Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-05-17
JOURNALISTIC ETHICS.
WALTER weLLMAN WRITES OF THE
CODE or THE PROFESSION.

0OO0 anu hDo0 0O0Eo0A9As
Especial Corrsspoadsace.l
WASHINGTON, May 15.--Is there such
Q thing q newspaper ethicss This is .
question which series Of events have
brought TO tho front in Washington.
First, . number Of the ancient and
proper senators thought the newspaper
men had no right to send out accounts
Of the proceedings Of the senate in ex-
ecutive session, and they had an investi-
CATION which cost . good deal Of money
and resulted In fine old farce. Then
there came mp the Cleveland-Dana
episode In New York, which all the
newspaper men and public men of WASH
ingtou took the kecnest sort Of interest
in. Finally, the press gallery commit
tee, composed Of newspaper men and
elected by newspaper men, concluded to
discipline . young correspondent who
had made the mistake Of sending ont q
brutal dispatch about the habits OF .
distinguished statesman. Perhaps moth
ing would have been thought or said Of
this incident but for the peculiar cir
cumstances surrounding it. The scene
was laid ut the funeral Of Senator Beck
in the senate chamber.
According to the dispatch the states
man in question, who was member Of
the funeral committee on the part of the
house, staggered into the chamber, fell
into q seat, sat there in dazed condi-
ton, staggered ont Of the chamber when
the ceremonies were concluded, fell In
passing down tho steps, and fell again at
the railway station in attempting to
board the train. This would have been
brutal even If true, but it was false.
While the committee Of newspaper men
in charge of the press gallery do not feel
called upon to pass judgment on tho
truth or falsity of news sent out by gen.
tlemen who enjoy the privileges Of the
gallery, nor to act as press censors in any
sort Of way. they have felt it their duty
to inform the public that the corps Of
correspondents, of whom they are the
official representatives, do not indorse
newspaper invasion Of private life.
Here we have the best of answers to
the question and conclusive proof that
there is such a thing rs newspaper ethics.
Journalism Is distinct profession, as is
the profession of law or medicine. 1t
ought to have Its unwritten code Of
morals and practice. Its members are
brought into intimate relationship with
individuals daily in connection with
important matters, and often with mat
ters of delicacy as affecting reputation
and peace Of mind. The relationship
which a lawyer bears to his client, or
doctor to his patient, is no more init
mate or important than that which
journalist bears to the man whom he in
terviews or of whom he writes. If there
are codes of ethics for tho lawyer and
doctor, there should be similar codes for
the journalist. The journalist should
know the morals Of his profession, the
amenities Of his business, should always
feel his responsibility and appreciate the
dignity Of his position in the social
fabric. There is such code in journal
ism, an unwritten code as all laws Of
professional ethics must necessarily be,
but as yet it is indefinite and not well
enough understood.
Here in Washington, however, where
journalism is at its highest state of devel-
opment in America, and that means in tho
world, lam happy to say that the ethics Of
the profession, this unwritten law, Is con-
stantly becoming better understood. and
year after year is better respected. 1t is
not enough that Washington journalist
must be gentleman, as asjournalists every
where should be--he must have sense
of honor that is keen and vigilant, not
simply as matter of policy, but of tenn
permanent and training. The days of
bushwhacking Journalism, Of ''fake'
journalism, Of extreme partisan and per-
sonal journalism, and above all Of men
dacious journalism, are at an end in
the Capital City. And being at an end
here means simply that they are rapidly
coming to an end the country over, for
Washington journalism is reflex of the
journalism Of the nation. 1t draws its
inspiration and its men from the prov.
inces, and needs, moreover, constant re.
newal Of the energy that comes from the
rural press and the men that press has
graduated into the wider field.
Journalism as seen at Washington has
its ethics, but do not feel competent to
Itll Wltb tIdt COuC VI CtillCb 10. IIoD'
ably no two working newspaper men
would describe it alike. But there are
certain cardinal features of it known tc
US all, and of these we may speak. One
Of these was violated by the young man
who is Just now feeling the discipline OF
his fellows. The private lives Of men
and women are tabooed subjects in the
newspaper practice Of the capital. II
this were not 80, and we all felt our
selves licensed as free lances, thousands
of hearts would ache. Probably there /.
no place in tho country where the pri
vate lives Of well known persons Offer
such shining marks for criticism and ex
position as here. can count at a mo
ments notice at least q score Of member,
| Of congress who live in certain senst
double lives-men who have both wives
and mistresses.
II we were to tell what we know ani
make it business to find ont the thing'
which we now only suspect, plenty o.
gray heads now held high would be hum
bled. Even women Of the fairest fam'
would suffer. Luckily these are not le
gitimate subjects Of newspaper writing
The press is constantly growing NOR
Just and more generous. 1t knows how
to shut its eyes as well as to keep then
open. I doubt if in our time anothe
public man meet the fate Of poor Riddle
berger. That senator was anything bu
q drunkard. He was simply drinkin!
man who occasionally lost his head
When intoxicated he was ugly and will
ful. There are dozen men in congres
today who have the same fault. but tn
press deals forbearingly with them. Ha'
it been more lenient with Riddleberge
he might have met more happy fate
But he was picturesque. The press seize'
| .,xo,, hia 6rnk orcnnada ,nainfal Il 1,