The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-06
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BRADFORD MERRILL, OF THE NEW YORK PRESS"

bRADFORD MERRILL, OF THE NEW YORK 'PRESs,"
Newspapers will increase both in numbers
and in readers much faster in proportion than
the population, because almost everybody now
reads one newspaper and most people at the
centers OF population read two.
The newspaper will not trench on the maya
zine field in the sense of robbing the magazine
OF its readers. but 80 per cent of the reading
population will know no other magazine than
the newspaper. The low price assures to the
latter its ever-growing field. and the popularity
OF magazine matter in newspapers win grow
and the writers OF that kind OF matter will
multiply. But the magazines won't suffer the
loss of single reader or contributor on account
of this competition, because no habitual maya
zine reader will ever be wholly satisfied with a
newspaper, and newspaper contributors will al
ways aspire TO write Tor the magazines lust a.
magaZ ne writers now aspire to write for the
bookshelyes OF future generations rather than
for the amusement of this.
The tendency OF prices of newspapers is to-
ward one cent.
A statesman once said "The nation which
shortens its sword always lengihens its boun-
daries." would add 10 this: The Newspaper
which shortens its editorials usually iengthens
its circulation.
newspapers success is made bv its news
1t gets its character largely from its editorial
page
There is NJ marked tendency tsinee blanket
sheets have been abOlfShed) 10 change the size
and shape of Newspaper pages, except TO make
columns narrower. There is Il very marked dis
position among newspaper proprietors TO null
-
marvellous decrease in the cost OF white paper
But as the number OF pages increase the need
OF classifying news arises, and il is impossible
to classify the news If the pages are made much
smaller than they are now.
The most popular newspapers in every Ameri-
can city are constantly extending their circula-
ton. Year by year the high-water mark goes
higher. see no fixed limit beyond which their
growth cannot go. 1t is wholly matter of
buying machinery TO print papers fast enough
and OF employing brains to make the paper
marketable.
American newspapers having very large cfrcu-
Iat1on are almost all militant newspapers They
are intensely aggressive and sometimes even
ABUSIVE. Inc plbnc loves gooi fighter as long
as ne fights on the right side, and the ne spaper
with the best fighting qualities NOWADAYS Is
sure OF a certain kind OF success. It succeeds
by the enemies IL makes. In Europe the case is
different The London Daily Telegraph which
is bought by ZJU.U9O people every day. never saws
a disagreeaole thing II il can help il, while the
Ftt1 Journal, with 10000 daily circulation is
one OF the most sfniable and conservative news-
papers in Chrstendom
The stan OF a large newspaper is now so big
that no proprietor or idiedtor can know per-
souaIly the majority of the men be ernploys
hat meSDs that the prbHrietor will have less
ana less interest IN the Individual members of
MS stan and VIII place more and more reliance
upon such heads OF departments as the man
aging editor, the news editor, the city editor
and the business manager. Every great news
PAPER WI L OF course have brilliant Contributors
drawing large salaries, who viii not ne eessariIy
write about the news OF the day, but who W IN
oIten contribute feature to the paper. The
regular reporter or cores pou9eut or editorial
winter Will have soldiers chance OF winning
individual! fsme-he will have to go into battle
and fight for IL.
Commonplace personal news is already losing
popularity because it is so easy 10 supply that
the public taste, once recognized is soon salts
hed am glad TO say respect for the home
grows, rather than diminishss. in Dewsnsper
offices, although our critics may not be ready 10
ADMIT It The leading newspapers today deal
more with Official scandals and less with purely
private seanaa than they did ten years ago
The rewards of successful Journalism are he
coming greater every year. Twenty years hence
think every city will have more rich and re-
specteo e1ltors than now, and greater horde of
personal failures in Journalism who will rsnk
WIN the unsuccessful of other professions ike
me law and medicine. AS for the '.rank'' of