Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-09-25
NEWSPAPER WRITER'S.
,,v,ne improvements In the Char
Ofh''' .ct.r Of Jouruulism.

.,fv,ne improvements IN the Char
CfA''' acter of Journalism.
Wby Is it. we sometimes hear the
o,ostion asked, that the owners and
qran,oers of newspapers do not take
-naater pains in the selection Of the
F. who do the work on themp Why
III, the outsider wonders, that men of
.haJv characters, or with no character
ali ore able to obtain situations as
'r;ters or correspondents of prominent
journals. In short, why are not all the
men engaged in an occupation which
otfers so fine scope for talent, which
T. On attractive to men OF brain-why
are not sll such men scholars and gen
tlemen? !,
hrines up is to remind the qucstioner
that large majority of the capable
and successful journalists of the day
are men of good character as wei! as OF
a careful education. There are II few
GREAT newspapers in the country III
Tho offices of which men who can
worhily claim the name of gentlemen
arc not preferred to those who are
careless in their conduct and way
Of living. There is an Improvement
Noticeable in this respect from year to
year. The American newspaper as il
exists now, is a very recent creation.
n has grown up since the opening Of
the war of the rebellion. Many of the
weekly newspapers of to-day have
larger ablishments and employ more
men than most of the daily newspapers
could show in 1860. Some of the most
valuable newspaper properties in the
United States have been entirely bull
| ND within the past fifteen years. Men
of limited means who have acquired
of small circulation and in
fuence in certain localities. have seen
them increase until they lave become
Enormously remunerative. In nearly
every American newspaper office what
Eis known as 1.-THE business manage
[ment" has a vast deal to do with the
growth and success of the paper Sue
3ccssful business management in many
Eoflices consists ''in keeping down ex-
spenses," and this results oftentimes in
|the employment of men who are
"cheap" in character and insensible to
1.-The value of a good name. They are
#men who scan get news' or who can
turn off quickly fiippant and fetch
fng" article, but who have such weak
nesses as to render them incapable of
advancement in the profession of jour
naism. They are men who never ''get
ahead," but who still have ability
enough to make them useful in a way.
krhey are tolerated because they per-
form an amount of work which men of
better standing in the communit,
could not be got to do for the same
money. Occasionally, of course, there
IS some really brilliant and forcible
Writer who is able to make himself in
klispensabie in a newspaper office to
(which he brings most disreputable
|private life and reputation. But gen
eraly speaking, it may be asserted that
fhe tendency in jour, ,lism. as in other
Professions ami callngs, is to set up
Standards Of conduct and character
Which render it more nd more diilicull
Or knayes and blac guards to obtain
Fn entrance into it, Let lis hope tina,
ne time may come when it will be as
llliieult and rs unusual for such per.
IONS to become jour- tlists as it is for
iem now TO obtain -ess to any of the
Rther great professions. - WaShiagtoa
UdpitoL.