Basic journalism, which was required of every high school senior when I was in school, a long time ago, was a kin to basic decency and honesty. We need a revival!
I got it wrong. It’s the 6-point Benday rule, and it’s a trick question. Benday is the technology of using dots of color, as in the Sunday funnies. Back when pages were stuck together with wax, lines were added with tape. Benday rule would have a gray, cross-hatched look.
Charley Stough, the wag who wrote the BONG (Burned-out Newspapercreatures Guild) Bull back in the 90s, made up his own 6-point rule.
THE 6-POINT BENDAY RULE
1. An ounce of phone book is worth a pound of shoe leather
2. The printed version of what a person said is always what was
said.
3. The first one to the editor is always right .
4. No good ever comes from saving a notebook.
5. A newspaper bears no moral obligation to honor a reporter's
promise of source anonymity; offer it freely.
6. Never put a greater effort into writing a story than the
reader will put into reading it.
7. Somewhere, out there, there's a freckled-faced kid swinging
on a tree, playing with his dog, enjoying life, and you must find
that little twerp and take his damn picture.
Addendum: Some will suggest that the 6-Point Benday Rule is a
gray border of a certain width. Don't be fooled. Respond by saying,
"Oh sure, and next you'll be sending me down to the press room for the type stretcher, right?”
(An expanded version of this item will appear at frangardner.substack.com at 7 pm Saturday, Feb. 3)
Once again all the news that is fit to read. Thank you Eric. Ah the good old days. There were many times in my life I wish I had made a different career choice. We sure could have used an investigative reporter looking into the industrial hazardous working conditions in large industrial iron work shops. There are some good small rags out there still ; I love turning their pages. Mostly though I get dizzy from all the spinning.
Basic journalism, which was required of every high school senior when I was in school, a long time ago, was a kin to basic decency and honesty. We need a revival!
I think you forgot the 10-point Benday rule
Ooh! I don't know the Benday rule, much less any of its points. What is it?
I got it wrong. It’s the 6-point Benday rule, and it’s a trick question. Benday is the technology of using dots of color, as in the Sunday funnies. Back when pages were stuck together with wax, lines were added with tape. Benday rule would have a gray, cross-hatched look.
Charley Stough, the wag who wrote the BONG (Burned-out Newspapercreatures Guild) Bull back in the 90s, made up his own 6-point rule.
THE 6-POINT BENDAY RULE
1. An ounce of phone book is worth a pound of shoe leather
2. The printed version of what a person said is always what was
said.
3. The first one to the editor is always right .
4. No good ever comes from saving a notebook.
5. A newspaper bears no moral obligation to honor a reporter's
promise of source anonymity; offer it freely.
6. Never put a greater effort into writing a story than the
reader will put into reading it.
7. Somewhere, out there, there's a freckled-faced kid swinging
on a tree, playing with his dog, enjoying life, and you must find
that little twerp and take his damn picture.
Addendum: Some will suggest that the 6-Point Benday Rule is a
gray border of a certain width. Don't be fooled. Respond by saying,
"Oh sure, and next you'll be sending me down to the press room for the type stretcher, right?”
(An expanded version of this item will appear at frangardner.substack.com at 7 pm Saturday, Feb. 3)
Once again all the news that is fit to read. Thank you Eric. Ah the good old days. There were many times in my life I wish I had made a different career choice. We sure could have used an investigative reporter looking into the industrial hazardous working conditions in large industrial iron work shops. There are some good small rags out there still ; I love turning their pages. Mostly though I get dizzy from all the spinning.