Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-08
JOURNALISM.
A Great Correspondent Tells
How to Learn It.
SIX GREAT NEWSPAPER MEN
Meet and Decide on The Course Young Man
Should Take.
He Must Have Good Judgment. Must Have
Talent end hboYs All The journalistic
Temperament A kian Who INDUCES
Pefsonalsm Rcybr a Journalist
Copyrighted 1893. by NJ De Blowltz)
fror Tho Suudav Cagctfat

| NNtNN Nn NiAluItllt lNfNftNt ffiNN MUNlu
be out of place: yet it has been so often
put 20 me thar / wish 10 state in reference
TO Il my own notion Illustrating my ideas
~ certain facts draw from my already
long experience as journalist H. is
only BY bringing 10 bear upon this Qucs-
ton ones own observations, ones own
experience. and even ones own disnp-
pUintmeuts and receptions. that any real
light can be obtained in seeking 90 deter
mine the Influences which should be- uli-
lied iu the direction Of q young mans
faculties m the journalistic career. This
is why ! cannot Justly be- accused Of
presumption III ] bring myself often to
the fore, ana why shall be- pardoncd
~ in the incidents which I shnll relate,
! CAN JOURNALISM BE LEARNED
BI RULES
| This question as tO whether journal
| ism can ever become normal career.
! IKE other recognized careers. has always
! haunted and even; / may Say. bcsicgcd
| me-. Aud indeed ID would be- drnugn IL
! this were not the ease. For the kuowl.
| edge requisite 90 make n pair at boots or
/ q hat COR pair Of gloves uny be- tnught
I according 10 established principles and
/ fixed rules; the art Of % gardner whose
I activity is expended In conforming his
/ knowledge 30 the mysterious laws of
| iiowcTs development, both under the
soil and afterwards ia is beautiful out-
ward manifestation iu the air. can be
7 learned; by dissection of the dead hu-
man body may boz discovered che laws Of
/ medicine uud the best methods uf curing
I the living. q lawyer may learn in the
schools The instruments and conditions
ut his profession namely civil
laws aud the methods of court
procedure: thu ART of war its rules aud
Itfa
list of human professions there is for
each q special series of laws and c0udi-
tions hy knowledge OF which be who
enters us nn apprentice may 20 out bv
slow degrees Ot advancement. a master.
ttut in journalism. alone among proics.
sions. this Is not the case. lp CHS ca-
rrrr tlprr is no body ul doctrine. no zee
rics Of liked rules apparently no possl-
bic method of instruction.
Nowhere has there been mn attempt To-
establish such laws, nowhere has thern
ns yet been q school for journalist ap.
prntces, wherc they might lcarn pre-
else rules for their profession, or obtain
q recognized basis ot preliminary and
Indispensable knowledge; aud vet Jour.
nll'sm governs he world. ma this state
within the state tliriyes continually moro
nuu more striking. punishinE recon-
p'nsng' imnortaligiug, or plunging inta
oblivion, all that exists, nll which be-
cause of les intrinsic interests. pushes 10
the light M the Immense usscublnge OF
human institutions which make up the
social oricr. This ~ a remarkable and
absorbing fact, fnd one which / repeat
nus always possessed me. often with a
seuse of pain.
For there is certainly stmuge anon.
nly here. an effect tremendously ont
of proportion 10 its cause. roul danger
i0r the future. / Ind wished once indeed
uiNf e..
urlcr and systom INTO this collection
ol ideas, 10 try The experiment nH to |
whether 10 IN not possible 10 map out a
scheme OF journalistic Instructions: for.
pa our present moment whom Journal |
iNm hccuiuo7 daily more aud more
mllowtlal power the problem is ronlly |
prrNslng uuu even because III ils very |
difficulty fascinating To- tho mind
SEEMING FAILURES OFTEN Sic.
EEEp AS JOURNALISTS.
Moreover. as I say. this state of things /
N daily becoming more impressive ltrom /
moment 60 moment tho ranks of iouruu- /
itm are hcinE augmented by The arrival |
of those who having knocked yninly al |
other doors, think tn cntrr there ns into
career In which chance is the only mas.
Ter Often those who hNVo elsewhere
seemed 20 inil come 10 journalism and
succeed Ia IT,, Hs much to their own sur
prise az 60 lhut Of others. by this l do
not mcnn That these men wen, dried
irull, useless and incapable who enter
Journalism only because thoy could do
nothing elise; nothing OF the sort.
moan That for the most part thoy are mon
VINO nave a feeling that thoy are superior
10 every normal or established discipIi- |
nary system, whom, IN fact. discipline
chnies, 20 whom the hernrchic or In.
lraueratio idea = an intolerahlc bugbear,
WHO cannot mpke M their minds Ia fol,
low auothcr's load along poth In bc
traced slowly step 10y step. They leave
INC slower ana moro regular professlopg
To enter Journalism, much ns morcennries
cngngcd themselves To this aud that
loi'igh army, quite willing TO tight nj
fNuiom ON the morrow against an enemy
whose yery existence the niuLt befor,
WAS unknown 10 them. Onre become
Journalists, they change their nNyyspnppr
as formerly tky ChanrOd their profession |
or caner. They jump from grave 10 cnv
lrom me political Journal TO the journal
~ Ntre. They become at win rniorters
art critics, literary reyip,yers
not seeking In any way TO study tbe
course ot events, the drift of ina tInn
nut on the other hand. fitting ali conton,
poiNrN ideas and events TO the measure
ot the'r own personal temperament 80
NV. J. wv. w. event or prohlem thus treated
aeeoulng 10 tho fancy OF journalist
appears tragical or comic. without nnN
sort OF regard FOR lts ranI chnrnctnT
lnstoad Of describing * as il Il. estob
llNihng The principle which IL mustrotne
,hey scatter abroad confusion ANA pro
luoe IN tho public mind copdition M
lmGftAin Kaleidoscope cclcctieisn, which
= mo nesaton Of nll rcally authoHtntive
lWnloh, ana the destroyer of an cn,- ,
'hglon' hy the reciprocal action and 49,
lvlioh 81 journalist ana reader. con. 4
.WnNil OF ldraS becomes moro ana NOR,
NNrheI, ana so soon as this chance
w, uNlSt creates sort of special pulUr
\, O''9ines CONVINCED of his own author,
tst cianorAtes iut0 doctrine Tho y
.;Si''ios Rl hrst only lightly throw unon
INK i'ap"h taxes himself absolutely nm
lme hls own tcmplN. Gaa ana nrn,,i,,t
ma mus adds a capricions ana fis q
luman opinions. NNHN'n 81
rus " The, eyil which goes on increas. j
Ns way W uay. Net what qualities ma 2
l"PtN ~ me very extent OF this po,yeri q
vhtaln this place IN journalism M on, Il
l'N evilNs 0i capacities arc roouirel IN | n
y ~ summed np, hut not aeHnci In | =
ne NllNle MNfd tnlent W.. / rnr,,.,,,t', y
hat I'M fools, the absolutely irno,s,nt a
zen without imagination. without ntoiis IA
49, without tic gitr OF asslmilation NJ
NlNNH iet me add audaciiy ana rni,,, a
alAN. on!an this place cannot sicceci q
'ih WIT AND GRAVITY nis ~
llSENcH pApnRS. g,
aAe tmneh journalism for iustnnoe y
Fl, - 'i~' W Che wond ~ ioUrnnlism n 4,
ai ~ ghlatdnnt 80 nulycgsals WN i,
~, W"NRtNatlOn, there glean frn,, 4,
''tt tihNt ana ~ the Nnriclv az sDhta.+. 1 ~