The weekly tribune., 1891-04-04
THE NEWSPAPER or THE FU-
-
TURE.

The great defusion of intelligence
and the education of the masses con-
stantly being wrought by the newspa-
per of today, suggests the thought of
the future of these powerful dissemin- II,
ators of information. Nova days the
breadth and scope of the subjects
treated by the press are only limited
by the extent Of human wisdom and
knowledge. Apparently no subject is
too trivial or too profound to be over
looked Where will it end? This is
a question, the solution of which time
alone can demonstrate. Certain 1T is
that in size and range of matter con
tanned therein, the large metropolitan
dailies have about reached the limit
IF their possibilities. Already they
are too bulky and unwiedly for the
average reader to absorb half their
contents. Time forbids. A change
is inevitable. and it will undoubtedly
be in the line Of division of subjects
treated.
The newspaper of the future will
be devoted either TO special depart
ments of news. or will be divided
into all news and all advertising
sheets. The former depending on
subscriptions and the latter on ad-
vertising patronage for their sup
port. This of course applying only
to the larger cities of the country. A
divorce between reading matter and
trade announcements is inevitable.
At first it will probably be division
in the character of the advertising
matter, then complete separation OF
the reading and advertising portions,
to be followed by special lines OF read
ing and special lines of advertising.
Thus the change will probably come
about in this way: First the estab-
lishment of papers devoted exclusive
ly to voice the wants of the people as
expressed in the small classified ads
of the great Sunday papers, to be dis
tributed free and deriving their sup
port from advertising alone, next pa
pers containing nothing but news and
others nothing but advertisements,
supported as mentioned before, then
gradual ramifcation into specialties
of all kinds, almost as numberless as
the trade papers themselves. Good
newspapers containing condensed
local, telegraphic and foreign news
will probably be circulated free in
the larger cities of the country some
time in the future, being supported
) wholly by their advertising patron
age. The price Of single copies, now,
of some of the large cheap metropol-
itan dailies, is 80 low, that drop
from one-half a cent or so a copy, as
at present, to nothing, will be the
probable outcome, especially where
they appeal to the masses for support.
, Such is one Of the changes that may
: be expected.
In this connection it is worthy OF
\ note to call attention to the growing
; popularity of the small classified ad-
+, vertisements in the papers making a
, speciality of this class of advertising
The space occupied by such adver-
: tisments ('want advertisements" sc
: calle6 in these papers, is often
p greater than the display advertising
matter, while few years ago it was
5 rarely they filed one-ffth Of the
! space. 1t shows how practical the
people are getting and how mere
typographical appearance or catchy
wording by cunning advertisers nc
/ longer appeal to many readers of the
papers. They have become educated
$ when they wish anything, to look fol
It that particular thing, and to ignore
e all meretricious appeals to their at
= tention. OF course this is truly only
+ of certain ads, such as "houses fol-
J. sale" or ''to rent" "real estate
i offered" "rooms wanted" ETC., etc
In retail trades, recoure must be had
:, to the display style with all the op'
q portunities it offers for calling atten'
q ton to the wares advertised. In Lon
K don paper exists today devoted en-
9 tirely to "want advertisements
n which is regularly subscribed for by
a great number, solely for the adver
IS tisements contained therein. Ii
/ New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Gin
J. cinnati and st. Louis, this style o.
II advertising largely prevails. But il