The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-12-12
A STUDY IN newspapers.

past with great cenl of interest the
progress OF the two cider newsu,psrs Of
this city. our always esteemed contem-,
rorariss, tn, Provicencs Journal ana
Bulletin and the Evening Telegram.
Within the past three years and par
Ilticuiarly within rerioi OF about one
year tho Evening Tecgrsm hrs made
wonderful improvement. Toley it Is
better newspaper thin II ever was before
in every dttail that goes 10 make news
psp,r. Ia somo respects IL Is a better
newspaper than eny other Ia Proviicnco
just as in scme respects the Jour1 1sl and
Bulletin product is in the lead. No one
newspaper csn olf i'm TO be in every par-
ticular the best, ps no one individual
human being can ON mboiy all the virtues
10 the exclusion from comparison of his
fellow beings. AT all evsnts, so long as
putlic t;siss differ so long VIII IL o i'm
po'sihle for any one newspaper to bes.
meet ell the puhlic demands.
Hcw it is an interesting thing that in
the Feriod that has been narSed by so
credits bie-a genera! improvement, in the
quality oi the Evening Telegram, the
Journal ard bulletin give evidence CT pos
i,ivc generation. In quality OF matter
published, IL not IN actual lapsins il the
garner ot what passes for news, in clever
ness Of w.iti1g, in sonndnoss o; jndz-
mcni. in rors icacity OF handling thu
grit. the Journal and BuIlelin have Cig-
played an amfzIng fiiiirg off la recent
times. In e dealing win public affairs
no one w;ll drny that tho rewsphp,r
produc, OF ,no journal comp my is b, ut
tho most unf .ir, rilsoi md nsrrow rerr,-
sentative OF pIblic oIi ION In ell
t5is land. In it, news columns
. it more and more ,leyttes the
sensational and the scandalous. 1t
admits great deal q vgigar VIZ ting to
its columns apd no end OF w!tless stuff.
L. is often scurr l,us beyond Ito meas
ure OF any newspaper since the day Of
TITO original Sunday Telegram. II is
NOR, cf ep filpp,nt ami frivolous. 1t Is
frequently unreliable. 1t Is apparently
the mouth piece for the grievances cf
every mem Der OF it's s:aff from the eleva-
tor hoy, ur. In a woro, as newspaper
seeking to command rublic repcct II not
admiration, it II very eadiy run down.
Our conten por.ry, the Telegram, on
the othor hand, has within recent times
given plain evi fence OF high aims. Its
editorial uiterarcss are frank and conser-
vstiye. II appears to seek 10 reduce the
eensationslism that formerly character
lied its columns. 1t prints tae news with
no lack CT freshness and vigor hut with
less frlvoli,y. Tho matter furnished tho
public In Its RACES can usually be found
TO be reliable. Indeed, all through it
there Is evidence OF sincere effort and
careful supervision that bright aud
readable aud honest newspaper sbe't he
produced rueh an np intelligent public
may pa,roniza ana profit ty.
As ociated with tnesc observations is a
ssening paradox. Through their process
,f degcncrftion the Journal and Bulletin
appear not TO lose l. either circulation or
advertising pa,ronsgs, and, CD tho cen
trsrv, through all the period of 1t, rotor
nation the Telegram has appeared to gain
little, IL amy thing, in circulation and ad-
vorti,iag. The situation ia a striking
demonstrstion of the Importance OF repu-
triton and prestige. A great many coed
people toaa7 will ref r to the Telegram
a. "senss;ionai' or "vulgnr"
"shcer." But today, it Is rarely
sensational or vulgar. Tho same
people will esteem the Jonrnsl
ead Bulletin 80 su subst,n,ial examples If
whst representative journalism should 10
Tikc, v hen, ns a msTie' CT Tact they arc
not sINays that but ara often to be
rated as "vulgir" and sensational"
Tho reason for this lack OF r,cogni-
tim IS. 81 couTSs, taat TIE 1ele-
gram of today Ia suasripg from its pas,
no;oIity while the Journal and Bulletin
ere thri,inT on their former rcpu, ation.
We have no corb:, Ter instance. thai
many Of our bacswooGs citizens today
read the tdito;iI 4 page OF tie journal, for
example, and b,iicye they are roaein!
solid partisan Republican doctrine be-
cnuso the JourDal used to be n solid par
t.snn Ropunllesn orgah And. TO the
same effect, we su; p }, persons discrodi,
the Telegram today, ho have not seen