The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-04
PuRs.

A writer III lle DeCelNUeT uunluel vi i"o
GALAXY maks some very good points, in re-
gard to "The Morals and Manners OF Jour-
nalism." The following remarks in depre-
cation OF the system of indiscriminate puff
inc, in which so many of our newspapers
indulge, reflect so faithfully the sentiments
OF The News on the subject, that we repro
duce them for the ediiication OF our readers
and advertisers:
:'The most insidious foe TO the fair fame Of
Journalism is the advertisement desk. Unf0r-
tunatcly for the independence OF journalists.
the system Of newspaper publication now is
that the paper shall be sold al a price so low
that little or no profit comes of its circulation,
which, from business point of view, is val'l-
able only as it makes the paper more desir-
able medium Of advertising, from which the
publishers expect to receive their gains. 1t
would be we'll for the honor and indepeHd-
ence of journalism if not only this system
were abandoned, but if no advertisements at
all were published in newspapers. The cor
ruption of the press by this influence is very
great. and for it the public are hardly less
responsible than the journalists. II men Will
not hesitate TO offer large advertisement
on the condition that its publication shall be
accompanied by favorable opinion OF the
thing or the project advertised, if they will,
upon Journals taking course which they
regard as inimical to their interests, withdraw
their regular and necessary advertising from
It, as was recently done in avery conspicuous
instance by several insurance companies, they
must expect that their demand will cause sup
ply of the ARTICLE Of journalist suited to their
TASTE But when they find that in other re-
spects that journalists opinion is not perfect
ly trustworthy, that his Endorsement of some
other man or projects is not entirely disinterest-
ed, it would be we'll for them to remem-
Der, before they break out into denunciation
of the press, that they are merely having 1t
meted to them as they have helped to mete
1t to others. Advertisements must be pub
lshed in newspapers, and the only safe course
to pursue in regard to them is the adoption of
a rule, absolute and without exception, that
nothing in the interest of an advertiser, no mat
ter what his Importance, shall be admitted into
the editorial columns for any consideration.
It should be understood, and, If necessary,
announced, that payment for advertising. how
ever large, secures the advertisement, and
nothing more. This rule should be rlgldly en-
forced, without exception; for until this Is
done, and it is regarded as dishonorable to
puff an advertiser, and in bad taste even to
puff his horse, journalism will not be entire
ly free from debasing taint which now per-
vadcs it far more than is generally suspected.
it was but the other day that the agent of a
company, bringing fat advertisement to U
paper of standing, and asking paragraph
In approval of the company's project, and,
being refused, produced, as good example
to be followed, several articles of the kind he
asked for, which had appeared in leading
Journal, and which he owned. in the most mat
ter-of-course way, that he himselfhad written !!
Ofwhat real value are the opinions ofthat paper
upon financial projects? With what face can
the editors and publishers Of that paper ask
the public to trust them upon any matter in
which there is money to be made by the tor
mer, and lost by the latter? DO journalists
suppose that this practice can go on, and their
profession not suffer in the estimation Of every
man who does not regard the getting of
money, no matter how, as the one object Of
life, the be all and the end all here? Can
they regard 1t as consistent with the candor
and the good faith, without which journalism
is but a daily imposture, a systematic nui-
sance? And If it is said that the innocent must
not be confounded with the guilty, the pure
with the corrupt, and that the character of a
whole profession SHOULD not be Judged by that
of certain of its members, the reply is that
this is true, and that therefore the world does
not rate Journalism according to the excep-
tional virtues ofsome of It's professors