Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-24
DECENT JOURNALISM.

DECENT JOURNALISM.
There is perhaps no part of newspaper
work where more nice discri miuation Is
needed than in what Is term ed sensa-
tionaI matter. There Is difference be-
tween a news item aud one that feeds
only prurient curiosity. While 1t may
be urged that a newspaper Is businss s
enterprise, IL is also true that it is
moral agent. The public crave news,
and the daily press is supposed 10 cater
TO it. How far an editor is morally
bound to satisfy this craving and Ia re-
sponsible for the effect the publication
of news mntter Is likely TO produce Is
open to discussion. Mans mental as
we'll rs physical nature is subject to
morbid cravings, aud the appetite grows
by what it leeds upon, and in each case
the result Is unsoundness, and at last an
utter rejection of wholesome food.
The simple statement of crime com
mitted, or of some social Outrage con-
veys all that can he termed news, while
an enlarging Of the facts, dressing in
fervid language of leprous subject,
display in glaring headlines of its most
disgusting features Is pandering to
vitiated taste that Is unworthy the high
position claimed by the press for itself.
Not only Is it dishonorabie but it is
also dishonest; 1t is SO because without
an Intelligent, decent clientele the
modern newspaper would be an impossi-
bility, as to this the management must
look for permanent support. The
decent element of society has right to
demand that papers which go Into Their
homes shall not go as wolves in Sleeps
clothing; that their claims of clean
journalism shall not be pretense, md
paper decide to make it Police Gazette
they shall so declare and seek for PATRON
age in the slums that supply material.
Aside from the moral aspect there Is
an argument that reaches the most OBJ
durate stickler for the sensational style.
It is the excheQuer argument. ''rich
item'' handled in the highest spiced
style may sell large number of extra
copies, and IL these items come in rapid
succession the fash may seem to be a
steady FIRE, but is it so2 The uewsboys
cry, Here's all about the u" etc.,
and run to and fro between the office and
streets until the extra edition is ex-
hausted, but when the subscribers list
is overhauled how many names have been
added, and how many advertisers have
been convinced by this extraordinary
sale that the paper is their best medium
to reach customers? Should sens alton
follow sensation the character of the
paper becomes known and those who buy
and sell, belonging, as the majority do
TO the decent element, will refuse their
patronage to a journal they hesitate TO
admit into their homes.
However d PRAYED q man . tastes may
be there are few that have descended to
so low depth as to be Indifferent about
the class of literature which falls into the
hands of their sons and daughters. The
pretext that the ostentatious record OF
crime makes II hideous and debars others
from initiating Is of all pretexts the most
fimsy. Never in the moral history of
mankind has it been shown that fsmil-
rarity with crime aud an intimate knowl-
edge of the details in its commission have
become q lesson in morals. On the con-
trary, ii has always been conceded that
familiarY with Vice has led finally to its
adoption with all its hideousuess. The
dow nfali OF many a son and daughter Is
directly traced and openly charged to
the influence of evil literature.
Let those who would contend for the
other side carefully review the character
of such journals as have withstood all
storms and retained the confidence of
the reading public, let them examine
the columns and see the amount or bus
mess represented there. and think Of
the influence they weld, then say, IL IL
can be said, that the prurient, the VI
cions, the sensational in Journalism l. the
way to permanent prosperity. What
ever the conclusion. this much the pat
rons of newspapers have right to ex-
pect, that no mongrel vhelp shG., be
rois ed upon Them II journal selects
its arenn in the slums and fatlers on