English   poet   and   literary   critic,   once   described journalism as “literature in a hurry.” Arnold was not trying to belittle newspaper writers with that remark He was merely noting that the obvious difference between news reporters and other writers is the breakneck pace at which newspaper journalists so often  must  operate.  Newspaper  reporters,  by  the  very nature of their jobs, must carry the burden of unrelenting and monotonous regularity intensified by the pressure of  deadlines.  Working  under  those  conditions  could hardly be considered ideal for creative writing. Now,  however,  even  newspapers  have  discovered the  magazine  style,  and  many  are  even  adopting  its magazine  article  assigned  by  your  PAO.  Also,  after format! Most   newspapers   report   hard   news   in   the traditional, inverted pyramid style but have had to use new  tactics  to  compete  with  television  coverage  of timely news events. Their solution has been to provide in-depth coverage and a lengthy analysis of the news. Many  newspapers  also  have  begun  carrying  any number of feature stories in their pages on a regular basis to  boost  circulation  Some  newspapers  now  publish almost nothing but features, especially photo features. And  almost  all  major  dailies  with  large  Sunday  editions publish their own magazine inserts or carry a syndicated magazine insert, such as Parade. Consequently, when you are searching for a market for your manuscripts, you may often need to look no further  than  your  local  newspaper.  Remember,  however, that  newspapers  are  published  more  frequently  than magazines, and therefore, they usually are governed by stringent  deadlines. ‘Traditional” magazines, on the other hand, impose no  such  deadlines.  It  is  true  that  news  magazines, financial publications and a few other periodicals have a need for timely material. However, those are not the magazines  you  are  likely  to  approach  about  running your Navy stones. While all magazines, of necessity, have deadlines to meet,  they  are  only  printers’  deadlines.  Most  magazines carry  material  compiled  two  to  three  months  in  advance of  publication Sometimes  a  magazine  staff  member  is  given  a deadline for writing an article for a particular edition, but  usually  outside  writers  are  faced  with  no  such constraints. Any idea you may have is yours to develop at whatever pace you choose. You can allow ample time for research, time for the actual writing and more time, as necessary, for rewriting. You can leave the project and 4-6 go  on  to  other  things,  returning  when  you  are  ready. Then, when you are satisfied with your article, you are the one who decides it is completed. ‘Theoretically, all this is done before anyone else knows the article is in the offing. In effect, it does not exist until you are ready to submit it. Realistically, you, working as a Navy journalist, are likely  to  be  given  an  expected  completion  date  for  a communicating   with   a   magazine   editor   about   a proposed  article,  you  may  be  told  that  the  article  is needed before a particular date. Those instances could bethought of as deadlines, but not very rigid ones. They mean glancing at a calendar, not watching a clock. This more   leisurely   pace   of   writing   allows   the   marked difference in style between standard newspaper stories and  magazine  articles.  Basic  news  stories,  you  will recall from Chapter 2, are written in an inverted pyramid style.  This  form  is  preferred  by  newspapers  and electronic media news departments because it presents all of the important facts at the beginning of a story. If there is not enough time to write or enough space or time to publish the complete story, a paragraph or two will usually  suffice. Since  magazine  articles  are  printed  in  their  entirety, there  are  no  requirements  to  put  all  of  the  important details  “up  front.”  Therefore,  magazine  writers  may  use any  format  they  believe  best  suits  the  material  being presented.  This  allows  the  writers  wider  latitudes  of expression  and  creativity. The magazine form also provides writers with the opportunity to be more thorough in their storytelling. Both news stories and magazine articles deal with facts. However,  while  newspapers  usually  present  the  basic details   without   comment   (except   in   editorials   and columns),  magazines  amplify  those  facts  in  depth  to show how they will affect the reader. When necessary, magazines  also  permit  their  writers  to  provide  extensive background details to enable the reader to understand the subject more frilly. A  newspaper’s  news  has  a  perishable  quality;  its value and interest diminish as the degree of immediacy wanes. The news in magazines, although less timely, is more   enduring.   Many   magazine   articles   are   as informative and interesting a year after publication as they  were  on  the  day  they  first  appeared  in  print. Magazine  articles  also  are  remembered  longer  than newspaper  stories  because  magazines  are  read  more thoroughly,  and  at  a  more  leisurely  pace,  than  are newspapers.