History of the Reporter’s Notebook

If you’ve been here a while you’ve noticed I’m a fan of quality stationary and writing supplies. 

Recently, we received our first delivery of Blackwing’s new Reporters Notebooks, and as I was testing them out I started thinking about them as a physical tool … about what a pop-culture icon they are… about why I have this strange instinct to put on a fedora and furiously scribble some findings in pencil…

And I realised, I had some questions.

Why did the portrait, spiral bound, flip style notebook become the reporter’s notepad of choice?

Myth and legend aside, a reporter’s notebook has several features that make it a good choice for reporters — and anyone who needs to take notes on the go.

Though sizes and bindings vary, a reporter’s notebook is usually oriented vertically, with the binding — usually a wire spiral binding — at the top. It also has a hard chipboard front and back cover. 

They’re typically narrow enough to hold in one hand, sturdy enough to write on while standing up, and small enough to carry easily on the go. 

Their portability and durability are vital for anyone who needed to chase after police vehicles to the scene of a crime, work standing up to be seen and acknowledged at a press conference, and whipped out of pockets at a moment’s notice to capture an offhand remark that could just become a page-one quote. 

“Whoever designed the first notebook for reporters knew exactly what he was doing,” says Joseph D'Agnese, a reporter and nonfiction author. “Reporters take notes in the field, on the fly. Their notebook has to give them plenty of surface area to write, must fit in their pockets, must be stiff enough to provide a decent writing surface, and be rugged enough to take a beating and hold together.”

Are reporter’s notebooks still in use by actual reporters, or is that a pop culture myth?

Signs point to yes. In a nice little piece from The New York Times on how reporters take notes, several remarked on how more technologically advanced note taking methods — like recorders or laptops — can impede the interview process. 

“‘When you start writing, people feel the productivity, and it becomes a visual cue to keep talking,’ Brian Rosenthal, an investigative reporter said. ‘But if you slow down your notes or completely stop, it can signal to an interviewee to steer back to subject.’”

Ann Barnard, a war correspondent, “can type fast enough to take verbatim notes on a laptop, but in person, a laptop can feel like a barrier, so she prefers to stick to a recorder and pen and paper, she said.”

I love the idea that a reporter’s notebook might be more than the sum of its parts: a symbol that stands the test of time, despite (or maybe because of) technological advances. It’s distilled beautifully in this quote, excerpted from freelance journalist Philip Eil’s lovely meditation on reporter’s notebooks for the Columbia Journalism Review:

A reporter’s notebook is a license to talk to interesting people. [...] A reporter’s notebook is also a ticket to interesting places. But reporting isn’t just observing, it’s also understanding. [...] And a reporter’s notebook is a microscope, or magnifying glass, for examining the world. [...] The other part of the job, of course, is sharing what you’ve learned, which means a reporter’s notebook is also a microphone. [...] When I do this work, I’m following countless journalists who have done it before me. In this way, the reporter’s notebook is a baton, or a torch, passed from generation to generation. [...] Perhaps most importantly, the reporter’s notebook is one of the world’s greatest mechanisms for accountability.

Can I use a reporter’s notebook if I’m not a reporter?

The answer is a resounding yes. 

While traditional (inexpensive) reporter’s notebooks are designed to look a bit intimidating — with the word NEWS splashed across the cover and the subhead “Professional reporter’s notebook” underneath in case you get any funny ideas, the usefulness of a reporter’s notebook transcends occupation. 

The design features that make them useful for reporters on the go make them equally useful for anyone who likes to make notes out in the real world.  Though, they might be due for an upgrade.

Journalist Joseph D’Agnese notes: 

…for all their utility, I don’t love conventional reporter’s notebooks. Everything about them smells of trade-offs. The pages are narrow, so you’re constantly flipping pages to get more space to write. [...] Reporter's notebooks typically only have 70 pages in them, so they don’t last very long. [...] When I’m reporting, I only use one side of each page, too. It’s annoying to be constantly flipping the notebook over to use both sides of each page. So for me, reporter’s notebooks have become a kind of crappy, one-time-use disposable object.

Enter the Blackwing Reporters Pads, which we just got into stock at Mrs Blackwell’s.  This one is designed to be about the size of your smartphone, so in my mind it would be a good thing to pull out in those "micro opportunities" we have throughout the day where we would otherwise scroll some feed or other, or for jotting down thoughts, notes, recommendations, and to-dos when the inkling strikes. And given that you, dear reader, are most likely not a reporter, the 80 provided sheets should last you plenty of time.

The Blackwing Reporter Pad has a black card-stock cover that wraps over the wire binding. The cover is secured with a durable elastic band, giving the pad a clean look while protecting the important info inside. They come with 80GSM paper; I've tested it with a fountain pen (no bleed to the other side of the paper and no feathering on the front side) and a nice smooth experience with pencil.  And they’re offered in blank, ruled, dot-grid, and graph paper types. Each pack is a set of two.