Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1884-05-31

THE COUNTRY NEWSPAPER.
An Address Delivered by e. w
Stephens, Editor of the Colum-
bia. Mo-, Herald.
Before the Missouri Press Assocta.
lion at Springfield, NO., We'd
nesdny, May FL, 1854.
MIR. President, Ladies and Gentlemen:
propose 10 consider the country newSpa-
per in the relations l. To business. 3
10 news. 3. To opinion.
BUSINESS.
The business feature will be discussed with
reference: l. To subscription. =. To ad-
| vertising.
think it is correct principle that low
subscriptions price is not the method of in
% Greaslng either circulation or advertising.
The best plan with II newspaper, as will,
everything else, is 10 make a good article and
| charge what it is worth. 1t is rule of blsi-
hess that the average man regulates his ap-
probation of u thing by what ii costs him,
and this holds good both rs to subscribers
and advertisers. A reduction of, say fifty
cents per year, in the subscription of a local
| newspaper, in an average Missouri county,
will not as a rule bring sufficient increase in
| advertising and in circulation to justify the
reduction. If a county paper is properly ed
| ited-it it is so made as TO meet the wants
and win the interest of the readers of all sec
tions Of the county, its subscription, price, if
reasonable, will he no bar to its being taken
by nearly all intelligent people within the
range of its circulation. The increase secur-
ed by small reduction III subscription price
is generally ameng a class whose patronage is
not valuable. profitable patron does not
withhold his subscription from meritoriOus
| county paper in order to save a cent a week.
OF course all this i, not intended to apply to
that large class OF papers whose only merit
Is cheapness; nor is il or anything else in this
address applicable 10 city papers.
DOES NOT INCREASE ADVERTISING.
1t is not experience that enlarged circula-
tion secured through reduction of subscription
produces adequate increase in advertising.
Mr.. George z. Rowell. of New York, who
has probably had greater experience in ad-
VertIslng IN country newspapers than any
other person, in very interesting article
upon this subject several years ago, stated
that his observation hat been that advertis-
ers would pay more for paper of limited
circulation and high subscription price than
for one whose circulation was some larger,
but whose subscription price was lower,
The character Of readers Is more of an ele-
ment OF value than number, and the same
reader appreciates more highly, has greater
regard for its opinions, and reads more crti-
cally paper for which he pays So than one
for which he pays 81. although there may be
no actual difference in merit. Upon the same
principle gratuitous publications scattered
throughout the country do not secure one
third the rates for the same circulation as do
those which are paid for by subscribers. 1t
is not intended to indicate here the price that
should be fixed. This is something for each
publisher to decide for himself. 1t necessa-
rily cannot be uniform, and must he subject
to the notifications OccasiOned by size of the
paper. by competition and other incidental
conditions.
PREMIUMS AND CLUBS.
Nor is the system, sometimes adopted, of
obtaining subscriptions through premiums or
lotteries or clubs safe one for the extension
Of circulation. 1t is not wise plan to under
take to buy people to subscribe for your pa
per. Unless it can get subscribers upon its
own merits or through direct effort it will be
better off without them. 1t Is u discredit to
the article which you have to sell and an ad-
mission that it is not worth what you ask for
it when you offer people u bonus TO take it.
Then, once be adopted, the plan must kept up,
be as it will be e pected, aud i'll the end will
be certain to result in loss.
The clubbing system is open to many OBJ
iectiOns. Its chief one is that it is diScrlm-
inatiOn against the patrons who are most
valuable. and who of all others should have,
the benefit of reductions. 1t enables new
subscribers who simply make price
consideration anu whose patronage is not apt
to be yaluable-tO Obtain the paper at less
rates than the old subscribers who take it in
the usual way, and upon whom the publisher
must chiefly rely for support, and whose long
patronage certainly entities them TO prece-
dence in benefit. The truth is the One-price
system absolutely, without any chrOmOS, clubs
,r accessories or any kind, is the only correct
one, and the only one which will win in the
end. Ii you desire to extend circulation
adopt other methods than that of buying pa
tronage or discriminating between patrons.
INCREAsING CIRCULATION.
How then shall circulation he increased!
The primal basis of circulation is merit in the
paper itself. The publisher must neglect no
local department, all that is demanded of it
by the section in which il is published. 1t
must be well printed and in its preparation
terse, vigorous, comprehensive, well ''made
up" and full of all the news OF interest.
Whatever proportion of the subscription price
II is deemed can be devoted to the extension
of circulation can be most effectively applied
to the employment Of efficient agehts, if such
persons can be found, to commissions to post
masters, to advertise in various attractive
ways, Or to sending out periodically, say four
times year, extra copies to all persons IN
the county who. are not subscribers, either
mailing postal cards, calling attention to the
fact or enclosing circulars soliciting the names
OI the parties addressed.
TERMS.
'Strictly in advance" is known to he such
meaningless phrase under the headlines of
the average country newspaper that only i'll
credulity meets the editor who claims 10 make
it an actual rule Of business. As Il fact, how
ever, 1t Is the only oriect policy. Such is the
reluctance with which the country editor
parts with subscriber and such the haunt
ing fear that he will not get him again, that
he prefers to let him continue, even ut the
risk of never getting dollar for his kindness.
More money Is lost, more enemies are made.
more publishers noses are kept at the grind
stone, and less profit gained by this failure to
discontinue subscriptions as they expire than
by all other causes combined. 1t brings
paper into disrepute, because it is regarded
by many as an effort to thrust it upon them,
and the very persons whose favor and credit
are SO much regarded that the paper is con-
tinued to them. in majority of cases, will
use the partiality thus shown them against
the paper itself. They deem 1t Il tribute to
their superior importance and will boast of it
To their less favored neighbOrs, who are re-
quired to pay strictly in advance. The truth
is, that All editor actually has no more au-
thority to send a paper for two years when it
has been ordered for but one than Il grocer
has to send u man 50 pounds of sugar when
his order calls for but 70. Far less enmities
are made by disseminating than by cOntinlI-
ing papers without authority, and if any pub
Usher will adopt the mtieXible rule OF stop
ping all subscriptions AS they expire he will
discover that, in addition to giving him more
money for constant use, he will have less
trouble with his subscribers, will not be an
nOyed with mailing accounts, and in the end
his subscription list will he increased
ADVERTISING.
But the main revenue of the newspaper is
from advertising. which therefore deserves
the most careful thought and the utilization
of the best methods. The publisher should
realize that he possesses even Il higher inter
est in adv Nertsements proving profitable than
do patrons themselves. Hence he should
study the business ri each advertiser, and, us
Il rule should insist ON writing the advertise
ments himself. Not one advertiser IN Il hun
dred knows how TO write an d,erIisement
tie wants to present the attractions of his
business in Il way that will do him tue most
good, but lie does not know the way, and
when he finds publisher thai does he seeks
him. The best plan with advertisements. rs
with every thing else, is To let them tell the
truth. Avoid eNtrava:.:.,Ire of a,acment-,n
almost universal fault. Let them have sin
cerity about them aud not bt. meaning less,
but contain lasla which VIII inform and IN
lercsL the Readers, such prices and special
attractions. ADVERTISEMENTS can really he
made the most interesting. f'.iiir,-u ui paper.
when they present facts touching ihing- the
people want. All TIN, requires peuctrali"n.
i study of The manifold features of the Various
avoralion> of yoIr patrons, but the trouble t.
obtain this knowledge and present il viii tr