New-York tribune., 1882-03-09
RIG .JOTRN1LTS.U.

should die gamel
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BIG JOURNALISN.
We have noticed in several Western news'
papers recently expressions OF profound regret
over the "degcneracy of New-YOrk journal
ism" Eminent editors in Chicago and Cincin-
natl appear to be lying awake nights in their
anxiety on the subject. They wish they could
come here and infuse into the newspapers OF
this region the fresh life they so much need, but
imperative duties at home prevent them. They
are sure the great, representative newspapers Of
America are published in the West, and that the
public of New-YOrk is yeaming for them to be
published here. We are told there is one ed
itor in Chicago who says he knows philan-
thropic capitalist who will furnish a million
dollars if he will consent to leave his work in
Chicago and come to NewYOrk and start
newspaper on the Chicago plan. We may be
permitted to remark that he would need the
money. And this leads us to a contemplation
of Western journals and their characteristics.
In the first place, they are big. Everything
in the West is big-includmg the con-
versatOn. Take the average twelve or
sixtecn-page Chicago newspaper. There Is
everything in it-except editing. The news
appears to have been put IN with
a shovel, the only idea being to get in a big
lot of it, We can imagine the expression of
CONSERVATION upon the face of a NewI Iork
business man who should take up one of these
mammoth sheets to read during his ten or
fifteen minutes ride downtown on the elevated
road. Somewhere in that paper there might
be a bit of news he would like to see, bnt he
would be a lucky man if he ever found it. The
headlines would tell him nOthing-or else they
would misead him. A few years ago Salyini
and Theodore Thomas happened to be giving
performances in Chicago st the same time
one acting HamIet the other giving
concerts with his orchestra. The notices
of both were put under the heading, "Tom
and Sal" We admit frankly that no New
York newspaper ever equalled that When
this style of heading is followed all through a
sixteen-page newspaper it becomes bewildering
to the reader who is in haste to get at the
news. A Cincinnati newspaper, in humble
imitation of its Chicago contemporary, kept
standing for some time over its column of
most unsavory news the taking title, "Sins
Found OUT This not only drew atten-
ton to the choice reading below 1t,
but it conveyed the delicate intimation
that there were other sins which had
not been found out which would as
tonish the public when they came to light, rs
they were likely to any day. We do not pre-
tend TO say what effect this kind of editing
would have in New York were it to be adopted
by the respectable press. Heretofore it has
been confined to those weekly publications,
with similarly toned Illustrations which clrcu-
late mostly in bar-roOms and brothels.
Next to the bigness of the typical Western
journal, its intense personality Is most notice
able. Unhappy is the lot of the artist or actor
who fails into its clutches. Madame Patti
ventured into Cincinnati at Christmas time to
sing in a performance of the NJ essiah.'
The principal newspapers devoted from two
to- four columns day to descriptions of
her personal appearance, to conversations with
her, and to minute details concerning her
wardrobe. At the concert, Madame Patti had
some experiences which did not please her,
and then the enterprisng newspapers showed
what was in them. They interviewed" her so
successfully that within twenty-four hours
they represented her as insulting every per-
son connected with the concert, from the di-
rector To the managers. Interview followed
interview, with everybody concerned, and
whole pages were devoted to finding
out who was guilty of the aslound-
ing crime of allowing Miss Cary
to 20 upon the stage before Madame Patti.
When it was all over and the town had had
its sensation, all the persons who had been
represented as talking declared that they
had not been "intervewed" at all. There was
cntcrprisel Bat it was nothing to what fol-
lowed. Madame Patti returned to Cincinnati
month later to sing at the alleged Opera
Festival, and, justly indignant at her former
treatment, refused to see any newspaper men
at all. But the enterprising press of the
free and glorious and big West got
even" with her. She had the misfortune
to be taken i'll. Immediately the report
was published that she was "shamming." Had
not the gentlemanly and accomplished Colonel
Mapleson assured the public that "she was
capricious-that nobody could get along with
cher ~ OF course he had. This did very