Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-11
MUCK-RAKE JOURNALISM.
A Strong Arrangement Of q Too Com
mon Type OF Newspaper.
From he ST Innis Otsarver

A Strong Arrangement of q Too Com.
mon Type of Newspapers.
From The St. Louis Observer.
AS a general rule newspaper men assert
that their first duty is to give the people
the news, good and bad, regardless of the
effects 1t may have upon the morals Of the
people. In order to justif- this contention
they claim that 1t is better for the people
that the light should be turned on, and that
everybody-old and young, experienced and
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. see society as it is
1t Is argued that morality suffers nothing
from the exposure Of hypocrites, impostors
and villains. 1t is better, we are told, that
the doings Of criminals should be given in
detail SO that the young may be warned
against adopting their methods.
All this may have an element Of truth in
1t. 1t may be well for morality in general
that evil-doers be mercilessly exposed; that
what is done in secret should be brought
10 light by the reporter; that the mis-
fortunes. the blunders, the weaknesses
and the follies of society should be mir
rored in the public press But is there
not also an element Of truth In this posi-
ton: Is 1t best for society that 1t should
know the depths to which fallen human
nature can descend? Should young and In
nocent girls become familiar with the de-
pravlty, the infamy and the shame of which
abandoned women are capable? Is IT good
Tor young men to have their minds charged
with the vices Of debauchees and black
guards?
But the newspaper man claims that what
the Lord permits to happen the newspaper
should not be too good to print There
never was a greater sophism than that
Every decent man and woman knows that
tnere are some subjects which are never
discussed In respectable society. The man
WHO would attempt to rehearse in private
circles the details of social scandals as they
are daily reported in the newspapers would
a. mt nf Ont ,tas,r
But the newspaper claims the right to be
nasty, and still be regarded as decent and
respectable. 1t enters the purest homes
reeking with filth, and IL anybody objects
10 It's presence, he is condemned as a prude
or hypocrite. What an editor would not
care 10 relate to company Of respectable
gentlemen. he will sometimes permit to de-
hle the columns of his newspaper which he
expects refined women to read Hundreds
or subjects are tabooed in good society but
nothing must be excluded from the news
paper.
But the sins of the newspaper are laid at
the door of a prurient society, and must not
be attributed to editors and proprietors
What other class of society can put UP such
an excuse for assaulting public morals?
Not the lawyer, or the doctor, or the min
lister. The school teacher who would read
to his pupils articles that daily appear in
so-called respectable journals, would be ex-
PEELED and driven out of the community.
But there are other sins that the news
paper must answer for which none but the
depraved and the abandoned demand in
their papers. We refer to vile stories un-
clean suggestions. indecent advertisements
sensational reports which have no founda-
tion In fact. exaggerated accounts of wrong
DONG, false accusations trumped UP by
slanderers, and countless other things
There are certain classes Of newspapers
that do not hesitate TO take up street gossip
ana ming IT to the winds, all for the sake of
gratifying the vitiated taste which they
themselves have created and cultivated
Certainly the good of society does not de-
mand that Infamous lies should be circu-
lated far and wide. Muck-rake Journalism
can put up no excuse for its sins that will
pear the test Of reason and sound morality