Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-25
AMERICAN JOURNALISM.
Newspapers Leading the March Of
Progress and Improvement.
fore Michigan Editors


L NJ. Weston, before Michigan Editors
To-day We publish 1900 newspapers in the
United States, three times more than any other
country, and over third of the combined issue
of the whole world. Our circulation gives four
papers a week to each family of five in this
country. From 1850 to 1890 the growth Of
newspapers in the United States was 500 per
cent, while the increase in population was but
100 per cent What higher tribute could be
paid to the intelligent enterprise of American
Journalistic
Our Improvement during the century just
ended in material wealth and the comforts and
conveniences of life, in intelligence, refinement,
temperance and public and private morality,
Is unsurpassed in the history of the world, and
journalism has, more than any other profess
sion, led the march Of progress and contributed
more than any other factor to the gratifying
result. As public educator, commencing
where the common school ends, journalism has
oyertaken and passed the pulpit, crowded to
one side the library and lecturer, and taken
unquerled leadership in the grand march OF
civilization in America.
In this direction it is interesting to note the
changes in American journalism during its
short but phenomenal growth and compare its
rank with That of the profession in other coun-
tries. For this purpose 1 classify journalism
general literature. We have seen the great
editor pass away and the great newspaper take
his place. The editorials of English and Ger
man newspapers continue long drawn, learned,
ponderous and complete-exhaustive to both
writer and reader The French editor, like the
French cook, gives very agreeable meal from
a small stock of raw material He is fippant
and brief. but bright. breezy and entertaining.
He believes and practices the axiom that man
ner is everything, matter is nothing. The
American editorialist happily and successfully
draws from both schools, avoids the two ex-
tremes and gives short instruction and enter
tainment combined. But with US the pointed,
pungent paragraph is rapidly crowding out the
labored leader. The editorial writer finds it
best to touch his subject lightly and leave
much to the reason and Imagination Of the
reader. Essays will live In monthies and philo-
sophical weeklies, but are too slow for the daily
and weekly newspapers Of to-day. The tele-
graph has fastened their downfall. Closely
following the report of great political legal,
financial, military or commercial events comes
from the talented interviewers at the centers of
population by wire the opinions of the best
expert authorities on the subjects before the
public. Under these circumstances there is no
demand for the opinions of amateurs. The
editorial page must go and In its place we will
have short, explanatory editorials directly an
nexed TO all important news reports.
The news editor has become the most i'm
portant man on the modern newspaper. He
must not only decide what to print, but how to
give 1t In the most attractive form, for he has
long ago discovered that the editor who makes
his news plain. bright and crisp succeeds
when dullness and prOlixity fail He must boil
down and present with polished point and
pertinence, and in reasonable and readable
limits. His dear readers imperatively demand
that the most abstruse and complicated matters
shall be readily read and assimilated. The
work of the news editor is bringing the pages
OF the modern newspapers to unwieldy proper
tons which in the near future will give news
gathering electic character, and hasten the
already rapid development of class journalism
to point where refined professors will not be
shocked by reports of prize fights or the ad-
mirers of the manly art bored by column ac-
counts of college commandments. In this line
OF news gathering the best newspapers of Eng
land alone are fully abreast of ours
The third and most modern department of
journalism Is miscellaneous library reading
Americans are no longer willing to wait for the
slow process of book publication to learn the
moral and intellectual movements of modern
life. or the latest developments in the world of
science. They have but short periods for
musty books. and with the present develop
ment of what may well be termed the depart
ment OF common sense literature in our best
newspapers. have but little need of them. The
talent and skill OF our editors, writers and en-
eravers, who have done so much to elevate and
adOrn the art of journalism. have enabled US to
lead the world in this feature of newspaper
work.
III cOncluSlOn- the onward marcn OF Journal
Ism IN America during the past century is a
source of pride to the profession and the pub
lie. 1t has no government subsidies-it wants
none. 1t securely rests on the financial founda-
ton OF public patronage on its merits. Every
newspaper in this country is a private enter
prise published with the same motive, which,
as rule leads people into all other occupa-
uOns and professionalism of keeping full the
family flour barrel. The public does not own
the paper, or the paper the public, and neither
has right to complain of a lack of apprecia-
ton on the part of the other. Both stand free
and Independent without just claim to gratuit-
Gus services from each other. The public to
which the newspaper caters, is cold, critical
exacung, and will buy where it can get the
most for its money. Merit, and merit alone
succeeds. Yet, under these conditions. we
have seen vast improvement in the moral
tone Of newspapers during the past few de-
cades. As arguments, cheap personalities have
been left to those who are mentally incapable
of discussing principles, and in many other
ways have objectionable features of Journal
ism been eliminated. To-day American Jour-
nalism as a whole leads the community in its
moral standard, and its strength and virility
give promise Of an increasing growth and in
duence In the century to come.