Analysis and Interpretation of the News

The newspaper must provide for the reader the facts, unalloyed, unslanted, objectively selected facts. But in these days of complex news it must provide more; it must supply interpretation, the meaning of the facts. This is the most important assignment confronting American journalism—to make clear to the reader the problems of the day, to make international news as understandable as community news, to recognize that there is no longer any such thing (with the possible exception of such scribbling as society and club news) as “local” news, because any event in the international area has a local reaction in manpower draft, in economic strain, in terms, indeed, of our very way of life.

There is in journalism a widespread view that when you embark on interpretation, you are entering choppy and dangerous waters, the swirling tides of opinion. This is nonsense.

The opponents of interpretation insist that the writer and the editor shall confine himself to the “facts”. This insistence raises two questions: What are the facts? And: Are the bare facts enough?

As to the first query. Consider how a so-called “factual” story cones about. The reporter collects, say, fifty facts; out of these fifty, his space allotment being necessarily restricted, he selects the ten, which he considers most important. This is Judgment Number One. Then he or his editor decides which of these ten facts shall constitute the lead of the piece (This is important decision because many readers do not proceed beyond the first paragraph.) This is Judgment Number Two. Then the night editor determines whether the article shall be presented on page one, where it has a large impact, or on page twenty-four, where it has little. Judgment Number Three.

Thus, in the presentation of a so-called “factual” or “objective” story, at least three judgments are involved. And they are judgments not at all unlike those involved in interpretation, in which reporter and editor, calling upon their general background, and their “news neutralism,” arrive at a conclusion as to the significance of the news.

The two areas of judgment, presentation of the news and its interpretation, are both objective rather then subjective processes—as objective, that is, as any human being can be. (Note in passing: even though complete objectivity can never be achieved, nevertheless the ideal must always be the beacon on the murky news channels.) Of an editor is intent on slanting the news, he can do it in other ways and more effectively than by interpretation. He can do it by the selection of those facts that prop up his particular plea. Or he can do it by the pay he gives a story—promoting it to page one or demoting it to page thirty.

1. The title that best expresses the ideas of this passage is
[A] Interpreting the News.                        [B] Choosing Facts.
[C] Subjective versus Objective Processes. [D] Everything Counts.

2. Why does the writer of an article select ten out of 50 available facts?
[A] Space is limited.                    [B] His editor is prejudiced.
[C] The subject is not important. [D] He is entering choppy and dangerous.

3. What is the least effective way of “slanting” news/
[A] Interpretation. [B] His editor is prejudiced.
[C] Placement.      [D] Concentration.

4. Why should the lead sentence present the most important fact?
[A] It will influence the reader to continue.
[B] It will be the best way to write.
[C] Some readers do not read beyond the first paragraph.
[D] It will gratify the editor.

答案详解（反白可见）：
1. A. 解释新闻。文章虽提及两个领域（见难句译注4），但重点在解释（见难句译注2）。提供是“解说”的前提，但作为标题不合适，因为它是作为“解释”的对比而写的。（见难句译注3 not at all unlike…及难句译注4 are both objective rather than…）
B. 选择事实。这只是提供新闻中一个具体步骤。 C. 主观对客观过程。也是一个具体方面（见难句译注4）。 D. 一切都要算在内。涉及面太广，文内没提及。
2. A. 版面空间有限。第四段三句：“举例说，记者收集50条新闻事实。他从50条中选出10条他认为是最重要的新闻，因为他的版面空间分配必定有所限制。”
B. 他的编辑有偏见。不对。 C. 他的文章主题不重要。 不对。 D. 他进到了波浪滔天的危险水域（见难句译注2）。这是讲新闻解释。
3. A. 解说。最后一段最后三句：“如果编辑想要歪曲新闻，他可以采用其他办法，远比解说要有效的多。他可以通过选择支持他的观点的才，或通过他给每条新闻所定的位置达到歪曲的目的——提升到头版，或者降低到三十版。”这段话说明其它办法歪曲新闻比解说新闻来歪曲有效的多。
B. 选材。 C. 定位。 D. 集中。
4. C. 有些读者不读一段以下的问心，这是常识。有的读者就读大标题。
A. 它将影响读者继续读下去。 B. 这是最佳的写作方法。 D. 这会使编辑高兴。

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