Public opinion; Public relations; Publicity; Social psychology
Court of General Sessions (Criminal cases).
Court of Special Sessions (Minor criminal cases).
District Attorney’s Office.
Doors of Grand Jury rooms when the Grand Jury is in session
(For indictments and presentments).
Federal Courts.
Post Office.
United States Commissioner’s Offices, and Offices of the United
States Secret Service officers.
United States Marshal’s Office.
United States District Attorney’s Office.
Ship News, where incoming and outgoing vessels are reported.
Barge Office, where immigrants land.
Surrogate’s Office, where wills are filed and testimony
concerning wills in litigation is heard.
Political Headquarters during campaigns.”
Finally, “the following are visited by the reporters several times, or
only once a day:
“Police Stations.
Municipal Courts.
Board of Health Headquarters.
Fire Department Headquarters.
Park Department Headquarters.
Building Department Headquarters.
Tombs Prison.
County Jail.
United States Sub-treasury.
Office of Collector of the Port.
United States Appraiser’s Office.
Public Hospitals.
Leading Hotels.
The Morgue.
County Sheriff’s Office.
City Comptroller’s Office.
City Treasurer’s Office.
Offices of the Tax Collector and Tax Assessors.”
Mr. Given’s example of the broker, John Smith, illustrates aptly the
point I am making. “For ten years,” said Mr. Given,[39] “he pursues
the even tenor of his way and except for his customers and his friends
no one gives him a thought. To the newspapers he is as if he were not.
But in the eleventh year he suffers heavy losses and, at last, his
resources all gone, summons his lawyer and arranges for the making of
an assignment. The lawyer posts off to the County Clerk’s office, and
a clerk there makes the necessary entries in the office docket. Here
in step the newspapers. While the clerk is writing Smith’s business
obituary, a reporter glances over his shoulder, and a few minutes
later the newspapers know Smith’s troubles and are as well informed
concerning his business status as they would be had they kept a
reporter at his door every day for over ten years. Had Smith dropped
dead instead of merely making an assignment his name would have
reached the newspapers by way of the Coroner’s office instead of the
County Clerk’s office, and in fact, while Smith did not know it, the
newspapers were prepared and ready for him no matter what he did. They
even had representatives waiting for him at the Morgue. He was safe
only when he walked the straight and narrow path and kept quiet.”
An overt act is often necessary before an event can be regarded as news.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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