About Writing 2: Journalists as writers

Newspaper reporters don’t typically get much respect as writers.

I’m not sure everyone even considers us writers; we’re just reporters and editors.

Real writers write books that take up space for month or years on library and book store shelves. Their books often have bright covers and look great on living room coffee tables.

Real writers turn up at book signings and sit down with TV talk show hosts. It helps, too, if they are good-looking, good talkers and already famous for something other than their books.

On the other hand, newspaper reporters have their work printed on cheap newsprint sheets that look tacky on coffee tables, breakfast bars or ottomans. Their pages soon find their way to recycling bins, bird cages and puppy pens before being replaced the next day or week with a new edition.

Newspaper reporters turn up at book signings to interview the real writers, not sign their work. They are of no interest to talk show hosts, good looking or ugly, young or old. They just need to ask good questions and take good notes to make real writers look better than they really are — or not.

Likely as not, readers won’t even know who wrote those stories on the real writers. Newspaper reporters are seldom famous for what they write, except if they get it all wrong, which also seldom happens.

Old-school editors don’t give bylines to reporters for anything but feature stories and commentary. Straight news is written by legions of anonymous reporters — everyone of them a paid writer.

A reporter should not need a book credit to earn distinction as a writer. Newspaper reporters have historically been the most prolific, disciplined and hard-working writers in the business. The typical newspaper reporter will write more in a week than many “real writers” will write in a month or more.

Nonetheless, the dream of many newspaper reporters is to have a book published to become an “author.”

I know, because I’m one of them. I know it doesn’t make me a better writer to have my name on the cover of a book; but, it somehow satisfies a longing I think all newspaper writers share.

It shouldn’t make any difference to us or our readers. I and many of my peers have made our livings by the pen for more than a half-century. We have been read by thousands of people. Our words in our respective newspapers have made more of a difference in our world than dozens of best-seller novels.

I will argue that newspaper writers have long been the “real writers”in society, not by penning scorching editorials, but simply by writing the truth, day-in, day out.

I am both humbled and proud to be counted a member of that legion of writers, from sports buffs to political prognosticators, as well as hard news reporters and editorialists.

But, if I could find the time and a publisher, I wouldn’t mind having my name on a Western novel, too.

Maybe next year.

Copyright 2024, James E. Hamilton; email jhamilton000@centurytel.net. Read more of his works in Ozarks RFD 2010-2015, available online from Amazon or from the author.