Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-10-19
PERSONAL JOURNALISM.
The Newspaper Not the Vehicle of Pri-
yate Opinion.

From the Chicago Herald.
In Belfords Magazine for October Judge
Altgeld thrashes over good deal of old
straw in discussing the question of "Anony-
nous journalism and Its Effects" His
are more or less in the habit of attacking
individuals the signature of the writer to
such articles would induce a responsibility
in their publication that would at least
keep their writer's within the bounds of
decency. 1t is possible there might be
that gain, but that is after all very small
matter. The great journals of to-day do
not concern themselves very much with
personal attacks on individuals. That is
the smallest part of the business of Journal
ism. To give the news of the day is the
foremost duty, sometimes with, sometimes
without, editorial comment. Then follows
such educational and literary matter as the
conductors of the paper deem most suit
able to the readers they seek.
Publishing a newspaper in large city
is a great business enterprise carried on
according to business principles. In its
editorial columns the newspaper reflects
certain phases of public opinion, adopts
certain views of political questions and
advocates measures of State or National
policy which it believes the patronage it
seeks desires to see advocated. 1t is not
personal organ, it is popular organ. 1t
may not reflect the private opinions of its
owners, it is very certain not to reflect
the private opinions of its writers.
One of the ablest editorial writ
ers in this town was Democrat
who for years wrote editorial leaders for
Republican newspaper. Republican writ
ers have done the same for Democratic
newspapers. The distinction made is this,
and it is perfectly logical and proper: The
newspaper is great entity. 1t is not the
vehicle of private opinion. 1t is created
being, Frankenstein's monster, if you
please, and yet living existence, having
its own thoughts, its own aspirations, its
own policy. Its writers are as different
from it intellectually, morally and in
every way as they are different from their
daily companions. They work for the
paper and promote its views and policy as
a lawyer works for his client, or as
preacher proclaims the kind of gospel his
parishioners desire to hear. To be sure
they should do SO conscientiously, but men
of the world know very well that conscl-
entiousness generally depends on the size
of salaries and of fees. 1t is not a very
inspired preacher who cannot distinguish
"call" that has ten thousand salary at
tached to il from one that has only three.
A 81 900 fee will sharpen lawyers in
tellect into seeing the absolute justice OF
his clients case, and newspaper writers are
apt to have their opinions influenced by
the same sort of considerations. They are
not expected to speak their own views, but
those Of the newspaper. Therefore 1t is that
their signatures TO articles could only be
detrimental to the newspaper and would
interfere with the object for which it was
created.
There was time when Bennett was the
New York Herald, when Greeley was the
Tribune. when Raymond was the Times,
and when Francis p Blair was the WBsh
ington Globe But that was an incident
to small or to rural communities. 1t may
vet be seen in the small towns Of the
country where the editor of the county or
town paper is thoroughly acquainted with
it. But it is not so any longer in the
large cities. 1t is not so in England, and
the London Times closely as it follows the
trend of public opinion, and acute as it is
in discovering what the majority of
Englishmen want, is thoroughly imper-
sonal. And it is for this reason its "thun-
ders" are heard.
Personal journalism has been attempt d
in one or two cities on small scale, but
the people treat it with sort of contempt.
1t has had, where tried, no effect, and has
accomplished no end. People wish to
know what the paper thinks, not what
some obscure initials have to say. Nor is
il at all likely that greater accuracy in re-
porting would be attained if the reporters
signed their articles, They are held by
the paper to a very strict responsibility
as it is, and woe to the careless wight who
is found tripping. In the fierce comPe-
tition for novelties errors sometimes occur,
but as general rule reporting is conscien-
tiously done. Nor would the signature of
the writers make it any better done.