The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-06-29

1
of New York state university, some
points were given which all, or nearly
all newspaper men will endorse and
which to those contemplating jour.
nalism will be of advantage. Mr..
Fitch believes that journalism might
properly be termed profession, be-
cause if any profession demands of
and for its discipleship singular con.
s2cration and special fitness and
severe training and generous
culture, journalism demands them
of all her vOtaries. Also
that if tried by the range of its re-
quirements, it surpasses all other pro-
LESSONS. Mr.. Fitch went farther,
and spoke of the fact that he had pro-
posed recently that a university de-
gree should be conferred on Journal
ism, and gave bis reasons as follows:
There is no thought that the degree
will in itself make journalists, by a
patent process, any more than that of
Ill. B." makes lawyers, or that of
&C. E." civil engineers. 1t is only
assumed that, other things being
equal. such a degree would establish
the fact that its recipient had pursued
cer,ain courses of study as the pre-
paratory equipment of a journalist,
and serve as something of a passport
to preferment in a profession which,
year by year, attracts to its service a
constantly increasing proportion of the
literally educated young men of the
land. 1t is not proposed TO educate
those who have no inclination toward
the profession.
Fundamental to all else there must
be, in the language of the craft, 1.-THE
nose for news" but instead of re-
cruiting from other professions, jour-
nalism will have its own drill rooms
and camps of instruction in our insti-
buttons of higher learning. They
who have gone into journalism from
other professions, even if they are of
high order of intellect. are embar-
raised and crippled in it because they
are unacquainted with certain branch
es of knowledge pertaining to it, and
because these branches were not con-
templated in their original scheme of
education. A sufficient answer to the
assumption that journalism is best re-
cruited from the outside is that its
prominent representatives, Dana,
Reid, Goodwin, Watterson, Godkin,
Mcclure, Charles Emory Smith,
Halstead, Haskell, Bandy and others
that might be named, have made it
their life work, engaging in it when
they were young men. 1t is not pro-
posed to give direct journalistic train
ing in the college. That can only be
given in a newspaper Office; but it is
suggested that schemes of study may
be formulated which may be pursued
proftably before practical newspaper
work is begun. Such courses could
be arranged in the college and contin-
ued in the university.
The speaker, while not claiming to
be versed sufficiently in the pedagogic
art to define such course, in their re-
lations to each other and the length of
time each study should occupy,
thought he could tell some things de-
sirable for a journalist to know.
Among these he detailed, devoting
some time to each, the ancient and
modern European languages, English
language and literature, the history of
the United States, embracing the rise,
the reign and the decadence of polit-
ical parties, biography, general histo-
ry, political economy and law in its
various branches, not emitting the
law of libel. Indeed, the journalist
should know something of everything.
Journalism as a working profession
was laborious, fascinating. exclusive,
admitting of no divided allegiance,
and especially foreclosing political am.
billions. Mr.. Fitch spoke of some of
the perils of journalism, stating that
by far the gravest perils come from its
real or assumed business interests.
The business of journalism is at once
the bountiful patron and the severe
taskmaster of the profession. There
can be no objection to a newspaper
making money, If it makes it in a
straightforward, legitimate way, but
the temptations to make it illegiti-
mately are always present and too
often persuasive.
The speaker alluded here to that
abuse of the freedom of the press
which, regardless of all decency, re.
wells in fragrant RIGHTEOUSNESS, but
said that so long as it pays to prosti.