Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-07-24
INSTRUCTION IN JOURNALISM.


Gil. r. LATHAM.
INSTRUCTION IN JOURNALISM.
Cornell University, which is one of the
most richly endowed institutions in the
country, has undertaken to give instruction
of special character for the fitting of young
men for quite a number of professional and
other occupations of an intellectual charac-
ter. They include journalism, law, theolo-
gy, engineering, architecture, agriculture,
etc. The course which applies to journalism
is called that of "History and Political Sci
ence," and includes basis of the Latin Ian
guage, careful instruction in the two great
languages and literatures of continental
Europe, moral philosophy, the philosophy
of history, political economy, and study
Of social and political questions. Without
doubt the instruction thus afforded would
equip a man for doing certain kinds of
journalistic work in a very scholarly and
accomplished manner.
Nevertheless, the young man about to en-
ter upon course of preparation for career
in journalism would do well to inquire what
position would be likely to fall to him with
all Of this splendid equipment on his first
emergence from school. Ifhe believes that
the world is waiting for him to come forth
and electrify it with his opinions upon
social, political and economic questions, his
disappointment will be of very sore order
when he begins to look around for vacan-
cy. He will be fortunate indeed if he Sc
cures position upon paper like the Wor-
cester Spy, the Hartford C0urdnt, or Spring
field Republican. We mention these pa
pers because theyare Representatives. char
acter of the highest average attainment that
journalism has yet reached in this country,
since it can be said that they are not excell-
ed even by the great dailies Of the metro
politan cities. Here he would not be long
in learning that there was no market for
his investments in political economy and
social science. He would be much more
likely to find himself assigned to work of
which he hadnOt given amoment's thought,
such as the reporting of fire, a case in the
police court or a base ball match, and how
would not be permitted to publish lengthy
dissertation at the end of his reports upon
the moral, social or economic tendencies of
the case in hand. The order to "boil it
down" to mere skeleton of fact would dis
sipate all his dreams of impressing the
greatness of his requirements and his
thoughts upon that community.
The two preferred sources from which the
experienced journalist and publisher draws
his corps of assistants are the college and
the printing Office. We know quite num-
ber who still cling to the old fashioned idea
that the bright, intelligent boy trained to
ucation as the High School affords, makes
the best practical man of all work about the
editorial sanctum. He must, of course, be-
gin low down in the scale of reporting, but
his work obtains credit in the eyes Of his
employer, for he knows how to prepare his
''copy," even to the placing of every COM
ma in its right place, and he wastes no
space in superfuous words. He may not
be so learned in books as his college rival,
but he has learned that which the other
has yet to learn, by virtue of which fact he
is ready to begin his work at the right
place and in the right way, with feeling
humiliation at being required to accept work
for which he has very contemplate opin-
ion. From the printers lease" have been
raised some Of the ablest writers that the
American press can boast. They include
Franklin, Blair, Weed, Greeley, Raymond,
FOrney, Hastings, Danielson and long list
of less prominent, many Of whom still WELD
a powerful influence in moulding public
opinion.
1t cannot be denied that, other things
being equal the better educated man is,
!ile more thoroughly ls ne equlppeu lor
journalistic work. But few years expert
ence will teach him that the most valuable
qualification he can possess is that of exact
accuracy. 1t is not enough to be conscien-
tiously truthful in a general way, for this
permits a liberation of mistake. The
thoroughly equipped journalist permits no
mistake, especially in matters of fact. In
long newspaper career the facts with
which he has to deal will be thousand for
every opinion that he will have occasion
to present. A few may look for the able
editorial discussion of some political or
social topic, but the masses turn from this
to the pages of local or general news, and
here it is that eXactneSS is as essential as in
mathematical demonstration. And the
habit of enactment finds no school for it's
requirement like the printing Office, where
every word, every letter and every punctu-
alton mark must be considered and given
its right place.
Nothing is more important to remember,
by him who would succeed, that heavy
editorial writing has almost become one
of the lost arts, while the work Of the
journalist becomes every day. more and
together, make that great budget of facts,
the newspaper. Of course it is a great
privilege to be able to control and direct
public opinion, and the man who can do
this with his pen in short, crisp articles, is
an invaluable acquisition to any newspaper.
But even such man will find himself bet
ter equipped for his work if he reaches it by
the route that the itemizer has to travel.
And whether the aspirant comes from the
case or the college, his path upward must
be toilsome, step by step, sometimes con-
suming half lifetime before he reaches the
top round of the ladder. For it is truth
that the field of journalism is not wide
one, hardly wide enough to justify the for
nation of many schools of professional train
ing. Compare the number in this or any
other averaged sized community with the
multitude of lawyers, ministers, doctors,
teachers, clerks, accountants, etc., who are
earning comfortable incomes, and the open
ing for aspiring young men will at once be
seen to be few. But the practical and con-
scientious man will succeed in the highest
position, if he succeeds first in that appren-
ticeship which the self-important collegian
usually despises.