The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1893-02-18
ARE WE "DEADHEADS?"
The Journalist Combats the Popular
Idea and Enters A Protest.

MANY PeoPle iook upon tne news
paper fraternity as professional and
recognized deadheads, as mendicants
on charity and bounty of the public,
says the Journalist: This is a
mistaken idea, for the press pays
from one to ten, hurried per cent re-
turn for every courtesy extended it.
The fact of the matter is, the shoe is
on the wrong foot.
Let us take the railroads and see
how accounts balance between these
great arteries of commerce and the
newspapers. A road will agree to
furnish a single pass in consideration
of the publication of its schedule and
other advertising aggregating hun
dreds of dollars during the year, if
charged for at the regular rate. Be-
sided the press is expected to give
publicity to all gatherings on the line
of said railway, in order to increase
the travel and business. And vet
when the proprietor or editor oc-
casionally boards a train and presents
his pass he islooked upon is a"dead-
head" when, in truth, were accounts
balanced with the road, the latter
would be found largely in debt to the
former.
In the matter of public entertain
ments, the press is expected to fill
columns with notices of the coming
entertainment, and then give it d
favorable review; and yet, when the
reporter is presented with an admis.
sion ticket he is placed in the catal.
ogue with ''deadheads." And this
too, after the proprietor has not only
given his space free, but paid print.
ers for type setting enough cash to
buy a dozen tickets.
There is not a public institution OIL
entertainment but owes its success t.
"deadheading" newspapers, and by
imposing upon their public spirited
generosity; and when, in turn for al
this labor and cash outlay a few ole
scraps are thrown at the reporter, i
is looked upon as a charitable dis
tribution.
And politicians the most ravenou
"deadheads' that prey upon the press
Because a newspaper advocates thu
principles of a party it is expected t
fill it's columns with all manner O
plaudits for the candidates, and spar
neither labor nor expense to furthe
their interests. But when the battl
is fought and won all their faithful
service is only too often forgotten
and if there is "A distribution of pub
lie patronage it is apt as not to b.
given to a mar on the opposing side
We could fill columns with such i'm
; positions upon the press, did spac
permit. There is not a business i
the world required to do as much fire
work as the newspapers, and the onl
6 thanks extended for the brain wor
!, and expenditure of cash, is an occa'
ional free ticket to some ~entertai
ment, a cold lunch, or table provide
= at which to report proceedings. An
pet in accepting such empty court'
sizes, the recipient must stand in Il
light of a "deadhea l."
t If every other association and bus
ness would do as much free work f
the public as is expected and require
4 of the newspapers, the whole COUNT
y would either be bankrupt or OF II
S biggest kind of a boom; we are at
loss to decide which.
l. But we do ask, as an act of JUST,
and gratitude, that when you acce
o of the great sacrifice made by t
press and so freely use their spa
If and influence with the outlay OF
dollar, don't look upon the fraterni
y as "d~eadheads." They pay ten fo
e or more for every courtesy or doll
they receive.