The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-06-14
IDEAL NEWSPAPERS.
THEY EXIST FOR ALL CLASSES OF So
cleTv AND NOT FOR ONE.
wherein Lies the rault of Most lntellj-
gent Criticism Of the Modern Newspa-
per. and Their Methods of Gathering and
Presenting the News.

NVut btushS Us tue 1OebNun SPo~
per. and Their Methods Of Gathering and
Presenting the News.
The Massachusetts Society For the
Promotion of Good Citizenship has late
iy been addressed by several distinguish
ed gentlemen in a series Of lectures upon
the subject of Journalism, and the re-
suit should be a clear understanding of
what is necessary to constitute the ideal
newspaper Unfortunately. however.
these philosophers are at hopeless con-
traries No two of them agree upon
any essential point They have conflict
ing views not only as to the casual fea-
lures Of the case bur also a. to the
fundamental facts What one consid-
ers a drawback another declares to be
an advantage Their methods of anal
ysis and judgment differ as widely as if
they were designed simply to bewilder
the average mind Tley are in harmony
only upon the proposition that there is
great room for Improvement in the daily
press
When it comes to telling how the i'm.
provement should be made they have
their individual notions and are unable
W llldht ll' SdllI' commemorative III d
single respect. They would each have a
newspaper >nitei to his special prefer
ences and preludices without regard to
the tastes and wants of the rest of the
world. 1t does not seem to occur to
them that Journalism appeals to a mis-
cellaneous audience. and that it must
adapt itself to the demands of the many
instead of the wishes of the few. or it will
lose its occupation. They would nave
it cater to IA select constituency, forget
ting that If it had to depend uron a Sc
Iect constituency fol. support it would
soon cease to exist.
1t Is true OF most criticism of the news
papers that 1t is thus narrow and un-
reasonable. Any intelligent man can
easily map out a model journal from his
point of view. but his point of view does
not include the whole field. At the most
il only relates to the opinions and tend
encies of a class, whereas a community
Is composed Of many classes. all having
different desires and interests. The ed
itor who knows his business seeks to
please the majority and not the minori-
ty He knows that his paper must have
more patrons than any one class can
furnish il it is to thrive and keep pace
with the progress of the age.
1t is not to be supposed that nc regards
his position as that of a man with a
solemn mission for the dispensation of
wisdom and virtue. whatever the
pecuniary results may be. He cannot
afford to take himself SO seriously. His
functions. as he understands them. are
Of a more practical nature. and expert
ence teaches him that success lies in the
direction OF recognizing and gratifying
a variety of tastes.
In that way only can he secure the
number OF readers necessary to pay the
large and constantly increasing expense
Of gathering the news from all parts OF
the globe and presenting all current in
formation about the affairs of mankind
1t Is quite likely that he often prints
matter of a superficial and transient or
der. but il has its value to those whn
want it. and that is its justification SC
long as reaso nabie discrimination Is used
III selecting and apportionlns 1t. Those
who do not care for IL are at liberty to
skip It AID read only what they like.
which may he equally distasteful to
others
There would be a great deal less Of this
talk about the ideal newspaper if the
critics would stop to think that we are
not yet living IN an ideal world. The
press. like every other public institution
is subject to existing conditions and in
fuences and cannot dictate the terms OF
its own service and prosperity. 1t has
come to its present state Of usefulness
and Importance through a rocess OF
gradual evolution. There .ls been a
systematic improvement in its character
and its proceedings. 1t grows more cred
liable every year as its opportunities ex-
tend and its popularity increases.
To say that il is not perfect L. only to
say that it shares the prevailing short
comings of human nature and Is gov
erned by the law of environment. II be
gan by being "a iuxury. and it has be
come a necessity This could not have
happened if it had not vindicated il
right to such consideration Things do
not become indispensable unless they
have definite and practical value. II Is
not possible to conceive how we could
get along without newspapers They &C
cupy a larger place in the system OF mod
ern civilization than any other one agen-
cy Of general convenience and advan
tage
The people appreciate them, notwltn-
standing the efforts of certain carpers 10
disparage aud discredit them. II Is not
true that their faults exceed their vlr
tues They perform their appointed
work with diligence, discretion and a
ana sans. af resruusipility The worst
that can 0e said u them is that they are
not better than the world III winch they
are published Blu they are nnquestlon-
ably twice as good dc the world which
makes them what they are. and when i
reaches the ideal standard they vii gel
there also. ST Louis GLOBE Democrat
Texas stat. Capitol.