Night Work

( Originally Published 1913 )

EDITORS and reporters of newspapers, whether or not morning editions are published, do at least a part of their work in the night.

If the paper has a morning edition, the night staff begins at about two o'clock in the afternoon, and works until midnight or even later. The editor-in-chief, and all of the editorial writers, however, are not necessarily on duty after dark, provided one or more of the assistants remain in the office until an hour or so before the newspaper goes to press, that they may, if necessary, editorially comment upon an important event.

If the newspaper publishes only an evening edition, and there are one or more morning papers in the same city, very little night work is done by either its reporters or editors, as much of the news can be "borrowed" or taken from the morning editions of its contemporaries.

If the newspaper publishes both a morning and evening edition, the day and night staffs interlap each other to some extent.

Newspaper men may not be able to keep regular hours, and are dependent upon news and other conditions. They may be dismissed at eleven o'clock at night or may have to remain until two o'clock in the morning. If, however, they take good care of themselves, eat their meals regularly, and establish consistent sleeping hours, night work will not necessarily injure them. In fact, I know of many strong and rugged men, who are on duty the greater part of the night, and yet are apparently as healthy and robust as are those who do day work. Health is dependent upon regularity. If one works late at night, he must sleep late in the morning.