d
use it for the lead, provided that the statement is directly connected
with the rest of the discourse. But be fair to the speaker. Do not play
up some chance remark as illustrative of the entire utterance; don't
bring in an aside as the most interesting thing in his speech. If a
preacher forgets himself to the extent of expressing a chance political
opinion, it would obviously be unfair to him for you to play up that
remark as the summary of his sermon. Your readers would get a false
impression and the preacher would be angry. If he considers the chance
remark of real importance in his sermon he will back it up with other
statements that will give you an excuse for using it. In brief, watch
for the most interesting and most striking statement in the entire
speech, and in selecting this statement be fair and just and try to
avoid giving a false impression of the speaker or of the speech. If you
follow this rule you will never be in any danger of getting your paper
into difficulties.

Another rule in reporting lectures, speeches, etc., applies to the
writing of all newspaper stories. Write your report at once while the
speech is still fresh in your mind. Your report must preserve the logic
and continuity of the speech--it must be a fair resume. Your notes will
be at best mere jottings of chance sentences here and there. Do not
allow them to get cold and lose their continuity. Write the report at
once.

* * * * *

The writing of the report of a speech, lecture, or sermon is the same
whether it is taken from a printed or stenographic copy of the discourse
or from notes. It is perhaps easier to write from your notes because you
have the important parts of the speech picked out, ready for use, by the
aid of the rest of the audience. Before you can resume a printed copy of
the speech you must go through it and pick out the important sentences
which you wish to quote and decide upon the most striking statement for
the lead. There is no definite rule that can be followed in this except
to take the topic sentences whenever they are stated with sufficient
clearness. When you have decided on the statements that you wish to
quote you have really reduced the speech to a form practically identical
with the notes taken from verbal utterance, and the writing in either
case is the same.

The lead of the report is very much like the lead of any other news
story--for the report of a speech i