The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-07-07
NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING.
rorcibie Arguments which the Business
World should Heed.

there spoken such words OF sober
ness and truth" as are contained In
paper read by Editor q. j. Sturgis,
OF the Uniontown Penn.) Daily
News Standard, upon the occasion OF
recent local gathering and from
which copious extracts are given be-
low. Mr. Stulgis went TO the heart
OF the subject OF the relations exist
ing between newspapers and the pub.
lie, taking an exalted and dignity
ing view OF the newspaper publish
ing bus ness that Is full OF food
for thought, whether the reader have
to do with the business office or up
stairs" He said in part;
1T seems 10 be com on impress
sion that the newspaper is sort OF
public institution. upon which every
body has a claim, some right TO
say In its management or to \ kick
IL its policy does not suit him. For
that reason, a newspaper is constant
ly subjected 70 demands that are un-
reasonable and unjust Ii man
goes into the mercantile business,
you do not expect to control his
pol cy or shape his views simply be.
cause you buy his commodities You
takel his goods he takes your money;
that ends the transaction. The
merchandising business 1t deals
in news and advertising space. Those
are its commodities IL pays for
news what IL costs to collect print
and publish H. including the inter
est on invested capital. 1t sells
news for the price OF the paper; and,
considering the labor involved the
money expended and the capital in
vested in It's production, there is
nothing SO cheap as the American
newspaper, nothing that gives SO
much for so little Few people have
any adequate idea OF what IL costs To
run a newspaper In an ordinary coun-
try town. The failure To appreciate
this, and 10 grasp the business rela-
tion which the editors enterprise
sustains TO other enterprises ex-
/ plains the large number of news.
paper fiilu cs that are recorded and
the vast amount OF money annually
sunk I'm the business.
status o: the newspaper? 1t is a
private enterpris. It's proprietor
whether individual. hrm, or com
pany-publishes IL for profit, TO make
n living out OF IT, Just as an indiyid-
ual or a corporation goes into the
manufacturing or banking business
The motive here Is no lower, the
calling no less honorable, than is his
who enters any other vocation OF a
seml-public character. The same oh
| legation OF moral and business integ-
rity rests upon the press "a upon
other p DECISIONS and businesses, and
{ the fact that an occasional newspaper
| prostitutes It's columns TO unworthy
ends no mo C condemns journalism "a
a profession or calling, than the
legal or medical profession is made
unwoi thy OF public confidence be-
cause OF isolated cases OF unprofes-
sional or dishoporable conduct by a
member A newspaper gets no
special credit for maintaining high
moral tone. but IL gets plenty OF cen
sure II anything creeps into its col
umns 90 lower that tone. II is cx-
pected TO be vii tuous, as matter Of
course.
1T is the conception OF the news
paper as "A legitimate private busi-
ness enterprise that has made great
results possible. The editor gathers
the news OF the field. and sells IL TO
his subscribers When the subscriber
gets that, he has what he pa d for,
and there his claim stops The pa
per is not Obliged TO print the com.
munication OF old Subscriber Con
slant Reader Taxpayer, or 'Pro
| Bono Publico,' nor even TO give any
reason for IT, If the subscri Der
imagines he has special rights and
therefore special grievances, he can
stop his paper, and there Ia no harm
done The conscientious newspaper
endeavors To have its news correct
and trustworthy. and TO verify its
| information, in order not TO mis-
lead or iniure the inncent. Consid-
ering the difficulty, often, Of finding
| reliable sources Of information, and
OF sitting the false from the true, the
| wonder is, not that so many errors
creep in, but that SO many are kept
out.
In the large cities, this mutual re-
lat on between the press and the
public is better understood than In
the country, and hence the relative
growth OF the city paper has far out
stripped that Of its rural contempor-
ary The city paper does business on
business principles, and is therefore
able To be prosperous, nd 10 live in
its own home on front street
When you enter It's Office,
the first thing visible is the
business manager, with his clerks
at the cash counter. The ed.
tor and his assistantsaare in ~emote
back room, or on the third floor
The day Of the b siness manage in
the country newspaper ONCE Is also
coming, and when it does come the
local newspaper will occupy the place
IL long since earned-that OF an inde-
pendent and profitable business en-.
terprise. The country newspaper