The morning call., 1892-09-08
ENrERPRIs1NG JoUnNALIsM.
An exposure has lust taken place in New

An exposure has just taken place In New
York which is throwing light on the meth
DDS Of some enterpTising journalists. On
August ) the New York World published
what purpoIted to be an interview with the
Italian astronomer Schiaparell on the sub
ject Of his present observations of Mars.
On August j. the same paper published an
alleged interview with Bismarck, in which
the German statesman explained his views
on contemporary German politics. The New
York Sun pronounced both interviews
fakes, ard offered TO donate $1,000 to the
TribuRe'S fresh-air fund, if on review of
the evidence Mr.. Nicholson, the manager
Of the Tribune, pronounced the interviews
genuine. Thereupon the World produced
blanks of the French Cable Company. on
which both interviews had been written out
as they were printed, and claimed that the
SUMS charges had been disproved.
But the Sun was not so easily discounted.
1t sent a man to Milan to interview
Schiaparelli who, without the least hesita-
ton, declared that he had not been inter-
viewed By any one, that he had not used
the language imputed to him by the World
interviewer, aud that he had never heard of
the World newspaper. 1t then sent another
man to Hamburg to interview Mr.. Hoffman,
who, according to the World, had intro
dnced its reporter to Bismarck. Hoffman
said that he had seen no World reporter,
had introduced no interviewer to Bismarck,
aud that it was quite foreign 70 Bismarck's
habits to allow himself to be interviewed by
any New York reporter Nor did the Sun
stop here. On inquiry at the London Office
of the French Gable Company. it aSeer-
tanned that the two interviews published in
the World had been received not from Ger
many aud Milan respectively, but from New
York, and that by special order they had
been sent back verbatim to New York over
the cable eompany's wires. This was set
tier tor MI Puliizer's paper 1t was con-
victed, on evidence unqueStionable. of hav-
ing made up the interviews with Sehiapa-
relli and Bismarck in its own Office, and of
having palmed them of on its readers as
genuine. In order to carry ont the decep-
tion. it had gone to the expense Of sending
them twice across the ocean By cable.
It has not often happened that a metro
politan journal of large circulation has
been convicted of so impudent a fraud.
Newspapers have often published fakes,
generally the work of enterprisng and I'M
prineiped reporters. But here was case
in which the whole management of the
paper was concerned in the eoncocton of
the fraud. There must have been many
aecomplces in the transaction. The World
staff must comprise some curious speci-
mems of humanity, and the moral tone of
the Office must not be very high.
1t viii be curious TO observe whether the
exposure VIII affect the business standing
of the World. AS a general rule a news
paper is seriously injured by a deliberate
attempt TO deceive the public. Readers
viii forgive blunders and scoops" but
they are apt to resent direct attempts to fool
them. The proprietor Of the most widely
circulated paDer in the world. the Petit
journal Of Paris. lately said that no;hlng
ever hurt his circulation but false state
ments of fact; people would stand anything
but that. When the false statements are not
unintentional blunders but intentional at
temDts to deceive for base purposes they
should be very injurious indeed. We have
seen something OF that kind of enterprising
journalism on this coast. There are one
or two newspapers here which shine in this
line; the public never believes their state
ments until they are corrobOrated by other
authority. They publish interviews With
mems names attached to them, and no one
is surprised to hear the next day that
the owners of the names were never inter-
viewed. This kind of journalism is sup
posed TO be smart. 1t may be. but We have
sort of idea that il does not pay in tile
long run