The Somerset reporter., 1893-12-11
Ideal Newspapers.
Wherein Lies the Fault Of Most Intelli.
gent Criticism of the Modern Newspa-
pers and Their Methods of Gathering and


pers and Their Methods of Gathering and
Presenting the News.
The Massachusetts Society For the
Promotion of Good Citizenship has late
" been addressed by several distinguish
ed gentlemen in series of lectures upon
the subject of journalism, and the re-
suit should be 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, but also as to the
fundamental facts. What one consid-
ers 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 They 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
to make the same recommendation in a
single respect. They would each have a
newspaper suited to his special prefer
ences and prejudices 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 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 it's occupation. They would have
it cater to select constituency, forget
ting that if ii had to depend upon Sc
lect constituency for support it would
soon cease to exist.
1t is true of most criticism of the news
papers that it is thus narrow and un
reasonable. Any intelligent man can
easily map ont a model journal from his
point of view but his point of view does
not include the whole field. A. the most
it only relates to the opinions and tend
encies of class, whereas 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 if it is to thrive and keep pace
with the progress of the age.
1t is not to be supposed that he regards
his position as that of a man with a
solemn mission for the dispensation of
wisdom and virtue, whatever the
pecuniarv results may be- He cannot
afford to take himself so seriously His
functions. as he understands them, are
of 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 superficial and transient or
der, bat it mas its value to those who
want it. and that is its justification so
long as reasonable discrimination is used
in selecting and apportioning it. Those
who do net care for it are at liberty to
skip it and read only what they like.
which may he equally distasteful to
others.
There would be a great d-al 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 process OF
gradual evolution There has been
systematic Improvement III its character
and its proceedings. 1t grows more cred
table every year as its opportunities ex-
tend ard its popularity increases.
To say that it is not perfect is only to
say that it shares the prevailing short
comings of human nature and is gov
erned by the law Of environment. 1t be-
gan by being a luxury. and it has be-
rome a necessity. This could not have
happened if it had not indicated its
right to such consideration Things do
not become indispensable unless they
have definite and practical value. 1t is
not possible to conceive how we could
get along without newspapers, The7 oc-
cupy a larger place i'll the system Of mod
ern civilization than any other one agen
cy of general convenience and advan
tage.
The people appreciate them, notwith'
standing the efforts of certain carpers to
disparage and discredit them. It is not
true that their faults exceed their vir
tues They perform their appointed
work with diligence, discretion and
due sense of responsibility. The worst
that can he said OF them is that they are
not better than tho world in which they
are published But they are unquestion
ably twice as good as the world which
makes them what they are, and when it
reaches the ideal standard they will get
there also. st Louis Globe Democrat.
The Pope Joan Legend.
In spite of the learned historian by
whom the story has been refuted, there
is still widespread popular belief that
there existed in The middle ages a fe-
male pope. Pope Joan. as she is called,
has even given her name to game of
cards, which is mentioned III sheridan
"School For Scandal.
The tradition with regard to the fe-
male pope has been traced back to the