Although a small collection, the Slingland Papers are an important supplement to the Mass Communications History Center's extensive holdings on NBC News. The news department files in the NBC Records (U.S. Mss 17AF) are much more extensive, but the Slingland Papers include more recent documentation than is offered by the larger collection. In addition, the Slingland Papers, which include scripts, correspondence, interdepartmental memoranda, and production data of various kinds, contains more varied documentation than is available in the NBC Records. The Chet Huntley Papers, while pertaining to one of the shows produced by Slingland (Huntley-Brinkley Report) are a more personal record, consisting for the most part of fan mail and Huntley's personal correspondence and mementos.
The Slingland Papers contain almost no personal information. They do contain, however, valuable documentation on the technical aspects of production and to a lesser extent on the creative side of news production for the programs with which he was involved. Because he worked at NBC's Washington, D.C., studio the focus of the papers tends to be national political news.
The collection is arranged into two categories: General Files and Program Files. The general files are limited, and researchers are likely to find the program files much more valuable. The GENERAL FILES consist of personal expense records, mostly vouchers submitted for reimbursement which provide some detail on his professional activities, and several NBC manuals of broadcast standards. Also in this category is a brief film showing the NBC peacock logo developing from a white outline to a multi-colored image of a peacock on a red background.
The PROGRAM FILES are divided into five program formats: sports programs, Meet the Press, David Brinkley's Journal, non-news specials, and general news programs. While the format categories vary in quantity, the same types of documentation are included in all five. In varying amounts there are general correspondence; memoranda; advertising correspondence and copy; scripts; and routines, schedules and assignments, and other technical files of various kinds. The general news programs file contains material from many different NBC News programs including Today, the Huntley Brinkley Report, NBC Nightly News, and a number of news specials. However, there is no indication of program on most of the material. Listed with the general news are 2 films: 1) a film on an NBC News story on the disappearance of Jim Thompson, an art collector in Bangkok, Thailand; Thompson willed his home and his art to serve as a museum of Southeast Asian art, and mysteriously disappeared 16 months before the piece was shot; 2) a NBC News film showing the military and civilians beating young men in a village in the Congo; NBC News reporter at the scene.
The general correspondence in these five categories includes both incoming and outgoing letters, although the total volume is not great. The interdepartmental memoranda are a much richer source of information on all aspects of production. They deal with personnel matters, scheduling, and equipment and production problems. General news memoranda comprise approximately one fifth of the collection.
Shooting routines include a schedule timed to the second, announcer's copy, and subjects to be filmed and footage aired. Scripts are the actual text of a broadcast read by an anchor, correspondent, or commentator. Also included in the general news category are a few political speeches which were marked with filming notations. Detail in the scripts depends on the relative spontaneity of the news program concerned. For instance, scripts from David Brinkley's Journal include most of the content of the program, while Meet the Press scripts include only the announcer's copy, since questions and responses were unscripted. Two transcripts in the latter file, however, are a complete record of both questions and answers. In the general news category researchers will find a number of unidentified scripts and script fragments.
The schedules and assignments are lists indicating staff members assigned to particular projects or duties. Also included are a few program schedules for remote events such as conventions or inaugurations. Advertising correspondence and copy includes texts for commercials and correspondence with advertising agencies concerning when and how frequently the ads are to be run. Promos consist of scripts for brief announcements for other network programs.
Among the technical documentation in the collection are work orders, floor plans and set designs, newsfilm monitoring reports, and coordination plans.
