The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-15
Newspaper Morals.


We have received this letter from lady
whose reported remarks at Sorosis on news.
paper morals led us to make some observa.
tons on the subject:
ITO THE EDITOR OF The sux-sr: Since you done
mo honor crticiss remarks was supposed
mako sorosis the other day. kindly allow mo in
Justice myself to tell what did say. The Language
used by this: In lies tho whole secret of
why newspapers print scandals People read them
"Imentoned once or twice tho fact that newspa.
pers. printed as among the daily happenings of life
scandal stories and tho proceedings OF unpeasan
suits. The expression impure literature was one
. that did strike agreeably and did not use IL
In reference to the daily press Tho publication of
good and bad. do not regard dssem In A.
;ion OF impure literature That kind OF literature
ly is found in abundance. however, in tho advertising
columns OF some OF tho journals OF largest
"ELIZA ARcHARD CONNER.
INV York. Oct. 6. 1893"
At the risk of seeming to fail In proper
Difference to Mrs. CONNER. We are obliged
to say that her explanation does not change
the case at all. The question Is whether a
newspaper has q moral right to publish
anything improper for publication simply
because there Is demand for it. We
answer. mol An immoral demand does not
justify an immoral supply.
1.-THE whole secret why newspapers print
scandals" says Mrs. CONNER is that "peo-
Pile read them" The whole secret why news
papers are printed at all is that people read
them. II people did not read them they
would not be bought and they would cease
to be published. Some things are profit
able to produce though they are bought
only by the few, though they meet only
tickle demand dependent on whimsical
or eccentric tastes or on q mere pass
ing fancy; but such things are correspond
ingly high in price. A great newspaper
must satisfy demand which Is real, con-
slant. eager. and general. for its publ
cation Is made possible only by the az
gregate OF the few cents paid for it day
by day by a vast multitude Of individual
readers. without them it is powerless in
tellectually and morally. and 1t Is hnan-
cially- bankrupt. There Is no more WORTH
less thing in the world than news
paper that people will not read. 1t
will not DO accepted as gift. un-
less for use in lighting fires. wrapping up
bundles or as material for making new
paper. Because 1t Is necessary to tho ex-
istence OF newspapers that people read
them" affords no excuse. however. for their
ReuIluk Teduer5 ny SATISFYING perulCiouS
literary tastes. II they can live only by
such means. their publication Is as lnderen-
slble as any other mercenary pandering to
vice and depravity.
Mrs. CONNER speaks OF newspapers print
ing "scandals." What does she mean by
scandal She seems to mean criminal
conduct offences against the law. proprl-
ETY., and decency of society; but they are
not scandal. They are part OF the actual
happenings OF the day. Shall those who
commit such outrages be left free from
public exposure. 80 that they may pursue
evil without fear OF reproach II the purity
of society requires that reports OF such Of
fences shall not be made public. why does
the law make the open judicial investiga-
lions OF them obligatory The reason why
the courts must be public and their
public Is that justice may be
promoted. that the dangers Of secrecy may
be avoided. and that the offenders may be-
exposed and punished before the people as
a means OF lettering others from crime
and vice. For the same reason such cases
ought to be reported In the newspapers,
and the reporting is not the purveying of
scandal" because people read It," 1t Is
not scandal. 1t is fact. Mere scandalous
rumor has no justification IN newspaper