The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-06-24
THE NEWSPAPER BUsI-
NESS.
What a WeIl-knOWn Western
Editor and Publisher Has to
Say About Tt

Col. Aikens, editor OF the Milwaukee
Evening Wisconsin, in referring to the
newspaper business says: The average
newspaper reader thinks he could improve
the newspaper he reads, if he were the editor.
tins very common for editors Of long expert
ence-men who have devoted lifetime to
the proiessiUn-tO get letters from subscrib-
efs offering advice. No doubt some editors
need advice; but as q rule AN editor, fit to
be in his position. knows better than any
one reader what should go into lis paper
The readers Of a newspaper are a community,
and their wants and tastes are broader than
those Of any one man, hence the acute editor
viii find his way to the satisfaction of the
greatest number 10 this conrse he viii cir
cumscribe himself only by a regard for truth
right and public good. He is, however, con
stantly tempted by the large sale of purely
nasty and immoral papers to increase his at
the expense of decency- But only on the
ground that the devil is the best paymaster
can this course be justified. Edit a paper
within the bounds OF deeency and right, and
the best test ofthe editors work IS the sales
of his wares-the numbers of his readers.
Edited upon any other principle the paper
becomes a tract, and the people don't buy
tracts-the benevolent societies give them
away. Ano Their peculiar fallacy with regard
to newspapers is the very general belief that
fabulous fortunes are made by publishing
them. OF course everybody knows that not
much money can be mace in printing small
paper IL a Country LoHuS Bul We HDUEk OF
prominent papers in great cities. Il is a
common remark that we hear with regard
to Chicago newspaper fortunes. There are
five principal newspapers in Chicago, and we
understand from most excellent authority
that there has been no money made by hem
for the past year. We know the newspapers
have not paid expenses the past year. The
difficulty has not been with the papers, for
they have been good. II is the loss of ad-
vertising. Business has been dull and mel
nd ,..A~-
tempted to expand by advertising. In the
United States are printed six thousand pub
I locations. We do not call to mind twenty
men who have made fortunes in the business.
So we repeat, it is not mOney-making bus
mess.
Perhaps the worst popular fallacy with re-
gard to newspapers is that generally enter
tanned that newspapers ought to be printed
and published in the interest of the cOmmu-
nifty. Churches, poorhouses, asylums and all
sorts of charitable enterprises run to the
newspapers for gratuities, as a child runs to its
mother for help. Politicians, ofiice-seekers
and scallaWags generally count on the unpaid
support Of newspapers, Now a newspaper,
to be worth anything a business enter
prise, should be printed in the in terest Of its
propIietor-iust as much as a merchant
should run his business in his own interest
alone. This popular fallacy has been largely
bred by the establishment of party and per
sonal organs, that live by begging fer sup
/ port, and other newspaper mendieancy.
Another very common fallacy that has
| possession of the average minds that an
advertisement of ones wants and business
| inserted in a newspaper, Ia patronage, in q
sort of generous sense. The fact is that the
publisher of a hrst-class newspaper usually
charges less than the cost Of the white paper
covered, for the insertion of an advertise
ment. So, il there is any patronage in the
transaction, it is on the part of the publisher.
stranger picking up a paper from an IN
known city, judges of its business and gen
eral reputation for enterprise more by the
advertisements than by the editorials I'm
ion, n. Y.