, 1888-05-02
PARIS NEWSPAPERS.
SIGNED EDITORIALS ARE COMMON
BUT NOT UNIVERSAL.

Foreign AnaIrs Treated with Intelligence
and Ability-Local Columns Not What
They Should Be-omces-Prices of Ad-
vertisinG-Copying the News.
The editorial department of the Paris
papers, which is their leading feature, is
often able and brilliant. The habit of
signing editorial articles is common, but
by no means universal. Among the ex-
ceptions are the Temps, the Debats, and
La Paix. The Matin has an article daily
from one of several writers, among whom
are Jules Simon, Emanuel Arene, Ranc
and John Lemoinne. Each writer ex-
presses and is responsible for his own
opinions only. and as they represent all
shades of politics except Socialism, What
the paper say one morning is fatty con-
tradicted by its article of the following
day. What are called general articles"
by the American newspapers are almost
always signed by Paris writers. They
may be literary, critical. or may cover a
wide variety of interesting topics. Among
the best contributions of this class are
those of Anatole de la France and Hughes
10 Roux. written for the Temps.
ANANA6H lAAA oo II 10 tEhIh5 llo
continent, are of late years treated with
intelligence and ability. The domestic
politics of the United States are still
poorly understood by the majority of
French journalists, with the exception of
a few who have crossed the ocean. AS to
the foreign continent in general it is fairer
than that of the London newspapers,
which is not paying it an extravagant
compliment. Probably not less thar sixty
members of the senate and chamber of
deputies are connected with the Paris
newspapers. principally as contributors.
This leads to what would be considered in
other countries violations of parliamentary
privilege, or to occurrences that strike
foreigners as somewhat indicate, jour
nails not h~esitating sometimes to publish
facts that should be kept secret, or to give
speeches of their own writers in extenso
with fulsome compliment.
IN THE LOCAL COLUMNS.
The local columns of n Paris newspaper
are not what they should be or what their
readers would be glad to have them, for
want of room. The great city is n mine
of sensational material, tragic, comic,
grave, gay, but always interesting if
BiOpSiil blthbtd ho II L AIS ItWbpuptT
is usually a small four-page sheet, printed
In coarse type on bad paper, 1t Is difficult
to get more into it than the literary and
political matter that must in any event
appear, and n mere of local events.
If the foreign news is of great Importance,
local matter is crowded out. If a single
local event is sensational all other local
matters, no matter how interesting in
themselves, must make way for it. Re.
porters of some papers sign their names.
This practice sometimes causes curious
displays of egotism, the writers forgetting
that which they havo to narrate is their
own personal experiences. Thu facts are
obscured by their efforts to obtain them,
their little deprivations, and the articles
of food that composed their breakfast.
The self consciousness of French
newspaper writers is always notice
able, whether they sign their arti-
cles or not. The editorial we" often
appears in the editorial columns. 1t is
hard for a correspondent in a foreign
capital to give the facts in n dispatch
without prefacing or i~nterspersing them
with useless personal detail. Aside from
these evidences of imperfection and jour
AAAAAShA N'SAlAAAbg IN IVA III
usually readable, and sometimes bright
and witty. The Paris interviewer, who
Is a recent institution already become
universal, Is. if possible, more unscrupu-
lous and imaginative thar his American
confrere.
A Paris newspaper ,ofice is not usually
an abode of luxury. The France has a
fine building, of which it uses but n small
part itself. The Figaro is handsomely
installed in the Rue Druot. The Petit
Journal, the newspaper OF the BONES,
coachmen and garcons, has comfortable
quarters in the Rue Lafayette. Most of
the papers of small circulation are in the
| upper story of someslargeibuilding, where
their business, editorial and composing
departments are crowded into n few
small, badlylventilated and poorly lighted
rooms.
TOO MANY NEWSPAPERS.
There areifar too many newspapers in
France for the number of readers, and
they cannot all be rich. The revolution
airy, soeialistic and .somepof the ultra-radi-
cal newspapers are sold at one sou. Most
of the others are sold at two sous. Some
are sold at three SOUS, with another sou
added when thetsize Is doubled, ms in the
case of the Saturday edition of the Figaro.
A sou is sometimes added to the Paris price
for purchasers in the departments. The
newsboy cuts nc great figure in Paris.
Men, boys and womenlcry certain sheets
In the streets, but If one wants a news
paper he has usually to go to the news
stands. Prices of advertising are high,
and Paris merchantsA do. not care much
about the newspapers as a@means of max
ing their goods known. The space occu-
pied by legitimate advertising is small.
therefore the newspapers have to depend
for support on their circulation and on
subsidies paid for their Influence. These
are sometimes large, and constitute their
chief means of livelihood.
Paris spa work ing for the most