The Portland daily press., 1886-11-06
ESSENTIALS OF JOURNALISM.
Col. Z. a. Smith to the Students of
Colby University.
Tspecial to the PREss.l

Especial to the PREss.l
WATERvILLE, Nov. 5.-Col. z. A. Smith
of the Boston journal, lectured in the Colby
Chapel this evening to the students of Colby
University. His subject was "The Essen
tials of a Newspaper" Among other things
Col. Smith said:
The first aim of the management of sound
newspaper, which will have influence, will
be to make it the exponent of constituency.
1t will be so intelligently conducted that its
utterances will have weight with its con-
stituency, and its news will be collected with
reference to those subjects in which that
constituency is interested The instinct, so
to speak, of the management should under
stand the opinion of its class so thoroughly
that it cannot make mistake in the COM
ments.
know that / shall challenge criticism
when add, as the logical inference to be
drawn from the above, that the journal
which will be most influential will acknowl-
edge allegiance to great party. There is
not a college in the land, with possibly one
or two exceptions, that would meet with any
degree of success if their general direction
were not in the hands of a religious denom-
ination. The college thus has the support of
an able body OF workers and OF a large con-
stituency. So it is with the newspaper
those which have party behind them have
the most potent influence. True, two or
three alleged independent papers have at
tanned wide circulation but which of them
has influence? When great measures are
before the public, what influence has the in
dependent paper? What do those interest
ed say of it? Simply that it is of no conse-
quence which side it takes, because its opin-
ion at best is that of an individual who wor-
ships himself as the infallible. Indeed, in
diyidual infallibility is the handspring of
independent journalism. There can never
be great independent party or church, be-
cause independence in action Is the logical
outcome of individual freedom of action and
infallibility of judgment, AS a matter of
fact, no man is SO. liable to be the victim of
capricious and crotchety temper as the inde-
pendent ,and no mans Judgment is SO warped
by prejudice. Consequently the indepen-
dent in journalism paints one man with as
gorgeous halo as due regard for the gran
deur of the editors own personality will per-
NIT. while another man, equally as good as
the first, is held up as the very impersona-
tion of moral obliquity. To-day, through
mere caprice he will advocate that which he
will denounce next week. He is an officiols
ally when not needed and a foe to the same
cause at time when, If it were possible, he
could be useful. Having hedged himself
about with his own infallibility, arrogant
and narrow Pharaseeism is the result of in
dependence.
Party journalism does not mean syc0phan-
cy The journal which adheres to one of
these parties must not and cannot sustain
all that individuals, or even representatives,
of that party may do. On the contrary, 1t
should be the conscientious and courageous
exponent of the general aims and the best
aspirations of the sentiment which controls
party action. 1t criticises mistakes and re-
Dukes unwise action. but it does both, not to
weaken, but to broaden party influence.
Above all things, the manager of the mod
ell newspaper will prize the confidence of his
patrons. Once secured. it is a good viii
whose value cannot be reckoned in this or
next years profits To secure such conf
dence, he will ever be on the alert to keep
his columns free from sensational rumors
and false reports. These cannot always be
escaped, but the effort will be appreciated.
Accuracy of statement Will be the aim OF the
paper which seeks influence. This Is the
irst essential of a newspaper which is to be
patronized by a business community. a the
risk of being stigmatized as an old fogy Its
managers will refuse to send his reporters to
write up Maine silver mines and like specula-
tive ventures Fortunate Is that journal
whose patrons say of it that in all its inan-
eial relations to the public its integrity is
The reports of the model newspaper will
be faithful records of the transactions to
which they relate The accounts OF the pro-
ceedings of the meetings of organizations
hostile to the paper, so far as they pretend
to be reports. must be faithful records That
much is due to the public, which has right
to accurate information. The reports and
the news OF II paper NC dDoOiubClg wi
orless The news of paper is no place In
which to give editorial opinions. II the news
and conjectures of men are given, they should
be, in fact, what they purport to be, and not
those of reporter or correspondent.
The same conscientiousness should be OBJ
served in the writing of editorials as is en-
forced in the making of reports. To have
| influence, the opinions of paper should be
| candid and temperate in tone ana to the
| point. As matter of necessity the man who
I.fs nxrfill Writ
| bias conviction gives, and will see that cause
| in different light from those who are either
| opposed to him or are Indifferent. The edlt0-
| rial, moreover, is for the busy man; 1t should
therefore, be brief and explicit. The struc--
ture of the editorial should be plain. what
is called the fine writer is out OF place IN an
editorial room. The vocabulary of the edlto-
rial writer should contain as many words OF
| Anglo-Saxon origin as possible, as few as
| possible of five sylables, and not one which
| will compel reader of average intelligence
to consult a dictionary; while phrase from
| a foreign tongue should be regarded as the
| impertinence of a pedant.
| The model newspaper will be clean and
wholesome. The self-respecting publisher
shotrid as soon think of going into a refined
family circle to relate impure gossip as to
| send it there in q newspaper The line be-
tween the clean and the unclean can be safe
| ly drawn. That which one would not utter
| in the presence of his mother, wife and chill
I -
| This should not be so much matter of taste
| conscience 1t is a disgrace that so large
space of many papers OF wide circulation
| is devoted to recitals of personal gossip,
which If they are not absolutely vile are dis
| gusting and degrading. The most lamenta-
Bile fact in connection with this sort OF pub
| lieation is that the publisher, as rule, real
izes the debasing influence, but lustlfies him
self on the ground that the public will have
| it, and that If he does not furnish ID a worse
| will This ig fha justification of fhf
drunkard maker, and of every other crimina
who lives upon the woes and vices of human
ity.
The model newspaper will not be sensa
tiOnal. 1t will not eXaggerate the whlm o.
the hour. Sensationalism makes the most q
every calamity, and initiates the most trivia
| incidents into momentous events. 1 an
| panied to confess that large class of would.
be journalists in cities will sacrifice exaetnesi
| of statement to desire to make a readable
story. They are infamed with desire t
be graphic, and to attract attention by dis
play of their power of imagination.
The influential newspaper of this perioC
must be impersonal. Horace Greeley, thu
greatest of editors, was an exception, bu
even his power was impaired by that exces
sive personality, which made the Tribune
the mouthpiece Of the impracticable ''isms'
which he at times championed, and which h,
would have let alone if he had consulted th
opinions Of those who were in general accor'
with him. As before stated, the opinions 0
newspaper to be influential must be th0s
of large constituency for which the edito
speaks. In journalism there is nothing 81
ridiculous as the editor who is constantly re
minding his readers that he is very impor
tant person.
The coming newspaper win not be flppan
or frivolous. At the present time, there is
class of papers whose comments upon topic
of moment give one the impression that tn
writers are trifling and frivolous. They seen
to say, 1T is a huge joke that people shOu
be sincere or have convictions" The ma
who has no convictions has no right to writ
the opinions of a newspaper