Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-12-26
Newspaper Progress.
Evansville Journal

s'SWhENESA . SS6SS
Evansville Journal
''That stanch exponent Of democracy, the I'm
ion Local, is about to take an advance step and
change to semi weekly The day of old-fogy-
ism 10 past and the paper that fails to keep up
with the times is in danger of being left behind
in the procession. One paper week no longer
supplies the demands of an educated public,
and one by one the progressive journals are
realizing this fact. The Local, now an eight
column paper, will be reduced to six column
sheet and issued twice week at the same
price as hereiofore-S2.C0. We wish Bro. Will
son much success in his new venture. South
Kentuckian. - Z,
The above, from the scmi-weekly
edition of our enterprising Hopkins
vile contemporary, records fact
that is indicative Of progress in the
newspaper business, of steady in
crease of.popnlation and of growth in
public knowledge. The Kentuckian
sis published twice week and is one
0f.tiie best of the country newspapers
of which our sister state can boast.
There has been steady advance in
the publishing business in that state,
(. as in Indiana and Illinois. The
third class cities have their semi
weekly and tri-weekly newspapers
as those of the first,and second class
have their dailies. Some of the
third class even, in the state, maintain
dailies all the year round, while 9TH
ers publish them on extraordinary
occasions. This also the case in
Illinois.
The tendency is towarttdailies in all
the larger places of over, say, ten
thousand people. These are gcner-
ally afternoon papers, as they have
an advantage in the. ability to use
news "plates" that are not enjoyed by
morning papers. In order to do tlis
the towns of publication hare to be
within few hours of large cities9a.
Chicago, Cincinnati and st Louis,
where the "plate" business is made a
specially.
But for the fierce competition that
generally prevails in the calling, as in
almost every other, and tile plethora
of publications, the character and va.
riety Of matter could be greatly i'm
improved in all the second, third ant
fourth rate towns and cities. 1t il
simply matter of money. Money
can buy better materials; it can in,
crease the force Of operatives; it cal
extend the circulation and advertis
ing patronage; it can employ NOR
and better writing talent. But, un
fortunately, SO many papers ar
struggling in the race of the "surviv
al OF the tttest," that there are "thil
pickings" for many of them, Will
the most prosperous are not boman
zas of wealth.
The average newspaper readers ii
the larger cities are not satisfied un
less they get paDers every day in I'll
week including Sunday, while in III
firSt-class cities this is imperativel
demanded. Even church member
who are conscientiously opposed I,
the pursuit of ordinary vocations o.
the Sabbath, consider the publica
ton of newspapers OIL that day as il
the nature of necessity. Hence III
yielding of the Journal TO this de
nand some years ago, although Their
is no corresponding profit, and til
wear and tear on proprieters, editor
and employees is very great. In til
tirst-clasS cities the working fore
can be changed for Sundays, bu
here it can not be.
The reading public are gettin
more exacting every year. They ex
pect Hopkinsville to publish as larg
and expensive papers as Evansvil,
Evansville as indianapolis, Indiana
polls as Cincinnati, st Louis an
Chicago. The fact is that the forme
places and others like them publis
papers as expensive as they can al
ford, and the wonder is that the
succeed as well as they do consider
ing the difficulties encountered.
no other business are they create
nor is so much capital, brains an
business ability required IN, propol
ton to the profits.