News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1895-01-24
NEWSPAPER MANAGEMENT.
from the Rutland Herald

With the pay in advance system OF
newspapers must go some system OF
making the paper worth paying Tor.
There is but one system by which
this can be done and that is simply
making the paper for the reader.
This may sound simple enough, but
in nractice it is found in strict way
more rarely than the advance pay
ment system. Nobody who has not
tried it can understand how hard 1T
is to follow the simple rule.
People do not always understand
why this thing is printed and that Is
not they give an editor or reporter
this and that and see no reason Tor
the selection made, and now and then
they say disagreeable things in con-
sequence. Sometimes people ask Tor
"puffs" of one sort and another with
out much consideration, and are liza
ble to be offended if refused. And it
often happens that people who would
readily see that blank paper was not
what the subscriber bought or was
entitled to. are slow to understand
that something they want printed is
worse than a blank so far as selling
the newspaper is concerned, and that
if the editor accepted all such matter
his business wonld end because no.
body would buy his wares.
These things are all familiar every
office, and particularly in smaller
places, But they are really serious
only when the editor makes them Sc
rious. People in any business some
times find their customers unreason-
able, but if because of this, harm
comes to a newspaper the editor is
himself wholly to blame. 1t is sim
ply because he wants faith IN the IN
teiligence and fairness of his custom
ers The sense and fairness are al
ways there. though even if not always
on ton. And all the editor has to do
in this world is to drop matter he
does not want into the waste basket,
and go calmly on with his business.
If he starts printing things, or leav-
ing things out, to "please" some
body, he starts the wrong way, and
will 90 from bad to worse until he
either stops or ruins ispaper. There
are papers in Vermont with fair
quantity of news sandwichedin which
are yet absolutely unreadablein their
local columns from the presence of
puffs. Squire Basswood's hill of
beans is glorifed, Farmer Browns
rawboned colt is served upas bit of
angelic horsefesh, Lawyer Pipkin's
slushy speech is held up as inspired
oratory, Merchant Huckleberry's new
door scraper is magnified and gilded,
Neighbor Firms chickens are given
golden feathers-the list is familiar
to every reader. The editor doesn't
want the stuff there-he is not fool
but he lacks courage to throw 1t
out, and there it is, and the reader
suffers.
Now, in making paper-in select
ing matter to print-there is just one
human being entitled to considera
ton, and that one is the reader. MOI
the reader who happens to want TIT
Duff, but the unnamed one arounC
the corner. The unknown reader
the impersonal buyer of the pape1
whom every editor has instinctlvell
in mind every moment of his working
life. That readers rights are su
preme, and it is wholly upon faithful
ness and good judgment in regard tt
those rights that the success OF an.
newspaper depends and must depenC
the opportunity to buy being as
sumed.
But if people cannot get thing
printed they will "get mad" Doubt
less that will sometimes happen. |
will happen if they are refused, and
will happen in other ways if they ar
not refused. A newspaper editor VIII
seeks to please everybody" ha
missed his place. The best that ca
possibly be done in this world is wha
ought to be done, and that is tn
thing which in the long run please
the most people.
The way is, men and brethren, t
run a newspaper Just as any otht
business is run-run it yourselve
There is Just one person in the worl
to please" and that is the impe
sonal reader above mentioned. Pleas
him and the battle is won forge
him and try to tickle someimportul
ate person before you and it is sure
lost, sooner or later.
Make the paper as it ought to
made, give not the slightest heed
what anybody says or thinks-the
is nothing in the world about whit
outsiders are so sure to be wrong
newspaper management-and then
people have fair chance to buy t.
sheet, results will take care OF ther
selves. The Herald knows what it
talking about.
New Foot Ball Rules.
G J. L. l:..1e II,