The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1882-12-02
The Newspaper Worker.

nv NNUspuINi Nuihtis
The Wilmington Del.) Mornii Q
Nolcs says; at is a graet deal easier
to say what newspaper should not
print than it 10 to say what it should
print, since the legitimate field OF activ-
ity includes every topic which engages
the attention of rational and decent So
ciety, while the forbidden subjects arc
those against which man who respects
himself instinctively revolts. Thus,
one OF the first rules impressed upon
newcomers in well .conducted newspa-
per offices is this when in doubt do
not print" This rule proposes that
the newspaper man represents the av.
erage sense of decency OF the commu.
nifty, and that the doubt with which he
a9aFdhtbfsiGfSsdt" d. Sail! be shared. only
large. The same general idea is often
expressed in tho maxim that il is not
what you put in newspaper, but what
you keep out Of it, hat makos it sue
cessful.
"rhe rule and maxim both rest upon
the assumption that the personal char
actor and experience of the response.
BILE journalist are up to certain grade.
In the earlier history of journalism the
case was different. A certGin brilliancy
of expression, an excess Of imaginative
power, Byronic tendency toward Boz
hemianism, that Undesirable quaint.
ty called genius which is usually mere
sham these were not only the qualities
popularity ascribod to Newspaper men,
but those which they actually possessed.
Out of this atmosphere OF genius came
the tradition that newspaper man
must be not entirely reputable; hat he
must not be too willing pay bill; that
he must work by fits and starts and
that he must cultivate some pct eccen-
tricity. In fact the notion VS. that he
must DO very peculiar ana irregular
and surprising, and that these character
istics made him very great. This no.
ton was utterly destroyed by tho war.
AT that time the mass of readers learned
to demand facts abont current events,
and the man with flowing neck-tee and
the long hair and rolling eye was
knocked out of the printing house, new
er to return. The newspaper man of
to-day is plain man, who lives with
his family, pays his debts, goes to
church, keeps himself clean in body and
mouth and spirit and generally trieste
behave himself as well as his business,
to represent as nearly as he can the av-
erago intelligence and conscience Of the
community in which he works, never
going below the average but always try
ing to lift it little higher. His mag
ination is the least used paIt of bis men.
tai Equipment. He concerns himself
with facts chiefly, and with such facts
as concern other reputable citizsxs.
While he pitures'.-ll laaa,nsn soHstinss
avoids as much as ifossldle tho bad E.e
OF the time; He tries not to print what
he would not like to read alond before
rellnep women and innocent children.
He has fuu and life and sparkle, dut
these are decent in subject and pure in
their tendecy. at lie ouly when some
half-ripe boy gets hold of the printing
press nowadays that it begins to turn
toward scandal and indecaLcy. Igno-
rant himself, unguided aud with little
sense of responsibility, he has Just wit
enough TO copy the minor weaknesses
of large newspapers. Their sterling,
solid qualities are beyond his compre
tension, and so he bends his immature
mind toward personal failings and NOR
al dirt He tuns tho press, which sur.
passes in power all other social agen.
cies for good, into mere cider mill of
filth, and no becomes for the time ter
rife little social pest. His nose becomes
as snarp as terriers in the pursuit Of
human weaknesses and sins, and the
deeper he can stick it into moral sore
the happier and prouder he is. He Is
= 4. 4
and conteytible survival, too. The
public sense of decency and the social
instinct of sela'peservation. soon force
him to the wall, in one way or the aoth
er. Honest and decent journalism
ought not to be credited with his in
competence amp mischief, any more
than the honorble profession of the law
should be held responsible for the bis.
reputable doings of Tombs county
shyster."