Plate Matter

( Originally Published 1913 )

PLATE matter, or boiler plate, is the technical term used for all matter, including the news, which is not set in the composing rooms of the newspaper printing it, but is purchased by the newspaper in the form of stereotypes from companies which are located in the principal cities.

These concerns handle every class of matter, including telegraphic news, general news, stories, articles (with or without illustrations), cooking recipes, humorous stories and sketches, and general matter of every kind. They employ editors and a few reporters, but a part of what they handle is taken from newspapers and from other periodicals.

The matter is set on the Linotype or monotype, and is made up into columns, which are stereotyped. . The newspapers subscribing to the service are furnished with what are known as " patent blocks," which have adjustable bases for the holding of the stereotype plates. These plates are the same as ordinary stereotypes, except that they are somewhat in the form of a " T," the descending part being made of lead, which fits between the blocks or bases. This arrangement materially reduces the cost.

Some of the matter is furnished in matrix form, but the matrix cannot be used except by news-papers carrying stereotyping plants, and very few of the weekly newspapers are equipped with them.

The plate-making company furnishes two kinds of services : First, general or telegraphic news at a specified price per week, or by the piece. The company sends to the newspapers proof sheets of what is in type, other than telegraphic news, and the newspaper purchases what it wants by the column or page, usually by the page. The price is very low, and seldom exceeds a few dollars a page, and there is a rebate on the return of the plates.

Thousands of country newspapers, including dailies, subscribe for this service, at a very heavy saving in cost of composition. A third or a half of all of the general and telegraphic news appearing in the daily newspapers, published outside of the large centers, comes by express and not by wire. The plate-making company maintains a news-gathering and -handling force, and supplies its subscribing newspapers with stereotyped plates sent daily by fast express.

Let me present, for an example, an evening pa-per published in a city of, say, fifteen thousand population, and not more than a hundred miles from a large city. The plate-making company gathers the news occurring several. hours later than that which appeared in the morning papers, stereotypes it, and delivers it to the local news-paper in time for its publication in the same afternoon.

Most of these small dailies are members of a press association, and receive telegraphic news, but, by the use of this plate matter, they can present what occurs throughout the world at a much less expense than if they received all of their news by wire, and set it in their own offices.

The plate companies also furnish uncompromising and general editorials, which some of the papers use in connection with home-written and -set editorial comment.

These plate companies handle syndicate matter, and furnish plates or matrices of it to many of the large newspapers.

The editors and reporters employed by the plate-making companies receive the salaries paid on the average daily newspapers, but it is not necessary that they be expert at editorial or other work, except those who write the " plated " editorials.

These editors are usually desk men, and have little opportunity for the display of originality.

Connected with the plate-making company, however, are one or more thoroughly trained and seasoned journalists, who are competent to originate, and to obtain, special articles and other matter which the service demands.

These companies offer very little opportunity for the outside writer, so far as news-gathering is concerned; but they will pay fair prices for special articles and stories and for department matter. Their work is similar to that of the regular syndicate companies, of which I have spoken in another chapter, except that they handle telegraphic and other news, while the so-called syndicate company confines its work to the distribution of stories and articles.