Old definition of a reporter

The famous Spanish writer Benito Pérez Galdós wrote in the first paragraph of his novel Nazarín.

A un periodista de los de nuevo cuño, de estos que designamos con el exótico nombre de reporter, de estos que corren tras de la información, como el galgo a los alcances de la liebre, y persiguen el incendio, la bronca, el suicidio, el crimen cómico o trágico, el hundimiento de un edificio, y cuantos sucesos afectan al orden público y a la justicia en tiempos comunes, o a la higiene en días de epidemia,

Here we go with my loose translation: 

To a journalist of the new type, one of those we call by the exotic name of 'reporter', those who run after information like a hunting dog goes after a hare, and chase the fire, the fight, the suicide, the crime, comic or tragic, the falling of a building, and any event that affects public order and justice or the hygiene on epidemic days,

This book was published in 1895, but this complex sentence still applies to the reporters of today. If in doubt, just check the next newscast. Enjoy the show of bad news.