River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-01-15
French Newspapers.

From Every Other Saturday.
The French newspaper does not aim
at greatness, or rather bigness of this
kind. A journal there seems like a
pleasant every morning chat which
paper has with it's readers, endeavoring
to give them in as pleasant and briei
way as possible the really important
news of the day, and at the same time
to have talk on whatever is happening
in art, music and literature. The main
articles, or what we should call editori-
ais, are written by well known writ
ers and critics who nominally
belong to the staff, and are all
signed, which makes it seem all the
more familiar and personal. AS to the
overwhelming mass of worthless news
which flood our papers, they have mono
of it. They do not, and they know their
readers do not care to, know that Nine.
| Chose, way off in the little town OF
PoEt Aven, Brittany, who was out rid
ing the day before, fell from the car
riage and sprsined her ankle. Or that
some italian Briggitta, was lighting the
fire that morning in Rome, used kero-
-sene as usual, and set fire to the house as
usual 1t may be well enough to put
such items in the provincial or village
paper where the event happens, but
what do the general public care about
it?
l may be able to Illustrate the differ
ence have spoken of more forcibly by
simply describing some Paris newspa-
per as it appears daily, Take for ex-
ample LIE Figaro, which is one of the
oldest. 1t is also one of the largest,
being a four-page journal, the size of a
Harper's Weekly. On the front page
first comes the editorial articles-usual.
ly there is only one. THIS is in the
form of a regular article with heading,
and deals in somewhat lengthy man
ner with the interesting topic of the
hour. whether it will be in politics, re-
ligion art or science. Then follows
what are termed Echoes of Paris,
which are brief and pointed notes OF
what is going on socially in the city.
| The rest of the page is devoted
| to any articles about events which
would interest the public, told in ia
miliar though brief manner. | said the
rest of the page. | meant the upper
part of the page, for the lower quarter
| Is given up to one chapter per issue
from some novel written by a well
| known author. This is called the feuil-
Teton. In the lower quarter of the last
column are placed in the abbreviated
form in which they are received, the
cablegrAms No great headlines, nor
are the dispatches padded out to double
or treble their size, and yet one know S
their contents fully as well.
The second page is devoted to reports
from the Senate and Chamber, what
contemporaries are saying, and political
matter generally. The third page to
| items of Paris and French news gener-
| aIly, critiques on theatres and plays,
| AMI a second feuilleton. The fourth
and last page, announcements for the
DAYS pleasures and public meetings,
few advertisements-a very few and
compact in form-and condensed stocks
and monetary reports.
| This in brief manner describes the
whole paper. Planting head lines are
never used, and important articles may
commence in the middle or lower part
Of the column, as well as at the top,
One has everything, art, music, lit,
erature, news and politics, and we'll
| written, too. For a journalist is a
recognized member Of the literary
coterie in Paris. Craving the pardon
Of American journalists, would say
that newspaper writing in France is a
profession, here it is generally trade.
There are one or two curious things
connected with the French newspaper
that are worth mentioning. The arti-
cles are generally signed in the authors
handwriting that is to say, by htho'
| graph. The government still reserves
the right to censure, and every man Is
responsible for what he writes. There
| is now much more freedom of the press
than there was, but the custom remains.
Besides this the whole paper is signed
on the last page by the gerant or man
aging editor. And four or five copies
are sent every morning, signed in ink,
| to the various government departments.
/ The style throughout, whether in the
| articles or in thu news notes, is very
chatty and familiar. One always fe Is
a strong personality in every part Of
! the paper. Even the news columns
have distinct character and style about
them.
Finally, all evening papers are dated
for the following morning. The daily
which has the largest circulation in
France is the Paris Petit Journal, a
very small 1-cent sheet.