Practical Suggestions for Mother and HousewifeMiller, Marion Mills
Philosophy
Practical Suggestions for Mother and Housewife
Miller, Marion Mills
Home economics
Journalism is a sufficient field in itself for a woman writer in which
to exercise her ability, as well as a preparation for creative literary
work. The natural way to enter it is by becoming the local correspondent
of one of the newspapers of the region. In this work good judgment in
the choice of items of news, variety in the manner of stating them, and
logical order in arranging and connecting them should be cultivated.
The writing of good, plain English, rather than "smart" journalese should
be the aim. Stale, vulgar and incorrect phrases, such as "Sundayed," and
"in our midst," should be avoided. There are two tests in selecting a
news item: (1) Will it interest readers? (2) Ought they to know it?
When by these tests an item is proved to be real news that demands
publication, it should be published regardless of a third consideration,
which is too often made a primary one: Will it please the persons
concerned? This consideration should have weight only in regard to the
manner of its statement. When the news is disagreeable to the parties
concerned, it should be told with all kindness and charity. Thus the
facts of a crime should be stated, who was arrested for it, etc.; but
there should be no positive statement of the guilt of the one arrested
until this has been legally proved. Many a publisher has had to pay
heavy damages because he has overlooked, or permitted to be published,
an unwarranted statement or opinion of a reporter or correspondent.
But even though there were no law against libel, the commandment against
bearing false witness holds in ethics.
The woman at home may also become a contributor to the newspaper. Her
first articles should be statements of fact on practical subjects, such
as the results of her own or some neighbor's experiments in a household
matter of general interest, or reminiscences of matters of local history
that happen to be of current interest. Thus when a new church is
erected, the history of the old one may be properly told. Here the
amateur journalist may practise herself in interviewing people.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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