Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-16
First Principles in the Science ofse-
curing and Increasing Business.
NEWSPAPER AND ADVERTISER
Circulation of the Former of Pri-
mary Value to the Latter.
DEVELOPMENT OF ENTERPRISE

Trpm IN address delivered before the University of
f..agivania. School Of Journalism. Tuesday. Dec.
| 1t Is q trite saying that without
It's advertising patronage the newspaper Of
| today would be impossible How much Of
| An impossibility few Of US, perhaps, realise.
| AT least two-thirds Of the income Of the
| average newspaper In derived from adver-
| Using. ana In many cases the proportion is
| much larger. 1t II true that there IL not
much sympathy existing between the up
| stairs and down stairs'' factions, as the
| editorial and business departments are re-
| spectively known. The members Of the
| editorial staf are inclined to take the view
| that to them alone belongs the credit for
the success Of the paper. while the adver-
| Using manager smiles pityingly as he re-
| fleets that were 1t not for his vigilance the
| reporters might in vain present their bills
| At the cashiers window. In reality, these
two departments are supplemental to each
other. and the smooth working together Of
| each Is essential to the greatest degree Of
| success.
The value Of q newspaper to an advertiser
| u primarily and principally its circulation.
No matter how brilliant its editorials or
how excellent its news service. II a journal
| has not succeeded in establishing its cir
culation on q firm basis the advertiser has
no use for it. He 10 paying for the privi-
lege Of addressing the audience that the
editorial stan has gathered together. Here
lies the great difficulty in establishing a
new paper. Until 1t has been in existence
long enough to have attained a certain pres
tige. the advertiser fights shy Of it. 1t has
been said that the advertising patronage
Is the last to come to a paper. and the last
to leave it. The advertiser knows that
good paper must be published for a long
time before 1t can be said to have acquired
a steady clientage. When that event comes
to pass he will want to use it, but not till
then. Many newspapers starting out with
bright prospects prove failures. The dis
tinguished publisher of the Chicago Herald,
and president Of the American Newspaper
Publishers Association. James w. Scott,
who has himself worked UP from the ranks,
recently made the statement that the ma
jority of newspapers in the country are to-
day being conducted at a financial loss
The trouble is that there are too many
newspapers for the population. In the
United States today there are over 10000
newspapers of different kinds being regu-
larly issued. Great Britain has only 2272.
We Americans are a great nation of talk
ers, and like to air our opinions publicly.
Some OF US are even willing to pay for the
privilege, as the great number of unprofit-
able newspapers bear witness.
Many inexperienced men in contemplating
the launching of a new paper, count conf
IDENTIFY upon the receipt of a large sum from
advertising. But when the advertiser Is
approached he is found to be a cool, careful
man of business. who utterly fails to en-
thuse over brllnant prospects, and who has
at his command All infinite number Of ex-
cuSes Tor not complying with the request
OF the embryo publisher. Statistics show
that about ohe-tenth of the total number
OF papers in the country expire every year.
l wei. remember the effect made upon me
by the publisher of a certain daily supposed
to be pretty successful when he stated that
IL he could only get his capital out of the
newspaper business he would seek some
other neld of employment Yet 1t cannot
be denied that some new papers do turn
out 10 be successful. and when they once
commence 10 make money they make IL
fast. Yet the proportion of New York Her
aids, Philadelphia Ledgers, Washington
stars, Boston Globes, Brooklyn Eagles and
San Francisco Examiners Ii exceedingly
small
Advertising agents have become
experts in judging newspapers. Circula ton
Is their hobby and skepticism a part of
their stock in trade. They judge Of the size
or an edition by certain earmarks which
would never occur to the inexperienced.
For instance, that handsome and expensive
cover you nave been 50 proud Of Will indi-
cate to him right at the start that the edi-
tion Is small. He knows that no paper
printing great many copies could afford
to put so much money into its cover.
A late development Of enterprise as ap-
piled to advertising by general agents is
Geographic advertising. Several agencies
have established special departments for
the conduct Of this sort of business Inc
Idea Is to have a little advertisement ap-
pear among news matter just as though
1t were a regular press dispatch. OF course,
previous arrangement must be made with
the papers to secure the insertion Of such
Items, and high prices are charged. Yet
many advertisers seem to value specially
this little deception on the reading public,
and considerable business Of this kind
has been done. Many of the dispatches
that have appeared in leading papers an
nouncing awards at the worlds fair have
been of this character, and the publishers
have been paid for the announcement at
SO much per line.
The third class of advertising men, the So
iicitors or publishers agents, are continual
ly doing missionary work They have a
double duty: they must educate business
men up to the value of advertising in gem
eral. and OF their own papers in particular.
Every paper has number of canvassers
going about in the local district, while the
principal dailies through the country all
nave special representatives in New York,
the center of the advertising business
Some Of these men earn incomes far larger
than those paid any salaried editor. 1t
must not be supposed that their work. that
oI drumming up business, does not require
ability, or that the chief qualifications are
cheek and persistency. To succeed as a
sohcltor 1t Is not necessary merely to have
certain amount of confidence in ones
SELL but one must possess a large amount
OF tact and business ability. Those who
succeed best at coaxing the elusive ad from
the man Of business are shrewd Judges of
human nature and are masters of the art of
fngratiating themselves into the good eracee
OF prospective customers. Business men are
sometimes slow to realize the advantages
OF 1udicious use Of printers ink and the
solicitor performs useful office in awak-
ing them to the facts.
A distinguished editor in addressing a
college audience recently. spoke Of Journal
Ism a. "a comparatively new profession"
As advertising Is an outgrowth Of this
new profession" 1t Is not a matter to be
wondered at that Ii is still in a crude con-
dition. Some of the advertisements put out
by leading houses are ungrammatical and
where poetry is attempted land the adver-
Using beginner has a fondness for poetry
1t 10 usually extremely bad
A comparatively new field of endeavor
Tor newspaper men, and one which they
are very far from considering beneath their
dignity, Is the writing of advertisements
The field for this sort of work has extended
enormously Of late, encouraged no doubt.
by the numerous Journals for advertisers
which treat of the preparation of CODY and
advocate the most painstaking care in the
arrangement of advertisements Frequently
the question Is raised whether there is a
chance for new men in this field To such