The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-02-25
The Ethics of Journalism.

fore the Maine Press Association at Port
newspaper ethics are hard to define.
Practically. each editor is a law unto him
amenable, of course, to his sur
roundings. AS Mr. Burleigh says: every
editor must decide for himself the man
ner and form in which he shall chronicle
the current news of the day. That fully
meets one phase of the subject. Natural
lv Journalism is influenced by locality.
The Chicago and Philadelphia newspa-
pers, for example, are conducted on wide
ly differing lines: and so of other cities
and sections. The newspapers of the
wild and woody West would not bear
transplanting to the East, nor would a
staid New England newspaper with its
decided moral views. have a long career
in one of The new mining towns within the
shadow of the Rockies But whatever
may be it's shortcomings the newspaper
is progressive. and although some of its
Developments may be considered objec
tionable the advance on the whole has
been in right directions.
Many will recall the days when party
newspaper: viewed everything from
party standpoint. seeing no good in any
thing or anybody not in accord with them
politically. When political meetings were
held the able and Brilliant speeches of
one side We're fully reported, while those
of the opposition, if not entirely ignored,
served only as fuel for running fire of
criticism. Those ere the days when the
country newspaper devoted all the space
for reading matter in single issue to the
Of their political faith, but otherwise
treated it with silent contempt, or de-
nouuced it in ''trenchant' editorial of
many columns. Little more than twenty
years ago daily newspaper in large
city was conducted on similar lines, and
although later it was infused with more
liberal spirit it was so hide bound that its
demise was only question of time Now
adays the political newspaper as a rule
finds it necessary to print the news
whether from Republican or Democratic
sources, and to treat political opponents
with certain degree of courtesy and fair
ness
Another custom of olden times was
that of refusing to make a correction
when wrong statement had been pub
lished. or to allow a person who had been
attacked to defend himself through the
same columns. The greater liberality in
that direction nowadays has impressed
the public with the idea that the editor of
a paper must publish everything that is
offered him and that if the would be con-
tributor is a subscriber to the paper his
right is undouhted It may be we'll to
say here that no such right exists, and if
conceded it would be death to the news
paper The editorial and advertising col
umns of Il newspaper are. and must neces-
sarlv remain, under tho exclusive control
of editors and publishers. As to adve1-
Using a different theory was advanced
few wears ago by those who should have
known better 1t was asserted that a
newspaper could not refuse any adver-
Using offered. As the journal had for
wears been refusing. and still refuses. all
advertising it considers objectionable or
for whirh it cannot conveniently find
room; and as the newspaper given as an
authority for this rule is known to sell
its editorial and reading columns to the
highest bidder even to violating the laws
by aiding a lottery scheme this propo-
sition does not seem to call for further
consideration.
The fighting editor is so much
thing Of the past that allusions to him
have become too chcstnutty even for the
minstrel stage. Yet the time was when he
cut prominent figure in journalism, and
not nfrequently died with his boots on
He was little known in the east but at
tanned his greatest development in the
south and west where the role dueNo was
universally recognized. 1t was not always
''pstols and coffee for two Often street
fights with shot gun or pistol decided the
differences of rival editors or other per-
sonal or political controversies. For ex-
ample, here is an item clipped from New
Orleans daily of ante bell'm days:
We cannot close this review without ex-
pressing our grateful acknowledgment to
the aristarch who every now and then
hoists himself on the shoulders of five or
six wondering admirers. and from that
lofty position. reads us and our cOnferes a
lesson on the duties and obligations of
critics. and sets himself up as the model
10 be followed. We are sorry to say we
cannot initiate him. To be the organ or
the instrument of a clique. or to serve the
envy. jealousy and passion of certain
worthless creatures. is below our char
acter: and under no consideration could
we be induced to write falsehoods in or
der to make a point against talented and
estimable artists. whose only crime is to
be popular with the public. The attempt
to DESTROY the career of an artist of SUI
perior talents is ridiculous and contempt
able.
The writer of the above paragraph, the
musical critic of the paper, soon after it's
Il. Ill