Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-08
PARIS NEWSPAPERS.
SIGNED EDITORIALS ARE COMMON
BUT NOT UNIVERSAL.

and Abi1ity-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 Ell
shades of politics except Socialism, what
the paper says one morning is fatty con-
tradicted by its article Of tie 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
lie Roux. written for the Temps.
Foreign affairs, so far as regards the
continent, are Of late yeas 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 faire-
than that of the London newspapers.
which is not paying It an extrsyfgant
compliment Probably not less than 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 indelicate, jour
mails not hesitating sometimes to publish
facts that should be kept secret, or to give
speeches of their own writer's in eztenso
with fulsome compliment.
IN THE LOCAL COLUMNS.
The local columns of 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 q mine
Of sensational material, tragic, comic,
grave. gay, but always interesting if
is usually small four page sheet, printed
in coarse type On bad paper, it is difficult
to get more into it than the literary and
political matter that must in any event
appear, and a mere resume of local events
If the foreign news is of great Importance.
LEGAL matter is crowded eat. If 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 have to narrate is their
own personal experiences. The facts are
o5scured by their efforts to obtain them
their little deprivations, and the articles
of food that composed their bre. kfast
The self consciousness of French
newspaper writers is always notice
able. whether they sign their arti
cles or not. The editorial I'VE" often
appears in the editorial columns. 1t is
hard for a correspondent in a foreign
capital to give the facts in a dispatch
without prefacing or interspersiHg them
with useless personal detail. Aside from
these evidences of irnperfection and jour
nalistie juveniiity. the local columns are
usually readable. and sometimes bright
and witty The Paris interviewer. who
is recent institution already become
universal, is, if possible, more unscrupu-
lous and imaginative than his American
confrere.
A Paris newspaper Office is not usually
an abode of luxury. The France has
fine building, of which it uses but 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 some large building, where
their business, editorial and composing
departments are crowded into few
small. badly ventilated and poorly lighted
rooms.
TOO MANY NEWSPAPERS.
There ere far too many newspapers IN
France for the number of readers, and
they cannet all be rich. The revolution
sry socialistic and some of the ultra ra6i-
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 the size is doubled, as in the
case of the Saturday edition of the Figaro.
& sou is sometimes added TO the Paris price
for purchasers in the departments. The
cuts no great figure in Paris.
Men. boys and women cry 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 merchants do not care much
about the newspapers as 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 newspapers working for the most
part with an insufficient staff, the habit
Of copying from one another's columns is
general, paragraphs being taken verbatim
by the evening from the morning papers
and vice versa As these paragraps often
contain opinions and individual ideas. they
resd curiously when met with in succes-
sion in several different journals Dis
- i
seen in some Of them An importsn. oc-