Ability by Kruger

Puzzle explanation

The author and journalist Dame Rebecca West defined journalism as “the ability to meet the challenge of filling the space”. Solvers had to demonstrate such ability by fitting two or three letters (shown grouped in brackets below) into some cells to make answers fit; the contents of the affected cells spelt out the latter part of the quotation.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Across
4 S(TO)NE HAM(ME)R (ONE M[U]ST HEAR + M(etallica)) *
11 M(ÉT)IER IE in METR(e)
12 A(THE)ISM (MATE IS + H) *
14 ALBUMS A + BUM in LS
15 DITONE IT in DONE
16 (CH)EESEB(ALL) CHEESE + B(ug) + ALL
18 AARON (baz)AAR [N]ON(sense)
19 IN A S(EN)SE “mel” is IN A SENSE, viz. “smell”
21 SNEESH SEEN < in S/H
24 (GE)ECHEE GEE + CHEE[R]
28 PR(OFF)ERER PROF + FEDERER - (D + E)
29 AX(ILL)AR A + X + (d)I(agonal) + LL + A(lgebraic) R(epresentation)
31 (ING)ATHERS (GRAIN + HASTE - A) *
32 E(THE)RIAL AIR < in ETHEL
33 (SP)ITTER SP[L]ITTER
35 KNEAD homophone of NEED
36 RETR(ACE) CATERER *
37 WEDNESDAY (NEEDY + D + WAS) *
Down
1 SMA S[O]MA
2 W(ET) LEASE (LET WAS + E(quitabl)E) *
3 LIBERO BER(k) in LI[M]O
5 (TO)RMENTERS MEN in TORT + ORDERS - ORD
6 NESBIT IBSEN < + T
7 END-(ALL) EL around (ND + AL)
8 A(THE)TISED A + THET(a) + IS + ED
9 MIOC(EN)E (COME(t) + IN + (atmospher)E) *
10 (ME)SNE ENSEM(ble) <
13 METE M’ + [J]ETÉ
16 (CH)AN(GE) C[A]GE around HAN
17 RANGATIRA RANG + TIARA *
20 (THE)RIAN THER(e) + I(ndigenous) + A + N(Z)
22 SCARERS RE in SCARS
23 HERS HE[I]RS
25 C(OFF)ERED (FF + E + R) in COED
26 GRA(SP)ED GR(e)ED around ASP
27 V(ILL)ETTE (LET + (tu)T(ees)) in VILE
28 PEEK KEEP <
30 ATHENE ATE around HEN
31 (ING)LES [S]INGLES
34 R(ACE)R R + ACER
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