THE MAKING OF A NEWSPAPER

Year Published: 1930s

Creator: Hearst

Description: Dating to the late 1930s (post-1936), “The Making of a Newspaper” is a silent documentary that shows the production of the Sun-Telegraph, a Hearst newspaper in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The film shows the newsroom, and how news stories were reported via wire telegraph, cable and radio. Here, the drama of reporting on the grounding of the liner SS Morro Castle serves a fodder. The film also discusses the International News Service (INS) a newswire formed by Hearst Communications in 1909. In this era, Hearst was beginning to distribute films under the newly formed MGM and Hearst/MGM would co-produce Hearst Metrotone Newsreels. The Sun-Telegraph ceased operations in 1960 when it was purchased by the rival Post-Gazette. 00:00 Film opens on the street corner with a paper boy (:10). The title screen follows (:14). The Pittsburgh Sun Telegraph (:22) was an evening paper established in 1927. Continental maps (1:09) note locations Hearst served. The logo for the Sun Telegraph (2:35) mentions the merger of two smaller local papers in 1927 leading to the formation of the Sun Telegraph. The SS Morro Castle’s distress call arrives (2:56); in 1934, the ship caught fire. The Monarch of Bermuda acted as rescue vessel. The telegraphist (3:44) types the distress signal received in New York on September 8th 1934. The Monarch radios an INS office (4:03). Within the bustling newsroom (4:28), journalists holler behind typewriters. The telegraph film and sprocket are pictured (4:40). News gets typed, ripped from the writer (4:42) and passed off (4:45). The Monarch reaches Morro Castle (5:25). Captain Francis’s swift actions (5:35) are radioed in. The telegraphist hammers a telegraph (5:47) for the newsroom (5:54). A telegram details rescue efforts (6:11). The story travels from INS to Hearst. A section shows the formation of news stories in the editorial room (6:56). Writers in editorial room (7:12) scratch notes indicating intended column (7:25). Stories go to the Composing Room. Copy Cutters distribute portions to operators (8:19) working the typesetting machines (8:38). Make-up editors (8:45) send works to the Press Room. The process of forming matrices and curved stereotype plates follows. Matrices (10:18) and molds are made (10:50). Stereotyped plates are duplicated in autoplate machines (11:29). Papers flow through the press (13:31). Stacks go (15:20) for transit to Sun-Telegraph trucks (15:37) or trains (16:12). The printed headline follows (17:10). An INS photographer delivers plates for printing (17:37). Images of the SS Morro Castle from the machine (17:41). Copies go to the Sun Telegraph (18:46). The routing machine completes final touches (21:06). Montage scenes show other news stories (21:41). Photographers snap images of a factory fire (22:24). The Russian Revolution of the 1930’s begins (24:07). The Osaka disaster hits (24:34). Japanese civilians wade through water (24:40). The Mauna Loa volcano (25:03) erupted in 1935. The Great St. Patrick's day flood rocked Pittsburgh in 1936 (26:29). The Loews Theater at Sixth and Penn (27:16), the F. W. Woolworth 10 Cent Store (27:44) and the clean up process are pictured (29:03). The Hindenburg collapses against the ground (30:24) on May 6th 1935. The Sunday Sun-Telegraph (34:08) arrives and the family gathers. The INS and King Features Syndicate (36:13) provided comic strip artists including George MacManus (36:57), Billy de Beck (37:25), Russ Westover (38:00), Cliff Sterrett (38:25), Jimmy Murphy (38:51) and E.C. Segar (39:30) creator of Popeye (39:36). Mickey Mouse was published in the Sun-Telegraph (40:11). The final section pays tribute to William Randolph Hearst (40:44) and the Associated Press (41:31).

Complete Record: Dating to the late 1930s (post-1936), “The Making of a Newspaper” is a silent documentary that shows the production of the Sun-Telegraph, a Hearst newspaper in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The film shows the newsroom, and how news stories were reported via wire telegraph, cable and radio. Here, the drama of reporting on the grounding of the liner SS Morro Castle serves a fodder. The film also discusses the International News Service (INS) a newswire formed by Hearst Communications in 1909. In this era, Hearst was beginning to distribute films under the newly formed MGM and Hearst/MGM would co-produce Hearst Metrotone Newsreels. The Sun-Telegraph ceased operations in 1960 when it was purchased by the rival Post-Gazette. 00:00 Film opens on the street corner with a paper boy (:10). The title screen follows (:14). The Pittsburgh Sun Telegraph (:22) was an evening paper established in 1927. Continental maps (1:09) note locations Hearst served. The logo for the Sun Telegraph (2:35) mentions the merger of two smaller local papers in 1927 leading to the formation of the Sun Telegraph. The SS Morro Castle’s distress call arrives (2:56); in 1934, the ship caught fire. The Monarch of Bermuda acted as rescue vessel. The telegraphist (3:44) types the distress signal received in New York on September 8th 1934. The Monarch radios an INS office (4:03). Within the bustling newsroom (4:28), journalists holler behind typewriters. The telegraph film and sprocket are pictured (4:40). News gets typed, ripped from the writer (4:42) and passed off (4:45). The Monarch reaches Morro Castle (5:25). Captain Francis’s swift actions (5:35) are radioed in. The telegraphist hammers a telegraph (5:47) for the newsroom (5:54). A telegram details rescue efforts (6:11). The story travels from INS to Hearst. A section shows the formation of news stories in the editorial room (6:56). Writers in editorial room (7:12) scratch notes indicating intended column (7:25). Stories go to the Composing Room. Copy Cutters distribute portions to operators (8:19) working the typesetting machines (8:38). Make-up editors (8:45) send works to the Press Room. The process of forming matrices and curved stereotype plates follows. Matrices (10:18) and molds are made (10:50). Stereotyped plates are duplicated in autoplate machines (11:29). Papers flow through the press (13:31). Stacks go (15:20) for transit to Sun-Telegraph trucks (15:37) or trains (16:12). The printed headline follows (17:10). An INS photographer delivers plates for printing (17:37). Images of the SS Morro Castle from the machine (17:41). Copies go to the Sun Telegraph (18:46). The routing machine completes final touches (21:06). Montage scenes show other news stories (21:41). Photographers snap images of a factory fire (22:24). The Russian Revolution of the 1930’s begins (24:07). The Osaka disaster hits (24:34). Japanese civilians wade through water (24:40). The Mauna Loa volcano (25:03) erupted in 1935. The Great St. Patrick's day flood rocked Pittsburgh in 1936 (26:29). The Loews Theater at Sixth and Penn (27:16), the F. W. Woolworth 10 Cent Store (27:44) and the clean up process are pictured (29:03). The Hindenburg collapses against the ground (30:24) on May 6th 1935. The Sunday Sun-Telegraph (34:08) arrives and the family gathers. The INS and King Features Syndicate (36:13) provided comic strip artists including George MacManus (36:57), Billy de Beck (37:25), Russ Westover (38:00), Cliff Sterrett (38:25), Jimmy Murphy (38:51) and E.C. Segar (39:30) creator of Popeye (39:36). Mickey Mouse was published in the Sun-Telegraph (40:11). The final section pays tribute to William Randolph Hearst (40:44) and the Associated Press (41:31).