits in the type of sports covered, but even with sports such as baseball, football, and basketball, there remains much to report without devoting extra time and effort to establishing special coverage. The point of this discussion is simply that the Saaa' sports staff could, almost overnight, create a "sacred cow" and destroy the creature just as easily. It is interesting that none of the reporters felt the sports department had used its influence in that manner. Research showed that members of the sports staff spend much of their seven and one-half hour working day at the Saga office. Although seasonal variations do bring changes in hours spent there, a daily average of seven hours working at the office was reported by the five men assigned to the desk. Within this time, they said, they accomplished, again an average, of 86 percent of their 102 total work load. When research for this study was con- ducted, Saginaw high schools had just completed basket- ball tournaments and had not yet started the baseball season. Quite likely, this gap between the two major seasons accounted for what may be a higher-than-expected amount of time spent in the office. Presumably, sports writers cover many events in person, and this would tend to minimize time spent in the office for work other than writing. Overtime paid to Sports writers existed at a somewhat greater frequency than that paid reporters in other departments. Two sports reporters said they re- ceived overtime pay several times during the first three months of 1971, in sharp contrast to city desk reporters. Again, this can partially be attributed to the nature of sports reporting. Since many events occur simultaneously, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, it is often necessary that sports reporters work overtime when normal work sched- ules cannot accommodate coverage. Another statistic reflected in coverage of the multitude of sports events involves the question of initia- tive versus routine beat reporting. As Table 17 shows, re- porters said an average of about 40 percent of their copy originated through routine beat coverage while 30 percent was estimated as originating through initiative reporting. Buckley and Hart agreed with the reporters' calculations 103 NO NOO NNO NNN .OLN m\NN .OON O\_N ”OOOOOO>< OO_ O ON ON OO meow» e meow» e cmugoamm Oooz OLOOOON OOF O me me O Ocpcoe O Osucoe O empeoawm FOOONOO .O.:;OO NOO, NO, NON NOO NO, memes O OOOON N EOOOOOON OOONOON< .< EOO__O3 Omuwczmm OOONLOOON mOOLw>OO LOOO> OLOOOOOH HOOEOOOOO< Pmpop .ONOOOOO: m>OuOOuOOH mcwazom -ewOOm Ozmz OH :O NOOEOOOOO< OEOz ”OOOOLON OOoo pmpou No mOOpcmocmO OEON NO OOOOOO Ozmz 3OOOOOm any OO meO mpgoam an» op OOOOOOO< chucogmm an empawgz OOOO No :OOOLO co ONOO new acmEOOOOO< .mocmOLmOxN up m4m< OOOOLO>OOO ONOLO EOONOOLOOO ..<.O LouOOm OOOO Oemmz Nm mgmm» N OLOOO N em comemuc< .N POOOOO NOOOLO>OOO mumpm cOOOsuwz wouwum :OOLOONON SOONOOLOOO ..<.m .wacu xmmu NOOO Ogmmx N Ogmmz rm ONOOO N on OOOOEOON .N OOOOOOOOOOO :OOOOOOz No NuOOcm>OOO EOONOONOOO ..<.m Louwum NOOO OLOON xN OLOOO rN ngcos m ON O>OL=O .< OOOO ONOOLO>OOO wuwum mcxmz EON—OOLOOO ..<.m Louwum NOOO Ogmmz m OLOOO m New» N ON nucoox .O NOONN AOOOLO>OOO OOONO OOOOOeOz EOONOOLOOO ..<.m Lopwum OOOO Ogmm» e OLOOA e meme» e mN Ommcwugmz .4 NOOOO 11 ngOOOOH O3mz zOOOOOm NewscOOOO< coOuOOOON OOOEOOOOO< Ozmz OH ONO: :O mO< mamz «EON NO ON cm; mzmz zucOOOm map mo xmmo.aqou ecu ou.umcmOmm< mp 39:. chcoOLmO No OOOOLONOOO NOOOONOOOON OOO mocmOLmaxm .pcmscOOOO< 111 Frank J. Koontz: A copy editor for one year, Koontz was before that the flag: city hall reporter for two years. He has worked for the flaaa_for five years, covering different beats prior to the city hall assign- ment. He had no previous media experience before coming to the Saga, Koontz is responsible for editing and lay- out of the daily "Periscope" section in which Saga edito- rials are found. He also edits the "Young Living" pages, which consist of youth-oriented feature news in Sunday editions. He regularly edits copy written by the reporter assigned to city hall. Janet I. Martineau: Miss Martineau edits copy for the daily amusement section, the home and garden pages for Friday editions,and the church section in Saturday editions. She also edits the “Dateline" column, a youth-directed ad- vice column which appears in the Saga daily. She has worked at the flaaa_for four years, coming to the newspaper immedi- ately after she was graduated from college. John A. Puravs: He has worked for the Saga for two years, most of which was spent as the education writer. In addition to editing copy written by the city desk staff, he regularly edits copy about education. He had no previous media experience before joining the Saga, Although Thompson is the immediate supervisor of the copy editors, the news editor, Michael Middlesworth, is often involved in the daily editing. Middlesworth does so 112 by virtue of his responsibility for selecting stories for page one. Individuals editing copy for that page then work under his supervision. A complete description of his duties may be found in Chapter 3, page 38. Each of the copy editors, including Thompson, works a thirty-seven and one-half hour week. Their individual work day varies; one starts at 6:30 a.m., others begin at 7 and 7:30 a.m.' Because the flaaa_publishes morning editions on Saturday and Sunday, it is necessary for the copy editors to work some overtime. Thompson, Koontz,and Miss Martineau each work Friday and Saturday evenings, alternating every week. One capy editor works during these evening shifts and handles mostly current, breaking news. Much of the copy for weekend editions is feature material and is edited and sent to the composing room earlier in the week. One reporter works with the copy editor working the weekend shift. On that shift, the copy editor has complete responsibility for layout and selection of page one stories as well as stories for inside pages reserved for breaking news. Copy editors say they each edit an average of five stories written by city desk reporters and fifteen wire service stories each day. Much of the wire service mater- ial is included in the six summary "Today" columns. These include short news items arranged under standing heads, such as "Michigan Today" or the "War Today." Others in- clude news from Lansing; Washington, D.C., and one titled 113 simply the "Nation Today." Each of the copy editors reg- ularly edits items that are used in these columns. The copy chief, Thompson, selects stories to be used in the columns. Rather than giving copy editors responsibility for selecting these stories, he said he chooses them him- self to maintain continuity. Many of the items were pre- ceded by or will likely be followed by another story, and Thompson contends that it is important for one person to have an overview of the columns and the entire news con- tent Of the newspaper. This person, he said, should be responsible for the selection of items for the summary columns, as well as other wire service copy. After Thompson allocates space and specifies content, copy edi- tors are responsible for writing the headlines and editing copy to fit within the allotted space. One copy editor described the copy desk procedure as a team effort with the work load distributed evenly and fairly. Other than specialty copy handled by the various copy editors, no particular system is used in distributing copy to be edited. Each copy editor is simply given another story to edit when he finishes the previous one. The deadline for copy, with the exception of copy for page A-1 and A—3, the local page, is 10 a.m. At that time, all inside page copy for that day's edition is to be in the composing room. After that time, work for that day's edition is devoted to copy for page A-1 and the continuation, 114 44 The deadline for these pages or "jump," and A-3 pages. is 11:30 a.m. Afternoons are spent editing copy for the next day's editions or for editions several days in the future. Whenever spot color is run, copy for that page is due at noon one day before the date of publication. Copy for the "Periscope" section is due in the composing room at 2 p.m. the day before it is to appear in the paper. Copy editors check most page proofs only for the accuracy of headlines. Accuracy of both copy and headlines is checked on page proofs for the “Periscope" section page on which the local editorial and columns appear and on pages with color. Thompson explained that deadlines other than these are self-imposed by the copy desk and can be adjusted to accommodate vacations and other irregularities when all copy editors are not present. Apparently, because of the nature of their jobs, ' few of the copy editors take work home, completing vir- tually all their work while at the Saga office. Miss Martineau said she takes work home about two or three times monthly while other copy editors said the extent of their work outside the Saga office consisted only of read- ing material related to their jobs. 44The "jump" page is used to continue stories from other pages. Newspapers often continue a story from the front page into an inside page. 115 Each copy editor regularly edits stories written by city desk reporters. A general pattern exists here with Anderson handling business-related news, Puravs handling education-oriented news, Miss Martineau handling entertainment copy, and Koontz editing city hall stories. COpy editors said they are supervised by Thompson, and this supervision is largely limited to Thompson read- ing the headlines they write. Because of the daily volume of copy edited, it is not likely that Thompson or Middlesworth would be able to re-read each story after a copy editor had completed editing and writing a headline for the story. If Thompson or Middlesworth finds the head- line unsatisfactory, it is given back to the copy editor to be rewritten. Since the work of the copy editors is seldom re-checked, the copy editors have a great deal of power in determining what will finally go into the paper. Copy desk personnel perform an important function in guarding against errors in style and in fact. But they also shoulder a greater responsibility. It was to this burden that the question "what freedom do you have in carrying out your responsibility" assumed great importance. Each copy editor judged his freedom as ranging from considerable to complete. The only restrictions noted were those necessitated by space requirements. For example, if the copy desk chief designated a story to run three 116 columns wide with thirty lines to be eliminated from the original copy, the copy editor was obliged to follow these instructions, even if he felt the story should be printed in its entirety and merited a five-column wide headline. Such instructions from the copy desk chief were noted as virtually the only restriction imposed prior to publication. There is, of course, also the subtle restriction that copy is given to a particular editor to edit. In the case of the Saga, Thompson makes the decision as to which wire stories will be used on all but the front page. The copy editors do not, quite simply, have the freedom to go to the wire, select and edit a story,and then send it to the composing room to be set in type. This cannot be con- sidered a true restriction on the freedom of the copy edi- tor. Responsibility for content rests with the editors, not with those who edit the copy. Copy editors said they were never asked or told to change the meaning of a story or to "play down" its, significance by rearranging paragraphs. One copy editor said, however, that such words as "hell" or "damn" may be struck from copy, depending on which individual was acting as copy chief on a given day. Related to this question was that of "sacred cows.‘I Copy editors were asked if they were instructed to edit copy to provide special coverage of a certain topic or per- son. Topics which c0py editors believe received special 117 consideration were much the same as those noted by reporters assigned to the city desk--advertisers, General Motors,and the business community in general. One problem unique to the COpy desk is the question of preferential treatment for certain reporters. Copy edi- tors were asked if they are hesitant to edit the work of certain reporters. Simply, did a copy editor avoid making what he considered necessary changes in a story because the reporter was a "sacred cow" himself? Or was this hesitancy because the copy editor saw the reporter as more knowledge- able about the subject than the COpy editor? Responding to this question, one copy editor said that editing the work of Henderson and Tucker, two of the "old timers“ assigned to the city desk,called for extra caution: "I feel they know more about the subject than I do. I rarely will do much with their copy." Another comment: "I don't mess with Henderson's copy.“ Aside from copy written by Henderson and Tucker, copy editors said they do not hesitate to make changes in copy written by other reporters. The frequency and extent of revision actually undertaken varied. One c0py editor said he rewrites the lead paragraphs of about six stories in one week. Another said he rewrites several paragraphs of at least six dif- ferent stories written by the city desk staff each week. And, another copy editor said that he did little rewriting. 118 He said it is necessary for reporters to develop an indi- vidual style, rather than be regimented through copy desk editing. 'Despite possibilities for "sacred cows" and other nuances, such as pressure from the copy desk chief, editors, and ordinary deadline pressures, all of which often inhibit‘ the quality of copy editing, those assigned to the copy desk appear to have as much freedom in performing their jobs as those assigned elsewhere. That these individuals felt they had virtually complete freedom in editing no doubt greatly aids in the performance of their duties. As discussed ear- lier, the only restriction expressed by a few was in editing copy written by the older reporters. But this appears more as a self-imposed restriction and deference to the fact that these reporters are more experienced and possibly more fa- miliar with the subject than the COpy editors. The remainder of this chapter will discuss two news operations that differ markedly from those examined in pre- ceding chapters. These are the two weekly magazines, "Valley" and "Woods and Waters." "Valley" Magazine Readers find this magazine with Sunday editions of the News. It is a twelve-page, tabloid-size insert that uses a six-column wide, fourteen-inch deep format. The magazine carries few advertisements,which leaves it Open 119 for extensive use of photographs and layout possibilities not available in daily editions of the newspaper. It is allocated forty-four columns weekly for news content of the total seventy-two columns, but often more news space is available since all twenty-eight columns of advertising are not sold. The news content of the magazine is geared to the reader familiar with Saginaw. A typical issue contains three or four stories, most Of which are written by Sag: reporters. Very little syndicated or wire service copy is used. A typical issue contained, among others, a story about Mexican-Americans, a personality sketch of a well- known Saginaw resident,and a feature about a Saginaw land- mark. The editor and only Saga staff member assigned to "Valley" is Daniel I. Brandon. Brandon joined the Saga staff in 1968 and joined the magazine at its inception. He remained a reporter for the magazine until September, 1969, when its focus was changed considerably and he assumed the editorship. He had no previous media experience before joining the Saga staff after his graduation from college. When "Valley" was born in March, 1969, it was staffed by three reporters and one editor. It then pro- vided coverage of the geographic area from which it de- rived its name--the Saginaw Valley, which includes commun- ities within a triangle bordered by the cities of Saginaw, 120 Midland, and Bay City. At that time, the staff covered much of the news now covered by area desk personnel. Important meetings, such as those of city councils, boards of education,and the like were covered in Bay City and Midland by "Valley" reporters. The magazine staff did not concentrate on news of those communities in the detail as the city desk reporters now cover the news of Saginaw. In- stead, writers concentrated on major news events and would often featurize stories so they would be adaptable to the weekly publication of the magazine. Since September, 1969, the magazine's focus has changed. Where it was once oriented to news from the Saginaw Valley, emphasis is now placed on news primarily of interest to Saginaw area residents. It is these people who know of the institutions and problems discussed in its columns. But, the stories are still written so anyone outside Saginaw would likely find them interesting and informative without having specific knowledge of persons or subjects covered. Brandon is supervised by the news editor, Michael Middlesworth. This supervision, according to Brandon, is limited to discussions among the various editors who meet weekly to plan weekend coverage and the main story for "Valley." The involvement of other editors in the content planning is important since much of the work appearing in the magazine is written by News staff writers. Brandon 121 said he has complete responsibility in organizing and editing the magazine once a decision is reached about the main story. Brandon estimated that he writes about 25 percent of the copy and that city desk staff contributions comprise 50 percent. The remaining 25 percent is drawn from wire service copy and that submitted by free lance writers. Par- ticipation of the staff comes when Brandon asks a reporter to write a story or the city editor volunteers a story that needs the layout possibilities of the magazine. Copy that is written by city desk reporters but is to appear in "Valley“ is first read by the city editor or assistant city editor and then given to Brandon who edits the story for the content and tone he hopes to achieve. Wire service or syndicate-provided copy that may be appro- priate for the magazine is given to Brandon by Middlesworth or a copy editor. Brandon then has the responsibility of choosing photographs and laying out the magazine once he has made content and editing decisions. "Valley" provides a convenient outlet for stories written by the city desk staff and others that can simply not be given adequate space in the daily newspaper. AS noted in Chapter IV and V, reporters consider "Valley" their only regular writing activity outside assignments for their respective editors. 122 Brandon considers that he has virtually complete freedom in choosing stories and planning layout. At no time has another editor insisted he include a story in the magazine, although an editor, such as the city editor, could order the inclusion of a story. Brandon said the major limitation he faces in editing the magazine is the size of the staff. Because he is the only Saga employee assigned to the magazine, Brandon said he finds it diffi- cult to report on major news topics of importance to Saginaw readers. Mechanical problems also cause some difficulty in planning news coverage. A color photograph is often run on the cover and,because of production details involved, the magazine's main story must be planned three weeks in advance. Copy deadlines preclude any immediate comment on breaking news. For example, all copy and photographs, with the exception of the color cover, must be in the com- posing room nine days before the publication date. This is the final deadline; in reality, copy must be written almost two weeks before publication to allow time for editing and layout. Because of these limitations, it is almost a ne- cessity that the magazine follow a feature format and one that is dominated by stories that have little immediate time value. 123 "Woods and Waters" Magazine This other flaga_weekly magazine differs markedly in content from "Valley," although editing and supervision procedures are similar. "Woods and Waters" is much more of a specialized magazine and appeals to those primarily interested in outdoor activities. It does not cover news only of traditional outdoor sports, such as hunting and fishing, but also includes news of widely diversified sports, such as snowmobiling in the winter and sailing in the summer. An issue typical of the weekly offering con- tained the following: A story about reclamation of lakes, a story about fishing, and another about a Saginaw man who raises buffalo. Although it is not the general interest magazine like “Valley," it prints stories that would in- terest anyone even mildly concerned with the outdoors. "Woods and Waters“ is a tabloid-size insert in Sun- day editions. Like "Valley," it is twelve pages in all and uses a six-column, fourteen—inch deep format. It, too, is allocated forty-four columns for news, but seldom are the twenty-eight available columns of advertising sold, so usually there is more room for news. The editor of the magazine is Frank Szarenski, the former city editor of the Saga, The magazine was started in January, 1971,and is the only magazine of its type published by any of the Booth newspapers. Szarenski is the only staff member assigned to the magazine and in this ca- pacity he also serves as the News outdoors editor. 124 He has worked for the Saga eleven years. Prior to his assignment as outdoors editor, he was city editor for one and one-half years and,before that, assistant city editor for four years. Other assignments at the Saga in- cluded coverage of city hall and police news. Prior to joining the Naga_staff, he worked as a reporter for the Marquette (Michigan) Mining:Journal. Although the organization chart shows that Szarenski is supervised by the managing editor, Harold Lappin, he said he receives no direct supervision from Lappin. Like Brandon, Szarenski said he has complete freedom in editing and layout of the magazine. Decisions on content are made entirely by Szarenski,and,although editors meet weekly to discuss week- end news coverage, "Woods and Waters" is not a part of that conference. Much of the copy appearing in "Woods and Waters" is written by Szarenski. He estimated he writes 60 percent while 20 percent is written by the outdoors writer assigned to the Grand Rapids Press, another Booth newspaper. The re- mainder originated through wire service copy and free lance contributions. One or two reporters assigned to the city desk said that they contribute to the magazine occasionally. Although "Woods and Waters" has early deadlines, this is seldom a problem since the content of the magazine is seasonal. COpy must be in the composing room nine days before the date of publication, which is not a hindrance 125 to a season that lasts three months, although the dead- line does preclude immediate comment on breaking news re- lated to outdoor activities. Other than his magazine duties, Szarenski is re- sponsible for writing a weekly column that appears on the outdoor page in Thursday editions of the Saga. Copy for this page is edited by the city editor and is included in the sports section of Thursday editions. Szarenski also compiles weekly reports of various hunting and fishing conditions and other related outdoor activities. These, too, are included in the four columns allocated in Thurs- day editions. That Szarenski has complete freedom is illustrated somewhat in the hours he works. Although he is paid on the basis Of a thirty-seven and one-half hour week, he said he often works overtime as much as fifteen hours with- in a week. Because of the nature of the magazine, Szarenski often schedules appointments during other than routine work- ing hours. He estimated that only one-third of his work week, or twelve hours, is spent in the Saga office. Of all those employed by the Saga in a writing and editing capacity and questioned in this study, Szarenski probably has the most freedom in carrying out his job. He said he originated the idea for the magazine late in 1970 and the concept was approved by the editor and managing 126 editor. Because he is so thoroughly acquainted with out- door activities, and it is his job to report this news, Szarenski enjoys freedom away from the newsroom that is unknown to other reporters and editors. The two magazines, although an important part of the Saginaw News weekend editions, cannot truly be con- sidered as a part of the daily news operations. Since each is written and edited largely by one individual, they are removed from the news gathering routine of the Saga. Editors find their stories, write them, or have them writ- ten, edit the copy, layout pages, write headlines, and se- lect pictures--a process that several individuals are in- volved with in copy written for other desks. It is difficult to describe the job of a man who has such complete responsibility. While the work of re- porters may be collectively discussed, as has been done in the preceding chapters, it is not possible to examine the work of the two magazine editors in the same way. This is not meant as a criticism of their work or of the value of their magazines, but simply an explanation that they do not fit into the daily routine and procedures of the Saginaw News. The following chapter will discuss others with a part in those proceedings--the photographers and others, such as librarians and telephone operators. Their jobs will not be examined in the detail found here and in 127 Chapters IV, and V, but instead will be presented to form a well-rounded picture of those involved in newsroom opera- tion and management. CHAPTER VII MISCELLANEOUS DEPARTMENTS OF THE SAGINAW NEWS The preceding chapters have delved into the jobs of those responsible for reporting, writing,and editing news appearing in the Saginaw News. This chapter will examine three other operations integral to the smooth functioning of the newsroom. These are the photography department, the library,and telephone operations. Most readers take for granted that there will be pictures in the paper and that,for some reason, the newspaper has all knowledge known to mankind at its fingertips. It is im- portant to understand the functions of these operations. Photography Department This department has one director, four photogra- phers,and one technician who occasionally fills photo- graphic assignments. All are issued cameras by the Napa, The equipment varies considerably. One photographer is issued three cameras and seven lenses provided by the Saga, while others have one or two cameras and about the same number of lenses. Each photographer, with the 128 129 exception of the director, has a small darkroom in the Nagg_building in which he develops negatives and prints pictures. In addition to the five small darkrooms, there is one large facility set up for color processing. It is seldom used for that purpose and,instead,the darkroom is used by the director and any of the other photographers wishing to make use of the special equipment not found in their own darkrooms. Each photographer is responsible for printing vir- tually all photographs he takes. The technician is kept busy taking studio photographs and processing film exposed by reporters assigned cameras by the Saga and occasionally by area correspondents. The technician also is responsible for printing photographs ordered and paid for by flaga_ readers. The Naaa_studio is used primarily for taking por- traits. The news department, rather than the advertising department, makes the greatest use of this facility. Gen- erally, whenever the Saaa_library begins a file on a Saginaw area resident who has made news, through a promo- tion, for example, that person will be asked to come to the studio so a portrait may be taken. The negatives are then retained by the library. Zinc plates are made when the person's photograph is used in the newspaper. The director of photography is Wilbur E. Gustafson. He has been an employee of the News for twenty-five years, 130 coming to the newspaper from a studio he owned that spe- cialized in portrait and industrial work. He has been in the supervisory position in the department, although the title has changed, for the last five years. Prior to that, he was a photographer. His duties now include assigning and scheduling photographers, determining if the photogra- pher got the most from his assignment,and coordinating photographic coverage for "Valley" magazine and other spe- cial projects. He also is responsible for assigning equip- ment to the various photographers. The technician of the department is Cliff James, an employee of the flaga_for one year. Prior to that assign- ment he was advertising manager and photographer for sixteen years at the Frankenmuth (Michigan) Saga. His duties, other than those already discussed, are maintenance of the Associated Press and United Press International wire photo machines, clerical duties, such as filing of negatives, and radio operator of the citizens band radio linkage between the Sapa_building and photographers' cars. The four photographers are: Curtis T. Leece. An employee of the flaaa_for fourteen years, Leece worked for the newspaper seven years before that in a part-time capacity. He is a general as- signment photographer but specializes in color separation. He also repairs cameras and electronic equipment owned by 131 meme» ON meow» ON OLOON O— NO "OOOOLO>< mOONNOO EOOOOO NOOO AOO .mOOPNoo memo» ozN LOOOOLOONOOO meow» NF mama» NN meme» mp we Ozocumz .m OOONOO NuOOcm>OOO :OOOOOOZ chucmo .coOpOLuOO -OOEO< OOchOOm ..m.m LOOOONOONOOO OLOON N OLOON N OLOON XN ON FpmgopOz .O EOOprz aOoNocsomN No ONOOONOOH cmpmmcoom OOOOLOOOOOO ..m.<.< LOOOOLOOOOOO memo» NN OLOOO NN meow» ON Om wommn .N OOOLOO OsoFOOO Noogom OOO: OOOOOO:OON New» NF gum» N Loo» F Fm OmsOO ONOFO OOO_FOO ONOOOOOO .mOm_Nou OLOON oz» OONOONOO meow» mN meme» mN menu» O NO coONOuOOO .N LOONO3 OsONOOO Noogum OOO: LOOOOLOONOOO OLOOO ON meow» OF meme» O_ me OgmemO .O ONOOOO ALHOOOOH Ozmz zucOOOm pcmEOOOOO< e OOONOOOON pcmEcOOOO< Ozmz :H ONO: cO ,wO< msmz OEOO eO OOOOOO Ozmz 3OOOOOm esp No OOOEOLOOOO OOOOLOONOOO mg“ ON OOOOOOO< chcoOLmO No OcaonguOm OOOOONOOOON Ocm.mucmwewaxm .NOOEOOOOO< ON m4mOpOume r. O O O _ LONOON OOOOOOOz LONOON LONOON m>Opaome ONOOOOOO< m>Ousumxm pcOuOOOO< _.Louwum m>OOOOONM4 _ OOOOOO mmmmm mmmu hmomhma uzh no onNO4 NFOEOO H A H A. OOOENLOOOO someam OOOOLOOOOOO Oemueoamm NONOOOO m 4 a OONOOO NOOO NOONOOOOO 8:3 3.6 NOSOOOOO III LONOON OLONOON OOOOOO NNOO NOONOOOOO ONO: NOOO all - a @323. 3.54 meteummzefl M LONNON OOOOOOO: LOOOONOOO OcO LONOON oa OOOOOOOO< 1. LOOONNOOO use LONOON 4 photography is supervised through the city desk, rather than the news editor, as is the case with the Saga. The remaining organization of the State Journal is similar to that of the Saga. Each of the other editors, shown in Figure 3, reports to the managing editor and is supervised by him. One area of difference between the two newspapers involves the State Journal's Sunday editor. This editor is responsible for assigning and editing fea- ture stories to appear in Sunday editions. Assigned to the editor is one assistant and an arts and music reporter. The Sunday editor draws on reporters assigned to the city 161 desk but must work with the city editor in clearing re- porters' time for Sunday stories. No comparable position exists at the Sega, What is perhaps most different in the Saga and State Journal comparison is the assistant city editor arrangement. Only one person is assigned to this position at the Saga, while three are at the State Journal. A par- tial explanation of this may be the greater number of re- porters assigned to the city desk; nineteen at the,§£§£§ Journal to twelve at the Saga, The State Journal's location in the capital of Michigan also plays a significant part.in the newsroom operation. The newspaper must cover news from the capital because of its geographic location as well as its overall importance to Michigan residents. Federated Publications maintains a three-man bureau to cover news of Michigan government and supplies this news to its other Michigan newspaper, the Battle Creek Enquirer, as well as the State Journal. The capital bureau is supervised, however, by the State Journal city desk. The city editor has the additional burden of coverage shared by no other city edi- tor in the state because of the presence of state govern- ment and its importance to the newspaper. Although a more detailed study would likely uncover other differences between the State Journal and News, the two newspapers, at least as sketched here, are very similar. 162 Much of this may be attributed to similarity in size, rather than similarities or dissimilarities in higher levels of news management personnel. Conclusion Although this study provides a detailed examin- ation of the newsroom operations of a medium-sized Ameri- can newspaper, the Saginaw News, much remains to be done if newspaper men and women are to better understand their profession. Similar studies could delve into the news- room jobs of the State Journal or the Free Press, or any newspaper. Much is yet to be learned about the intrica- cies of newsroom operations. Newspaper people must better understand their jobs and their responsibilities if they are to continue service to a society that desperately needs a knowledge- able and articulate press. And the best way to achieve some of that understanding is by holding newsroom decision making up to close scrutiny. Although the newspaper is the result of the talents of many individuals, readers think of it only as a newspaper, not a series of collec- tive skills. If readers do not Understand the complex- ities of the news gathering process, then it becomes particularly crucial that those in the profession better. understand their jobs and attendant responsibilities. APPENDICES APPENDIX I QUESTIONNAIRE USED IN INTERVIEWING Edward C. Hutchison JEN 899 Michigan State Univ. 1. Name: . Age: . Male/Female . Job title: - . 5. Years with present employer: . 4. Where did you work previously: . 5. Nature of work then: 6. High School graduate: yes/no. 7. Any college: yes/no. If so, where: . 8. Years of college: 1 2 3 4 5 6 9. Major and degree: T . lO. Duties and responsibilities of present position: 11- HOW long have you worked in your present position:______. 12. Previous position with present employer: 15. For how long: . 14. Days worked: Sun Mon Tues wed Thurs Fri Sat 15. Hours worked last week: to e 16. Total hours of regular shift:_~____. 1 O not. . l?.-—.i.’l'0."n‘~~ . ‘ w, 1.. ‘ .' '. l o ‘ I. n 'l I . . . . y ‘ .1 e ,. o ‘ 1 I 1 u I 4. . ' J . v - . . . . I ’ ' u f .u-~~ “0-... ‘F-A --..-. I. ”c—‘V -. . _ mum‘»’ r“~v-¢» - C O " . A w'v . -—..- ..' . _. . .,N. . O ' i AA - o.- nmnm ’5‘ s...0..-~' .O........... -4- .O. o o. v--..'. ‘ums. . . .. . . ”near-noun ,O..- “pom any“- n o N .-”0v 0 5‘1.-_ . .1 -‘ 4 4,4 - Ffi—‘u~“~.—D "O... c”. n-m.‘ sat-M“ --'~u-'~r' ~.-.- fl . ' , ‘ r - .- . . . -.. 1 L6 I E ' I \- - ,. J . ._c ' . \J ‘. ‘. .‘ Q a ' . e u - n 17.. e f e . . . , w A - 1 . ' p , , ‘. u _ J l ' . . I _ . . -....--. O.~ -. -- O t'v ",' e n I ‘. . —- - -----'~ .—» | 90» .. —_... ---~" f,- u’rnN‘ can-.. A C V ‘7 _ \' . I .‘ 7.; ' ' ‘ 9 . . . . . : O 0" O --~."-po-a"a‘- “s“.Q' ' -C‘r — G. ...u-NO-o «p w ' . -N-u‘~.flv' .“)I D'“. --N '1 ‘ . r . ~ _ u 1 ' q ‘ ’ _ '.‘-. _~ , ._. .. I . . <_‘:- .,- I- u. 3“ . ) ' ‘p v, 4 a a _,_ ..\ ... . , . . . ‘ .- . O l O Q a n...- l. ' . . ' . I ' ’0 - . rcfif-‘h nor-om 1‘ . O c ’ I’ g . .,a .,1 Q ‘I"h-> 6.... “u N... _. x . . let! ‘ '\"\ ‘.ss 7’ ,- v . o o a I O a. O O c‘X . . ,. . . . -N‘uoo-Ob hw cu...— .cumm-IAI-eh—p. 04-- -4..- -,.. \ O .‘ J .O' 1 L y... cos—- i _ u‘ --v . . , ,¢ - .r‘c ‘ D .. a co . ? 1 l . f 4“, 4 f ' L ,‘.' ., I l . h .s ,. A D n! o‘- O 2 17. Do you ever work overtime: yes/no. If so, do you work: Regularly Occasionally Seldom Never 18. When did you last work overtime: . . 19. Why did you work overtime then: 20. Hours overtime worked on that occasion: . 21. Hours overtime worked last week: . 22. Who supervises your work: 23; How are you supervised: 24: What freedom have you in carrying out your responsibilites: 25. Are you a general assignment or beat reporter: . Other: . 26. Who gives you your assignments: 27: Are assignments given to you through a memo, assign- ment sheet or in a daily conference with your supervisor: 28: Are ydu a member of a team or bureau: yes/no. If so, WhiCh: o 29. How many reporters are on the team or bureau: . “‘ ‘ . _ . , , I r . . ._ . .' ~ , . 1 - I ' ' ‘ - if . , .v ._ \L - .. -.. . A s'- ,- . *- \ - - ‘ v . - - , . . c . I K ‘q .1 'A. 1' . ‘. \ .' _ I . , . I l a _ .' I-. .. 4 . _ . n ‘. O . -< ~up’. .—.- -.§ ”A . . _...l _ -.. - . ‘ ‘ 7 ‘ ' h ‘ ’ - - , . ‘, . ' ’ 1 . ' » x v ~ 1 v' ‘ . '. n O L . ‘ l I . . _ . 1 , , k . . ‘g ) ~. 'n, ..._.. -4-..~ * ‘I' Mom ' ' ‘ H ' ' \ 1 , , . l‘ _ . 1' ' ., ' ' A - ‘ L V I a ‘ ‘ . . . - _ . , I \. l n r‘ 9*”! ‘*‘0‘-“r'~‘n-r ~~'- , sch «vu- ,.~ ~: In —-9 u. Q1-I... n- . .v‘._» v’-- .‘-—.-— #- ~~w~ f. “u . a...- v-v .> ¢ s ~a.» . a _ ~0- ch...-o. , ..._.., 4 O ‘ V A ’ \ .' ’ f 'I .' ' ' ‘ .‘I ‘ ’- - ' - ' 4. ‘ C u . . " ' - . f ~.;u ' {.1 . . 1- n [J - I; , .4 . _ n ' Q ‘ ' I . - A . I, .3 . ,""'; if“ "7 -‘ '7. ,' w ; "‘-'J - .' '3 ‘. '0. _L‘ .._... -. >. in 1,, ..u. 1 1.,'. . . .. . . , I V a . —o -tCK—u-m- -- on- “A e — on!" <---- 1~~~-*-< p‘- ”.4 u.» ---¢ .- '“'b.'-— gnaw... .' .§ -- -.—-- ~..Is~ . u-‘- d-.-«--.- : -'."¢-—.-" ‘ . v ‘ . ‘ ~ . -. ‘ .'r ’ . ' I n r. ‘ 'x \ . ‘ w : : ,...‘ . . ‘ ‘ ‘ . O O . .o . . ., . , .a‘ d , . .‘l—JQ‘A‘W‘“ 1...-- ' r ,', l o , '. - I ‘ .0 .. ,. —.— o . ‘ . _ ' .' ' t \ ' , ‘ . ‘ I, _a _ - .4 _ ..- ~ - . , ”I “a u f . c.’¢-,—o—..c—r .5-..— Que u . ' r . nfu" ' ,. . . --‘ — ~ ‘.‘ P g p. . , - —‘. "..' : - 1; -- ‘ . 2" i-\ \ 'i - -- ‘ . wL-xI ~',. . C - . . ,, l ‘- v - 7 . . -- ,, ' - ' _ ' ‘ .7 - . . L .- ' ’t ' .' _ . ‘1 ' . i 4 v, . g , - . a. ‘. L _ fill s ' . J a' | - . - . .' . o - — . _- p . , , ... a -.’-‘ nan-fl-ov—uu ~--O¢~'vg"-" -m— _-..~...e-O o..— r-‘qu— “flu“ u““ol--§I-lm —- w *_-~-w—-~-- ‘ 1 ‘ l ' - o4 . . .‘wo co 0 ~U¢ln m... .21» . ‘ G‘ 'M'IQI‘VI. ) Q Avail- - ‘0‘ I“ 5 50. What do the other reporters cover: 51; What was the last team or bureau effort story: 52. What was your involvement in the story: 55: Which team members or other reporters worked on the story: 34: How do you divide the work: 55. How is it decided who does the reporting/writing on on a team or bureau project: 36. Do you do any work for other sections of the paper, such as: Sunday Sports Magazine Other: . Regularly Occasionally Seldom Never 37. If so, what is the nature of the work: 38. What do you do when you come across a story or news tip that is not on your beat: 39: Do you pass on news tips to other reporters: Regularly Occasionally Seldom‘ Never (Times last week: ) u... v . . . ‘ . u ‘ .v n. u ‘ _. . a ’ . u ‘ . t..~.-.o. - ”II-"J. . §*"~ .. u ’r . .u“"' v v . o. . v a a up.-. '_.. .- . . u . V . . _~‘ qlfi'.- . 6 ._-.-o—-‘0' -.. i" . \ . _ . . - r ‘ e ‘. . . ‘0' ’ ' . ‘a ‘ _-A j . 'v." 7 _ Q . l - \ — ' v .i‘ . . ‘t v I ‘ 5 . - I. x ‘ ‘\... “ . cul- .an“ "“ A. .-..’r*v .. l' 1 4 \ . . K' ‘n v .‘w _.'.—.pA 4 40. Do other reporters on the staff ever suggest news stories to you: R Regularly Occasionally Seldom Never (Times last week: ) 41. Are you expected to produce any minimum or set number of stories each day: 42. How many stories did you write yesterday: 45. How 'many news sources did you talk with -— either in person or by telephone -- yesterday: . 44. Do you write your own copy or use a rewrite man: 45. Do you telephone stories in: Regularly Occasionally Seldom Never 46. Do you get approval for each story telephoned in:_______, 47. If so, from whom: . 48. who takes your story over the telephone: 49. What percentage of the stories you write are assigned by the city desk or your supervisor: 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 50. What percentage- comes through routine beat coverage: 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 51. What percentage comes through a story idea you initiated: 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 52. What percentage comes through handouts or rewrites: 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% . . x u _ u I - v . .L. . ' . v a -- n: a... >_.- .. ...---~ . 0-wa- 1—5.‘ .. . — » -- c - _. - 4;--- 4‘ . —. .o --~ > n."- O*---4' ' ~ -‘ . n l . ,, f” . ‘ I - . . . .n k . 1 ‘ 4 r J 1. . . V ‘ V — ‘ I . ~ ~ I . . ' ., . I -.-<4 » ., m: -——-w-- ow ; o -l 0‘ I ’ ~ I _ ’ i u u o C ' ‘ n . a . I 4 ‘ ' 1, .v .0... o- n—o‘u. s: _ -, - < . . , - . o , \ 4‘ ‘ . 7 - . . ‘ ‘ ~ ~ ‘ . ---.~‘ « -7 . 1 . . . _ , - r . v j u . § , ‘ ‘ - r. ' . . '4 \ . '\ .‘.‘ « ' . . , '. ' - .0— A —— I e . \ . , a . A - \- a..- < - -~ . . >. .4 ~. ~ v s . , . , . . . v \ I ‘ . ,J . ‘ 9 - c. -Cfi-r-‘O'§ -.‘-.- . V-.--'. ..p— .\ .n .. -.~ ..-._. . Iv;~‘-r' - . -._ v - -1- - - 4- -- --» .-. -~ - ' ' , ‘ ‘ . » _ |. u . ‘ u . ’ ‘ " . v . - " F ' ' - . ~, . . .s , A . t . ‘ .‘ V . i ,A 1 I . ‘ v . I , . .‘ 4 , , . , . ' . n _ _ . I ‘ ' . ' ‘ a " 1 I ‘ : ‘ A t \ , \ ' g \ . 1 1 ‘ J l.- ‘I I _ ‘ « - .. r L . .- . * - . n . . j n . _ ‘ . - O n . ‘ ' I ‘ l . p . \. x . - ‘ - . . y . . r v I ‘, i g t ‘ 5 55. 0f the stories you write from "tips," where do the majority of the "tips" come from: 54. How much time do you usually spend in the office daily: 55. How much time did you spend in the office yesterday: 56. What part of your work (writing, planning stories, telephoning, etc.) do you do in the office: 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 57. Do you take work home with you: Regularly Occasionally Seldom Never 58. What kind of work, related to your job, do you take home: 59. In addition to your regular duties, do you have any additional work assigned to you: yes/no. If so, what: 60. Do you do any additional jobs for the newspaper on a volunteer basis: yes/no. If so, what are they: (Editors) 61. Do you attend a daily news conference: yes/no. 62. Who attends these conferences: 65. What is decided in these conferences: 64. Do you attend a weekly news conferences that discusses feature ideas and weekend story ideas: yes/no. O I u-Qv . .. Q A 0 ‘.-v.-... ~.s.-~~ . .. 1 (A . I u n . "r‘l’ \ v wry- i o . .«‘ ‘ ; ~u--a-.. b — ‘v u . c 1 .0 .- . -.r-. ax —~--q-a r... -. -’.~ .--, -. u a - n. 1 I ... -... -., 6 65. Who attends these weekly conferences: 66. How often and when does this conference meet: 67. What is decided in these conferences: (Editors) 68. Which desk or department do you supervise: . 69. How many reporters are assigned to your desk/dept.: 70. Of the copy that comes to your desk, how much have your previously assigned: 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 71. How much comes from routine meeting or beat coverage: 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 72. How much from reporter initiative: 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 75. How much from rewrite of handouts, press releases: 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 74. Do you use a futures book to keep track of story ideas or assignments: yes/no. 75. Describe your system of keeping track of upcoming stories and events: 76. Do yongost a daily assignment sheet: yes/no. 77. If so, is the assignment sheet used mostly as a re- minder to the reporter of a story previously assigned who... ..-.-.-.—.« ‘- .qu. - '0.‘ - .u.... .-. ..~Wn ".., 0' O I ‘1 i .. ‘. o y-l. ‘r ' £ (' ' 9 '. ',,; --.- a . ‘._- -v" . " r ' I a . 'I . 1 . , u -« . II . _ , , 0 v» - . _ v ' v c ‘ ‘ 4 ~ ' I“ 7 or for new story assignments: 78. Do you have a daily conference with each reporter:yes/no. 79. If so, what is the nature of this conference: 80. When and for how long do you usually confer with the reporter: 31; Do you have regular staff meetings: yes/no. 82. If so, how often: . 85. Who attends these meetings: 84. What is discussed in these meetings: 85. Is attendance Optional: yes/no. 86. Are reporters required to check in with you before starting the day's work: yes/no. 87. Are they required to check you with you before leaving for the day: yes/no. 88. What pages are your responsible for editing and laying out: 89. Do you write headlines for these pages: yes/no. 90. Do you decide story placement on all these pages: yes/no. .'~, an“ C *4. .9 .- o . .’ z . .. . a. _.-" ' ‘ a A. ' ‘ A . O ' . . . i ‘ - u g ' ‘ . ‘ .. .. . . I7-" "' ' _ .-o , I .. .-I ' \ ' ' l . t : ’ . ' ’ | . s» ‘ u pun-.0..- w "H~’--. 0‘ V‘ I. f I O ‘ .. . . ‘ l L ' ‘ ‘ ‘ r I ’- Da . . 4 u \ ‘ u n ,—o . -,“-“-w“. . ., . , ‘ A 4 ‘ ‘ , o ‘ C . v’ I I l ' ‘ ‘ . I “a; .. ~"’ ”on. . l C C A . . ' a . . ~ ' .u. '- . _- oA D . Q l o . v " .v qua .‘.' u Hoh' 8 91. If not, who makes the placement decisions: 92. Are you involved in the decision of what news goes on page one: yes/no. 95. Do you desiginate or slug stories for page one: yes/no. 94. Do these stories then appear on page one: Regularly Occasionally Seldom Never 95. Do you decide what headline sizes are used on page one: yes/no. 96. Do you decide the position of stories on page one: yes/no. 97. Are you involved in picture selection for page one: yes/no. 98. Do you decide what wire copy will be used: yes/no. 99. If so, is this state, national, financial or other cepy: . 100. Is the wire budget discussed in a daily news confer- ence: yes/no. 101 Do you edit and write headlines for wire copy: yes/no. 102. Do you decide where wire copy is to be placed on the page: yes/no. 105. Do you decide what syndicated material will be used on a daily basis: yes/no. 104. If yes, which: 105. What is the basis of your decision: Q. _.-.. win .I V . .V ' a.‘ g 57 ~. a a r. v . D n ‘ c4 . I .-— -‘h r“ 4 _ a .~§+4~-» . . I . w a shoe--- :} .’ ' , , n. .0, . . . . . o.- v». I 4 \ l , u '0 u.- ,~ .4.- » r . .. n40--.“- - o - u . l . \ I k ‘ ~- ~wv- t u u v ‘ .. .1- c I . ' ...—.“->-q A.- \ u 4 ‘ - 2.] ~ . v - C . r A .--. no. I . - ..-.o. u an». %--..‘- I I I . . . v ' , .-. I ‘ I . . , l . v ,! 2. v -\ ' I t . r L . . 4 ' f . .0 ‘ .n.‘ ”In... “C- l-.'I' I 2 I x . . , - ‘ . '. ' n o c A ‘, -~*~~V"- .- . I . . A. h . . . . w ' d - o 4 l o . --“.I-- o - Q \ -\ ~ Q , 1 'v ‘ J n n C . ' ... c 4 , ‘u . b o 4 “or . u-..._. 106. 9 Do you make decisions involving the purchase of syndicated material: yes/no. (Reporters, editors, photographers) 107. Do you originate picture assignments: Regularly Occasionally Seldom Never 108. Do you decide what picture will be used: yes/no. 109. Do you decide page placement of pictures: yes/no. 110. Do you crop pictures: yes/no.. ' 111. Do you write cutlines for pictures: yes/no. 112. Are you responsible for identification in pictures: yes/no. 115. Do you lay out picture pages: yes/no. (Photographers) 114. Of the pictures you take, (not negatives, but assignments) what percentage gets in the paper: 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 115- What PGIcentage of the pictures you take that appear in the paper originated as'a specific assignment: 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 116. What percentage of the pictures you take that appear in the paper were speculation or initiative shots: 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% (Copy editors:) 117. Desk: . Supervisor and title: 118. Nature of copy handled: “a a.-- (.04 v.“ ‘. ‘.§~l‘- ‘nI--D’.. .I ' v ~ \ -. (V. v , ~ . . 0 x ‘ \_ _ , \I I L'. . . ,‘ r" . I ‘. . we. . . . If \ .00 m-m‘wm. *- .n - - -,r.‘ . I q - . u a . ‘6 ' ' lg. . J , n \ \ “v‘n..-. Aw l~-~- .._... .27... fl -‘A- .\~ “A n a i '. . . ‘1 . _‘, r3 ". .-.--.- ’ vr . .f, 1 A‘ A I t a" . ., , ‘m o. a .. 1.5..- ”M -g, I L. . . . A . l ' I u . ’ , I . A ‘ ‘7. . A: , ‘u ‘ r VI - . , . a . ' ‘ . a 4 -——~.—. - Lyyn-F ' .~ A n ' v.3. - . v . "‘ :7 ‘ . u ' . —-.-« “0--AV. M — Us ' —FI"-w-w--' t I . “ i .1 ; Q A , . u . n , u I - n .. 1 ac- ..q.,. , I u . < u ' . u . 1 Cu.“ 4 u n a“ ,a I . I . I 1‘ b ...i .- { * . \ . . - . J 1 ‘ O ' w.-‘~‘ I . . v 'v 4 . . .. r . It. .‘ _ -L D ‘ l ' , f 4 l I ‘ O O n ‘ “ ‘ ~4 ' A ,. v .. . . i ‘ , .4. - o. u-..- " ). . . . ' v . . , . . ~-"d~.'~'v" A ....,7.-.-,.. - . .-.~ \ .. \ . .‘ovk; I n in. ”v, . . .u—n» .1... I .«nrw-n. .- ~...—. ‘ I\ .‘k . . . . . 4 o '-.‘."‘ «‘0 r . I n““- ’ \ O . .a ‘ : ~l . as — -.. .wcuou- .- « V I ,- ¢ \ n l . , . a. . . Q \l : 3, ~' "- ’ k z‘ ’ _l \ ‘ .- o . ‘ ,,. I .| I... . l, ' , A, ,. I . . ‘ ‘ u u- I .4- —. an ..-.'.‘ - I. - \ - b . \ xv \ . l . :l 1 '\ ‘ - - l . c' a 0 .' I “ , . . ‘7' , . . . . . i - . I : , u o. . ‘ - I l 1 l I t I I ... .7 a-.. . u - ‘ v - .. V ‘ O I . >l v _". r_-~-.-< . . 4 I ._ O ‘ a . I I“ D ‘ , a lO 119. Of the copy you edit, do you write headlines: yeS/no. If not, who does: i, . 120. Of the copy you edit, do you decide page placement and size of headlines; yes/no. If not, who does: . 121. Do you edit any particular copy on a daily basis: yes/no. 122. If yes, which COpy: 123. Do you edit and write headlines for dunday copy: yes/no. 124. Do you edit copy and write headlines for any special section: yes/no. Section: . 125. Do you make up pages: Regularly Occasionally Seldom Never 126. If so, which pages: 127. Do you com ile an index, summary, or other regular, routine feature: yes/no. 128. If yes, which: v_ v 4‘ ,-il. .. v fi_. 129. Do you have responsibility for the content: yes/no. 150. If no, who has content responsibility:v‘fifi_ .1 151. Do you decide page and placement for these features: yes/no. 152. If no, who makes the decision of page and placement: (copy editors) 153. How many local stories did you edit yesterday:mr‘w . "~11 -‘-.. .s... ~- .w a... ..-. .~-.-— .— . /19/71 155: 1550 156: 137: 11 How Many wire stories did you edit yesterday: Did you lay out any pages yesterday: yes/no. If so, which pages: Do you write headlines for all the stories you edit: yes/no. _ 3". u I *— u-oluu‘ .‘Olh a...- s 71.- v-O..-‘-‘ APPENDIX 11 DAILY BEAT REPORT AND PHOTOGRAPH ASSIGNMENT FORM 174 DAY OF THE WEEK BEAT Coming for today Coming for tomorrow Story ideas Initial 175 secessioccs succespuu< ou nmgm>Pqu mucpga an umcmvmm< mama Locamgmopoza .11 an um>ogan< mcrpummo onwm magapuwa mo,.oz ucmscmvmm< wcmum pm pumpcoo mumF¢ pcmscmrmm< opozm mzoz zmcwmmm mswh use mama APPENDIX III NEWSROOM LAYOUT OF THE SAGINAW NEHS 176 FIGURE 4 Newsroom Layout of the gaginaw News 2. 20. 22. 22. 22. 8. 3. 8. 8. 7. 8. 5. .___l 7. 7. 4. - | 7. l 7. 3. See Legend, p. 178. -_.— — h — — 177 FIGURE 4.--Cont1nued \\.\\ 21. I 9. 10. 11. I 13. I14. I... 16. 16. 16. 19. 10. ll. 178 NEWSROOM LAYOUT OF THE SAGINAW NEWS LEGEND Reception counter Entrance to editor's office Managing editor's office Conference room "Valley" magazine "Woods and Waters" magazine Women's desk personnel City desk reporters Assistant city editor City editor Managing editor 12. l3. 14. 15. l6. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. Sports desk personnel News editor Copy desk chief Copy editors Area desk personnel Farm reporter Entrance to wire room Entrance to photography department Editorial writer's office Library Library clipping files BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Ayer, N. W., and Son. Directory of Newspapers, Magazines and Trade Publications. PhiladeTphia: Ayer, 1971. Emery, Edwin. The Press in America. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1962. Golenpaul, Dan., ed. Information Please Almanac. New York: Dan Golenpaul Associates, 1971. G. and C. Merriam Co. Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield, Mass.: G. and C. Merriam Co., 1967. . Webster's Third New International Dictionary. Springfield, Mass.: 6. and C. Merriam Co., 1966. Mills, James C. History of Saginaw County Michigan. Vol. 1. Saginaw, Mich.: Seeman and Peters, Pub- lishers, l918. Pollard, James E. Principles of Newspaper Management. New York: Mc-Graw Book Co., 1937. Rucker, Frank W. and Williams, Herbert L. Newspaper 0r anization and Management. 2nd ed. Ames, Iowa: e Iowa State university Press, l965. Thayer, Frank. Newspaper Business Management. New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc.: 1954. United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Cen- sus. Population, Vol. III. Part 1, Alabama- Missouri. Washington,D.C.: Government Printing Office, l932. United States Census of Population: l960. Char- acteristics of the Population, Michigan. Part 24. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1962. T79 lBO . United States Census of Population: l960. DetailedICHaracteristics. Final Report PC (1) 24F. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1962. . United States Census of Population: 1970. Final Population Counts, Michigan. Advance Report PC (VI) 24. Washington, D.C.: Govern- ment Printing Office, 197l. Articles in Periodicals Bowers, David R. "A Report on Activity by Publishers in Directing Newsroom Decisions." Journalism Quar- terly, XLIV (Spring, 1967). pp. 43-52. DeMott. John. "Behavior Models for the Editor." Nieman Reports, (December, 1969), pp. 2l-24. Deutschmann, Paul J. "Predicting Newspaper Staff Size from Circulation." Journalism Quarterly, XXXVI (Summer, l959), pp. 351-3. Jermain, Leonard L. and Rafferty, Keen. "College Back- grounds of Staffs of American Daily Newspapers," Journalism Quarterly, XXXI (Fall, l954), pp. 491-4. Odendahl, Eric. "College Backgrounds of Staffs of American Daily Newspapers." Journalism Quarterly, XLII (Summer, 1965), pp. 163—4: Swanson, Charles E. "Midcity Daily: The News Staff and Its Relation to Control." Journalism QuarterLy, XXVI (March, 1949). pp. 20-8. The Saginaw News, June 15, 1969, March 12, 15-l6, l967. Thomas, Dana L. "Lords of the Press? Political and Legal Hurdles are Mounting for 'Monopoly' Newspapers." Barron{§,July 8, 1968, p. 5. Unpublished Materials Audit Bureau of Circulations. Audit Report of the Detroit Michigan Free Press. Chicago: Audit Bureau of: Circulations, 1970. 18] Audit Report of the Lansing Michi an State Journal. Chicago: Audit—Bureau of ircuTations, l970. . Audit Report of the Saginaw Michiggn News. Chicago: Audit Bureau of Circulations, l970. "Iillillicitllllllllllllllll“