Into The Working Press of the Mid-20th Century
Isn’t it exciting to see what lies behind the scenes (the backstage stories, the juicy stuff that news reporters dig for us, readers) of an event? Of course! But, have you ever considered the journalist’s side of the story (how they produce reports)? You may not, but their own stories are just as fascinating. This aspect is what The Working Press, a book edited by Ruth Adler with a foreword by Theodore M. Bernstein, goes to cover.
The editor opens The Working Press by introducing readers to the making of each day’s New York Times paper in the plant west of Times Square on West 43d Street during the mid-1900s (when this book was made), in the days when the Internet did not exist. It’s always hectic in and out of the office. Each day, editors have to sort through the 1,500,000 words coming in via wires from multiple sources. A diverse portfolio of articles and advertisements have to get assembled on strict timelines. And late at night, tens of thousands of copies have to get printed and mailed out to the front porches of subscribers.
Following this sketch, we are provided with a large collection of mid-20th-century first-hand accounts written by the New York Times's own news staff about their individual experiences in trying to write hot, exclusive stories. The New York Times people go into a lot of detail in describing their struggles, their conversations, and the intense emotions they felt while gathering information about noteworthy, ongoing events and putting together their reports. The confusion while trying to narrate John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the dangers of conducting interviews with war veterans in Vietnam on the battlefield, exploring civil rights and wrongs, and so much more—it's all included in there!
I loved these short reports, or rather short stories since they were told more like narratives; they were fascinating. However, I did not get some of the old references they mentioned, due to the fact that I’m not really familiar with many of the details that occurred back then. Even so, the process of making each day’s paper was extremely fascinating. Plus, the accounts were entertaining; those journalists’ writings were enthusiastic and lively. So, I recommend you check it out.
-Kaylee Z
Hi Kaylee, this book seems pretty interesting and unique. I never really thought about how journalists did their jobs, and especially before the internet. But after reading this review, I am more curious on how newspapers were made and ideas were put into them during the 20th century.
ReplyDeleteNice review Kaylee! I never thought a book like this would be written, simply because I never thought about the journalists story. If I had never even came across this post, I probably never would have in my life. But now that I think about it, it is a pretty interesting topic. I am definitely going to read this over the summer.
ReplyDeleteKaylee, great job! It's interesting to think about what goes on behind the scenes of a newspaper. I think it would be a cool experience to see all the hard work and struggle that goes into putting out a newspaper daily. Good review!
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