New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-09
LITERATURE AS NEWS.
AID r. D. WARMERS VIEWS AND THE PRAC
TICE OF FRENCH AND AMERICAN
JOURNALISTS.

London, June 81.
An English papor which j wish | could lay
hands on, has published an extract from recent
essay perhaps it WAS lecture, by Mr.. Charf"
Dudley Warner unless it was by Mr.. Brurder
Matthews | cannot verify my reference, 80 l
will impue it with confidence to neither. One
n ,hem. however. seems 10 have ben discoursing
on the proper functions OF journalism in other
words. preaching on the text on which every
body has a sermon in his head. How TO edit a
newspaper II is topic on which tho Journalist
alone seems diflidcnt in Offering an opinion. The
author of the treatise which have in mind thinks
the newspaper Of to-day, by which presume Ia"
means tho American newspaper, too much OF
magazine lie complains that II concerns Itself
too largely with literature. i should not have
thought so unless I had been told it on authority
which, whether it be Mr. Warner or Mr.. Mat
thcws. | know to be high.
This censor. whichever he be, declares that the
newspaper ought to deal with news. That i a
point on which we are all agreed, but it raises
once moro the old question, What is news? II,
in Mr. Grceley's language, the dog fight in a
corner grocery is news. which he for
the sake of argument was ready to
admit, is not new book news? The
early announcement Of new book has still more
Of the true character Of novelty about it, A re-
view Of the book may have freshness of
its own Having conceded much, mint not
our critic go a step further and say that the
book itself might be published in newspaper
without impairing its character as newspaper?
There must he limits, no doubt. The slzo Of the
paper imposes limit, or did till the Sunday issue
hogan 10 spread itself abroad over the land The
true limit perhaps is iii" patience Of thu publ.
But the public. in its own interest. will some day
protest against the technical and arbitrary re-
s'rction which the professor Of literature e1i-
tor Of a MAGAZINE would impose
| know Of but one good definition Of news II
is what people will want TO read tomorrow morn
ing. 4 cOrolllry 70 il may b. found in VI. Bio
Wits remark TO Mr.. Henry Norman the other
day: Ono good comment is worth ten informa-
tions" better illustration still may be found
in tho columns Of the better French newspapers.
My fellow journalists in America. some Of
them, will cry ont at once. ID not all know
that the French papers have no news?' Well
il is true they do not supply tho particular form
Of intelligence 70 which the tourist from Omaha
or Chicago thinks himself entitled when in Paris
To supply that particular form of intelligence is
not the aim II the able Paris editor. nor has be
Omaha or Chicago in mind when hr determines
what he will print and what h. will not print.
lie las his own public. the publir of Paris. AMI
he prints what hc thinks they will want 10 read
next morning. That is news TO the Partisan.
40 press is more free than the French from that
PROFESSIONAL narrowness Of view which so often
makes tine Office Wow different from that
Of the public. Therefore. yor may find in fne
first couan Of the first page. in tho largest typ.
Of tho most successful French journals articles
which many American Journalists won regard a.
beyond tho scope NJ the newspaper; cr 10 be
printed IL NJ all. in much less conspicuous way.
Tho most successful Of French papers is the
Figaro and il is also IN" most free from tie
irammols Of tradition II thcr" b" a custom or
rule. il j. 70 devote the first column of the first
Iag" 20 what is called an article de fond, a
kind Of editorial. but much moro elaborate. and
much more various in subject and in treatment.
than tho stock editorial of rho American news
paper, or The Stcrootypcl leader Of the ENGLISH
newspaper. The article d" fond" itself Protean,
is nevertheless ruthicssly swept aside occasion
occurs and il pluc" taken by whatever is thought
likely 70 10 Of first consequence to the reader
next morning
\ study Of VI Constars when ". ConstanS has |
made q speech whcl-such j. IN" nature Of French |
public opinion-suddcnly brings him aran 10 the !
front An account Of tho causes which keep the |
French Embassy vacant in London. An inter- |
view with W. AndricuX touching the Panama |
scandal 4 reprint Of new Preface by Renan |
or extracts from ,olum" by tho irrepr 'sibl" |
NJ Zola \ sketch Of VI. S,nt-Saens upon the /
production II his new opera, or of VI. MaS-enct |
upon tie production of his. An attack upon
Lord Dufcrln and the British Embassy in Paris. |
4 fenill.ton by VI Laycdan summary Of VI.
Dumass latest plav or columns Of dialogue from
tho critical .cen"~ before the play is brought ont
II
trial. Such are some of the methods and prac-
tees Of this skilfuy edited journal. alert +
avoid monotony and . anticipate tn" W shes Of
lis reldors set down at random few of these
which | remember TO have s"cn recently
Mr. Charles Dudley Warner would surely eN-
clude come Of these from his category Of news.
Others than Mr. Warner. including the best and
most experienced American editors. would. imag-
inc. lc startled if they were asked to suppress.
or 10 carry over ~ som" other plN Of III" paper,
their editorial page or the first news pagr. and
devote either OF those spaces u book review,
or n notice of an opera. character sketch. or,
worst Of all. T. a story. Tho answer to such
proposal would be-, Our readers expect 10 ind
such and such things on thoS' pages rrohaDiy
they do Readers a. well rs experienced editors
sometimes become slaves of routine. 40 w"r" the
readers of the FIGARO until NJ Nillcmcssant
and " Ma1uarl startled them ont Of il. Yet
there are probably readers who would not he
light in surprises ludicously administered Tastes
and appctites are not all natural. They are
created The effort TO provoke or 10
crafty them may not always succeed az hrN
Nothing succeeds always. But il has been trleI
more often in America than elsewhere only not
in this particular WY and with results surprising
first 70 the reader and secondly to the rest OF
mankind. To journalism is the word sensa-
tional 50 often applied often repro1chfnly.
One Of the most original and inventive OF
American journalists used 10 say he would do
anything or sacrifice anything TO make point.
He would give the routine news as matter OF
ronrsc hut he would not let it exclude everything
.lso nor nvnrs haln,x nXnrNf hing else He Mantol