A stringer is a freelance journalist, who is paid for each piece of published or broadcast work, rather than receiving a regular salary.
In American newspapers the word carries a connotation of no-nonsense professionalism, as compared to "freelancer," a fancier term more likely to be used by newcomers to the business.
The etymology of the word is disputed. Newspapers once paid stringers so much money per inch of printed text, and one theory says the length of this text was measured against a string, hence the term. However, this seems unlikely, since the need to fit stories into pre-determined spaces means newspaper editors have always been conscious of copy length, and in the pre-computer era were rarely at loss for a ruler.
