The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-05-27
Newspapers MAfor5n. Efie Editorial or
ffce and tile Count nG. Room.

l. ,ts7 49, 80
shall we ever see q press that we can al
ways trust to tell the whole truth, without
reference to business considerations? OF
course not; and the qtIestion is pcrpetmlly
asked, rs a conclusive demonstration OF the
| WofIhiesslless OF newspapers, by men who
ought 10 know better. Do YOU know any
business man who tells the whole truth II,
his operations, Irrespective Of business con-
sider:ifioiis--any lawyer, any doctor, any
statesman? Till that always-promisi,ig, never
performing race Of long-delaycd patriots a,L
pear who are TO publish great newspapers
for The mere advancement Of truth, it is pro-
liable that the poor papers we have will still
| DE issued by their mercenary owners with
some sordid purpose Of making money by
them.
Not irrespective of business considera-
lions, then, but because, of them, believe
that in the better journalism to which we are
tending we shall approach more and more
nearly to an absolute divorce between the
editorial Office and the eounting-room. The
great newspapers are those which look for
news, not advertisements. With the news
comes circulation, and when circulation
commands, the advertisements seek the NJ
per, not the paper the advertisements.
Make your newspaper so good, so full of
news, so truthful, 80 able, that pcoDle
must take it make its circulation SO great
that advertisers will plead for the priv.
lege OF getting into it--those seem 10
me the two gTcat business command.
ments Of our better Journalism When. at
last, we get our feet planted on this solid
GROUND, no newspaper can afford to slIDDress
OF soften The truth in amy business interest.
The London TI,:ies threw awav $40 00N :,
week IN advertisements i'll the railway mania
OF 1919 1t made money l.y the loss. II
co'iid NOT have afforded not to throw the
money away, for il thereby indicated its
spirit OF hottest dealing with its readers in
inc eyes OF all Europe; and its readers were
OF infinitely more consequence to il than il,
advertisers. This is precisely the view t,.t
your small business MN would never fJ1;c.
lie would see nothing but the $40, 900 a week
that could be had rs easily as not by only
Keeping quiet in the editorial columns. l;,it
great newspapers are neither built I'M nor
maintained by small business men. More an i
more tie Trade OF selling advertisements is
getting reduced to SIS plain d basis as t,,e
trade Of selling flour or potatoes, where the
money paid over the counter represents tl,c
exact selling price Of the article bought. and
there is no dream Of further obligation on
either side. by and by We shall see all rep,l-
table Journals stop depreciating their own
wares by admitting that it is necessary TO
call attention to an advertisement i'm the
reading columns to get it seen treat as pre-.
postcrouS the request that there shall be
some notice Of theatre or lecture, "iust to
accompany tic advertisement, you know"
take rs an insult the suggestion that, if an
editorial could be made speaking well OF the
capabilities of a region and its need of rail-
road, there would be Il heavy advertisement of
railroad bonds; utterly refuse, on whatever
specious plea of publicas well as private inter-
est. to suffer one line to appear as reading mat
ter which the editor did not select because
he thought it Of more interest than any other
matter it might displace, and the paper did
not publish without penny of pay. Some
of these reforms, in the case of any but the
strongest journals, will come slowly, for they
amount to revolution but come they will
not because publishers will be more disin-
terested than now, but because, looking to
| the rights Of readers, their paramount I'M
p0rtance to the newspaper they support,
| aud the imperative need of keeping faith
with them, publishers will see such reform
to he sound business policy, and any other
course to be business ql!ackcry~-- Hhitclar
| Reid, in Scribne,'s for June.