The prairie news. [volume] (Okolona, Miss.) 1851-1875, 1859-05-05
JOURNALISM.

|
1t is eminently desirable that so great
a power as that of journalism should be
welded in the interest of Christian NOR
ais, and under constant sense of the re-
sponsibility which religious obligation in
wolves. That the daily journals of this
city have improved immensely in this re-
spect within the last ten years, as well as
in the enterprise, ability and general cour-
tesy no one who has given the subject
any attention can doubt; and it is equal.
ly certain that, with the improved taste
aud increased culture of the mass of the
/ people, this improvement will continue.
The daily press may not be all it should
/ be; but The same de ect characterizes
every other profession and every other
human institutions. All we can reason
ably expect to ask is that its tendencies
should he in the right direclion-that it
should be growing better instead of
worse; and we think this may he very
confidently asserted of the daily press of
this city, taken as whole. In all the
respectable Journals due regard is uniform
~ paid to the religious obServances and
feelings of all denominations fair pro-
portion Of space is given to religious in
tcliigence--the obligations of Christian
duty are fully recognized, even if not al
ways fully met, and in their discussion Of
public affairs Christian morality is almost
uniformly accepted as the basis of their
judgements and opinions. We will be-
lieve this to be true of a large portion of
the daily newspapers of this city, and it
is becoming more and more true of them
all.
Exception is taken, we are aware, to
the character of much of the intelligence
that is publirhed---to the details given of
murders, police eases, divorce trials, etc
In part, this complaint is doblle>S just
and there is room and need for improve
ment in nearly all our newspapers in this
respect. But it is OF fair TO overlook
the reason of this fault, nor to place the
responsibility Of il too exclusively upon
the Press. 1t belongs mainly to the com
munity. A newspaper must be publish
ed upon uNineSs principles; ii can only
exist as IL is sustained by the community.
1t Is very easy to snecr at Il publisher for
seeking primarily to increase his circula-
ton; but it would be just as sensible to
sneer at merchant for endeavering to
extend his trade, or physician for seek
ing to enlarge his practice. The public
support is absolutely essential to news
paper, unless for party Or other purposes
OF their own, individuals are willing to
contribute the money which it requires
and in that case it becomes missionary
work instead of a business operation.-
Now, it is clear and undeniable fact.
that he great body Of the people want Il
newspaper for the news. They want to
know what is going on in the world, and
t is the business of their newspaper TO
ell them. If it does, they svill take it
t not, they will stop it and take another.
And lamentable as the fact is, it never
Iheless is fact, that crime, in its various
forms and successive stages, fills very
large page in the daily history of the
world and cannot be ignored without ~
norlng a very large and very important
part OF the current intelligence. Equally
true Is it that nine persons out of ten in
every community read the narratives of
great crimes with much more aviditv
than they read accounts of benevolent
ana religious movements, or any Of the
more ordinary and less exciting incidents
of daily life. The tragic element, in life
as III fiction, has strong hold upon the
and very few persons, what
ever their moral and religious character,
are lnsensible to its fascination.
Nelo York Times.