The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-19
THE ER.
SCHOOLS OF JOURNALISM.

Helena. Feb. 10. 1893.
SCHOOLS OF JOURNALISM.
Young men and old men, too, who are
ambitious to become journalists and
who think that anybody can take up the
business in a day, will be interested in
the article by M. de Blowitz, the veteran
correspondent of the London Times at
Paris, in the latest number OF the Con-
temporary Review. M. de Blowitz be-
lieves that Journalists, to meet the de-
mands OF the future, must have a spe-
cial training and preparation of great
thoroughness. The scheme Of education
--he-suhmits is one that was elaborated
by a committee of seven journalists Of
as many different nationalities and is q
composite view of the ideal journalist.
According to this scheme the candidate
for admission to the proposed order OF
journalists would be started in his
school Of training when he had COM
pleted his eighteenth year. At that age
the boy is supposed to have accom-
plished a course Of study about equal to
that Of one of our American high
schools. He should have a thorough
knowledge of two languages other than
his own. Starting at this point he must
devote five years to special studies, az
outlined. M. de Blowitz thus Celebrates
the idea:
"The young man would then be placed
in the hands of professors who for two
years would teach him the history and
literature Of each of the great historic
and literary divisions Of Europe, running
over remote periods very rapidly, and
becoming more careful and detailed as
the present moment was neared. The
candidate would be initiated into the
origin and tendencies of spirit of his
most remarkable contemporaries in
every country. He would be given a
general idea OF the political constitu-
tions, the ~ethnologic and climatic condi-
tions, the products, the geographical
situation, the means Of communication,
the armed forces, the budgets and the
public debts Of every nation. He would
be given the documents necessary for
consultation. He would be taught to
draw both landscapes and the human
face. He would learn to box, to ride on
horseback and to use q revolver. But
the science of arms, so called, would be
vigorously i%nterdicted, because a man
obliged to support his arguments by
weapons, who INDUCES in personalities
which place, 30 to speak, arms in the
hands of his foes. is neither a journalist
mol worthy to be one. Finally, after
two years, such q pupil would undergo
a graduating examination, and if be
failed in any way to satisfy his instruct
ors, he would remain another years; after
which, for three years more, he would
spend in succession some months at
schools Of journalism in other lands.
All these schools of journalism should
form a federation. The instruction in
them should be free from any pressure
from without; and the cost of training
In them should be a fixed and moderate
sum-"
This is all very beautiful and very
good. But like a great many other
things that are very beautiful and very
good, it is unattainable except for the
rare few. The product Of such a school
or series of schools, ought to be very
nearly the ideal man. But would the
ideal man be a success in journalism il
communities that are very far from be.
ing ideal? He might be a strong con-
tributor to the reviews and high class
literary periodicals, an influential nom.
Der of Bellamy and Browning clubs anc
reform associations, but would he be {
successful journalist Ill the average
American olty? The weak point in M
de Blowitz's plan is that it makes no al
lowance for the business side of the
journalists work. The newspaper mar
must be something more than a student
OF history and statecraft; he must be {
keen student Of human nature. The
ideal newspaper would be q success only
in ideal communities. The successful
newspaper must be one that under
stands the peculiarities and needs of the
people who buy it. The journalist, like
other men with wares to sell, must Offer
his patrons that which they want, Il
be offers them something they do moi
want, they will not buy it. In the line
of their wants he should offer them the
very best, to be sure, but he cannot
force them to take that which they dc
not demand. In two or three of the
great world centers perhaps a daily
North American Review, or Nation
would find enough readers to enable il
to pay Il return on the money invested,
but in the average city of 10000 to 100,-
600 inhabitants, such "a paper would
speedily die.
The graduates OF NJ. de Blowitz's
school OF journalism would be failures,
in nine cases out of ten, as practica.
conductors of newspapers in our small
CITIES. Every newspaper man who suo.
coeds, does SO by thoroughly understand