Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-01-19
SUCCESS IN JOURNALISM.
Advice to the Ambitious Beginner-News-
papers More Expensive Than Ever.


This is the golden age Of journalism in
New York. Never in the history OF
newspaper making in the city was 50
much money made by newspapers, and
never was SO much paid by newspaper
proprietors TO those who make them.
Journalists are better paid now than ever
before. Good articles from special con.
tributors are more eagerly sought after
and more literally paid for than at any
time since journalism became a profess
sion. First class editors and reporters
command nearly double the pay they did
fifteen years ago.
journalism has finally become q well
paid and digniied profession, a profes.
sion that brings as many rewards and
emoluments as any profession in the
land. And il needs new recruits. IL
needs new life and new blood, and men
and women with originality and new
ideas. How to begin is the great prob
lem. 1t was with the view Of getting the
opinion Of an expert, a man who has
made a phenomenal success in this city,
that | called upon Mr.. Joseph Pulitzer,
the editor Of The New York World. and
asked him some pertinent questions. The
first one was this:
what chance has a young man, with
nothing but brains and pluck, of getting
on in journalism
There never was a better chance in
journalism for a man with brains than
Just now. Brains, however, Is not
enough. To rise to n commanding posi-
ton it must be accompanied by character
and persistent work. Any mar of brains
and pluck and principle is sure to sue
ceed."
"what course would you advise a be-
ginner to pursue?"
ITO work and work, to think and
think and think. II he will do both. and
have some original ideas, he will not have
to wait long to become both prominent
and prosperous"
''1s il necessary for a successful jour-
nalist to have a college education?"
"The hest college is the college Of the
world-the school Of life-the university
Of actual experience. knowledge is high
ly desirable and a college education val
liable, but it is not indispensable. The
history of our country and the history Of
the most successful men in America con-
clusiyely establish the possibility of self
cultivation and self education. Few of
our greatest men, even in politics and the
intellectual pursuits, were college gradu-
ates. Self made men are generally self
educated men,"
''Wbat branch of the newspaper pro-
fession brings the highest honors and
emoluments?"
This is rather a hard question as you
put 1t. There is nc particular branch Of
any paper Of mine which commands
higher honor than another. 1t is the
man rather than the department. 1t is
simply the capacity, character and time
of service which influence me in fixing
either the highest honors or highest
emolument among my associates. Time
OF service influences me almost as much
as capacity, because time Of service in
wolves the test and reward of LOYALTY,
originality and integrity of character. II
a man stays with me ten years he will GER
tainly be better off the tenth year than the
first, or | should not want him to be with
me that length of time at all, and he
would have very little sense if he x
pected TO be as well off the first year as
the tenth"
Newspapers are more expensive now
than a lew years ago, are they not?:"
newspapers are very much more ex-
pensive TIN they ever were before, and
the tendency is irresistibly that way.
There is hardly a paper in the country, /
should judge from my own experience,
the expenses Of which are not increasing
year by year, and this in spite of a revo-
luton in the cost Of white paper, which
Is much less nov than / ever thought it
possible u he a few years ago."
I'm most newspaper offices there is a
conflict between the editorial and the
business Office. Which do you consider
the most Important"
''There is no such conflict in my office,
never was and never can be. That is
n reason why i have always main-
tanned absolute control Of my papers. It
was not on account Of the pecuniary
element involved, but simply because of
the supreme necessity hat there should
be one head, and that have absolute con-
troll over every department. New York
Mail and Express.