Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-08-21
Newspaper X

ton at their annual meeting at Spirit
Lake, July Goth, suggests the propriety
Of making a newspaper a medium of
news, rather than the mouthpiece of
editorial opinion:
"The newspaper should be a news
paper. The successful newspaper pub
Usher cannot nave this fact too thor
oughiy ground INTO him. IL is COM
paratiyely a recent idea, but it is Of
growing recognition among those who
buy as we'll as those who sell news
papers.
The demand is for tae news. There
is far less demand for opinion than there
used to be. The newspaper reader
nowadays wants the facts. the record,
the evidence, and if he can have these
he feels quite AS able to supply the
| opinion as he thinks the editor TO be.
1t is not the easiest thing in the world
for men, and women possibly, to tell the
truth in print. 1t is not so frequently
~chargeable to natural disposition TO
falsify as it is to inability to view a
given case judicially-to free ones self
from bias. and to restrain ones self from
argument in the mere recitation Of as
sumed facts. A prime weakness Of the
average reporter is that he is constantly
Injecting his personal opinions, his likes
and dislikes, into his reports. The
news columns of a newspaper should
deal as exclusively as possible with
facts. If the reader can have the facts
he may be trusted to his opinion and
to get the facts is the prime use he has
for the newspaper. To undertake 10
deceive him here, or to color the facts to
suit a personal purpose, or to make them
conform to a personal opinion, is to
trife with the readers intelligence, and
to soone or later win his contempt.
Honesty, Therefore, is by far the best
policy III newspaper making. News
paper readers will grant the editor the
freedom of his opinions. They will
quickly resent any attempt upon his
part to dictate to them the opinions
they shall entertain for themselves.
Yet very many good people feel that
the newspaper shonld ride their par.
%ticular hobbies, and in their particular
way. They feel, for instance, that this
sinful world should be reformed, while
they yet live, in the matter Of the drink
habit. They do not understand why
the newspaper should not cry out per
petually with a loud voice against the
ravages of the rum traffic This may
involve a compliment to the press, for it
may be taken as assuming that the press
might change public opinion if it would,
and lead that opinion to healtliful or
ganization and high moral ground. But
of all men the editor should keep him
self out of moral ruts. No man is more
favorably circumstanced than he is to
win recognition as a bore. When once
an editor has well ~establisle d himself
as a bore he would be doinr himself a
kindness and his family a service by
changing his occupation and his resi-
dence.
Under this general head l can only
say that in making a newspaper there
should be conscience in the work.
There should be healthful influence.
There should be such tone and temper
in all its composition as to give it recog-
milton as t%ruthloving, and for ambition
to promote honor among men, and to
protect in all ways the peace, security
and happiness of the home. No editor,
striving to make a good
need hesitate to declare himself or his
paper against vice in whatever form,
nor TO uphold in all good works the
hands of all good people. He will be
the more thought of for doing that, and
his newspaper will be given, in conse
quence, a securer place in the hearts of
all worthy citizens. The courage of
conviction is very important in news
paper making. But it is also very i'm
portant to know when an exhibition of
this courage is required. That news
paper which always has the community
by the .ears is a curse. That editor
who is always making personal explana-
tons and resenting personal a~ffronts is
a nuisance. The mere circumstance of
being in charge of the columns of a
n newspaper does not make a man of
larger importance in the community
than his fellows, or his personal likes or
dislikes of more consequence. A news
paper with a perceptible strut, in the
performance of which the editorial ears
hide the editorial head, is quite deserv-
ing Of the contempt of well balanced
people. Modesty is the twin of merit.
The fact that extensive and rich de-
posits of tin ore existed in the Black |
Hills region of southwest Dakota has !!