New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1866-01-27
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTERS

we have received long statement Hom ONO
Of the reporters of the Associated Press in the
United States Senate, in reply to the recent
structures of certain Senators upon his reports
We do not publish this, not only because it is
too long for the columns of journal which
is daily compelled, by the pressure of adver-
tisements, to conine itself to printing barely
skeleton of the news received every night
between p. m. and 2 a. m, but because there
seems to be misapprehenson in the Sena-
torial, if not in the public mind, of the duties
and functions of the reporters of the Associated
Press, and Of the character of the Association
itself. We do not choose to aggravate this
misapprehension by encouraging controversy.
That Association is composed Of seven journals
in this city, and its simple object is to have the
news reported in a single dispatch from several
points, whether Washington, Halifax, New
Orleans, San Francisco, or intermediate places,
rather than have the same intelligence trans
mitted in seven separate dispatches, at
seven times the expense to each OF the
seven journals. This news, so transmitted
in a single dispatch, is also given, at pro rata
consideration, to the city, town and country
press in all parts ofthe Union. The agents and re-
porers of this Association are thus the agents and
reporters of a very large number OF newspapers,
under the direction of the seven New-York jour-
nalswho originated this scheme, who manage it in
their own way, continue it for their own con-
yenience, and are no more responsible to other
people for their method Of conducting 1t than
they are responsible to them for their method OF
conducting their individual journals. The read
ing public take their choice and pay their money
for newspapers, or they choose nothing and pay
nothing just as they please. We, the journals
publish in association just what we think
we can afford to publish, or we have room
to publish, or we think it worth while to pub
lsh, and we shall do no more and no less whether
Senates, Assemblies, Conyocations, Associa-
tions, Boards, Companies, Synods or Steamships
approve of our judgment or not. If the
public like us, they take us; if they
don't like us, they let US alone and we come
to grief. Anyhow, we conduct our own bust
ness in our own way. as all sensible business
men do, and take the responsibilities and the
consequences. The agents and reporters Of
the Associated Press, like the agents and re-
porters of an individual journal, are responsible
to their employers. If they disobey orders
through lack of judgment, betray Partially,
evince disposition to serve private ends, they
are dismissed from service. If they satisfy the
Association, comply with its rules, and act
in accordance with its system, they are kept in
place. The complaints of outside parties are
respectfully listened to, and remedy applied,
If, in our judgment, there is any real grievance;
but the agents and reporters are responsible to
their employers, and to them alone.
Finally, to make the application {: The Asso-
ciated Press recognizes no controversy between
their reporters and the United States Senate, or
any other public body. The Association orders
such Congressional reports, reports Of Legisla-
tive Proceedings, summary of Foreign NewS,
intelligence from any quarter as it thinks the
exigencies of combined journalism, all things
considered require. In these combined reports
the intention is to be fair to all parties, and the
fact that The World and The Times, The Herald
and THE TRIBUNE continue to carry on this
part of their business in combination, and that
the newspapers all over the country, of every
shade of politics, continue to accept these reports
and the public continue to read and be satisfied
with them, is the best evidence that the work is,
on the whole, judiciously done. Ifit were not,
The Globe, the official journal at Washington,
would have larger circulation than any of US,
would beat US all out Of sight in popular favor,
and would compel US, for our own sakes, to fol-
low it's example, which we are all free to do III
we see fit. We don't, and for tn obvious reason
it is not worth our while. We all give to our
readers just as much or just as little Of Congress
sional proceedings and speeches as We think
proper, and abuse or complaint Of our reporters
is useless, for they simply obey their orders.
We send our reporters where We please, to coll
lect news for our own purposes and to serve the
public, not for the benefit Of individual gentle
men, however exalted or worthy. SO long as
we agree among ourselves, and please our read |
ers, our end is answered, for the journals in
question can alone judge how much space they
can give to any particular kind of intelligence,
how much they can afford to spend for it, and
in what shape and proportions it must be trans
mitted to them to satisfy the different classes Of
readers for whom the various papers are printed.
Frederick Douglass will speak In Brooklyn
Monday evening, at the Academy Of Music;
subject, "The Assassination and its Lessons"