The Osceola times., 1881-11-05
THE NEWSPAPER
4 Few Dots on au Interesting subject.

Inc eN peciAllon OF pfout Is Wual CAUSES
its being, and this motive is not lower
than that which leads people into any
other occupation or profession. II the
excellence Of n newspaper is not meas
ured by its proftabeness, it is generally
true that il does not pay its owner, it il
valueless to the public, and as a rule, the
successful journal pecuniarily is the best
journal The recognition of the fact
that the newspaper is purely business
enterprise, will help to define the mutu
al relations OF the editor and the public.
His claims upon the public is exactly
that of any manufacturer or dealer. On
the other hand the public has no rights
in the newspaper except what It pays
for; even the "old subscriber has none
except to drop the paper if it does not
please him. Whether communications
shall be published or not, rests with the
discretion of the editor, having refer
ence to his own private interest and the
apprehension of the public good. The
advertiser acquires no more rights in the
newspaper than the subscriber. lie is
entitled to the space for which he pays,
by the insertion of such material as is
approved by the editor but gains no in
terest in any other part OF the paper.
The newspaper being a strictly private
enterprise, depends for success upon a
q'ud pro quo between all parties connect
ed with it, and upon integrity IN its
management.
The newspaper, which Is the property
Of a privste person, as much as Il drug
store is, is expected 10 perform for moth
ing services which would be asked Of no
other private person. There is scarcely
a charitable ENTERPRISE to which It is not
asked 10 contribute Of its space, which is
money, ten times more than any other
person in the community who are ten
times rs able as the owner o. the news
paper to contribute. The Journal is con-
sidered "mean' if it viii not surrender
its columns TO notices and announce
ments Of this sort. II manager has n
new hen coop or new singer he wishes
to introduce to the public, he comes to
the newspaper, expecting to nave his
enterprise eNtolled for nothing, and
probably never thiuks it would be just
rs proper Tor him to goto one Of the reg
ular advertisers in the paper and ask him
TO give up his space. Anything from g
church picnic 10 brass band concert
for the benefit Of the widow of the trian-
ales, asks the newspaper 10 contribute.
The party in politics, whose principles
the editor advocates, has no doubt OF its
claims upon him, not only upon the edi-
torial columns, bnt the whole paper. 1t
asks without hesitation that the news
paper should take mp its valuable space
by printing hundreds and often thou
sands Of dollars worth Of political an
nluncements in the course Of a pro-
tracted campaign, when it never would
think Of getting its halls, its speakers,
and its brass bands free of expense.
Churches, rs well as parties, expect tdis
sort Of charity. | have known rich
churches, TO whose members it was a
convenience to have its Sunday sud
other services announced, withdraw the
announcement when the editor declined
any longer TO contribute a weekly hfty
cents worth of space. No private per
son contributes so much TO charity, in
proportion TO ability, as the newspaper
Perhaps it Will get credit for this in
the next world; it certainly does not IN
this.
The chief function of the newspaper i,
10 collect and print the news; the second
is to elucidate the news and comment on
itaud show its relations; and the third
is TO furnish reading matter,to the gener
al public That news will be liven tha
the people will be most interested in,anG
a success OF the news printed depends
on q preapprehensiOn Of those topic,
that the world will be talking about al
the time the paper appears. Some pa
pers, which nevertheless print all the
news, are always days behind, do not
appreciate the popular drift till it has
gone TO something else, and err as much
by Clinging TO a subject after 10 is dead as
hv taking itup before il was fairly born.
The public Graves eagerly for only one
thing at time and soon wearies of that;
and it is TO the newspapers profit TO
seize the exact point Of a debate, the
thrilling moment of an accident, the pith
of an important discourse, to throw IT.
self into it as if life depended upon it,
aud for the hour to flood the popular
curiosity with it,, as an engine deluges a
fire, and thenews must be presented in
an arrangement which will be at once at
traCtiye 10 the eye.
Our newspapers are overwhelmed
with material that Il OF no importance.
The obvious remedy for this would be
more intelligent direction in the collec-
ton of news, and more careful sitting
and supervision of it when gathered.
Ii becomes every day more apparent 10
every manager that sdch discrimination
is more necessary. There is no limit TO
the various intelligence and gossip that
our complex life offers; no paper is big
enough to contain it; no reader has time
enough to read it. Aud the Journal must
cease to be a sort OF waste basket at the
end Of a telegraph wire. into which any
reporter, telegraph operator or gossip
monger can dump whatever he pleases
We must get rid of the superstition
that value is given TO an unimpcrtant
"item" by sending it l,O05 miles over the
wire.