The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-10-05
apSSc1No on NEwsPAPERs.

spANcIN0 ON NEWSPAPERS.
The Charleston News and Courier has
some very timely and wholesome refec-
lions on news and advestising-point-
ing out where the one stood and the
other begins. It seems that the News
| and Courier, which. aS IN intelligent
and progressive paper should 40. taxes
great Interest in the educational insti-
tutios Of Its state, and their
ment. has been highyl commenced Tor
its zeal In that regard. 1t recently re-
ceived q letter from "a humber OF gen
tlemen" concerned In educational work
expressing their appreciation OF Its At
,ention to tnat department OF pubic
affairs Naturally Eratined at TIM
J manifestation Of approval our contem-
| pora~y took occasion TO say so, n
| 10 declare its Intention Of always sup
| pnrting the deserving educational In
stitutions Of South Carolina.
Now in saying this the News and
| Courier did not mean to imply that II
would publish q Supplement- every Gay
| filed with free advertisements or the
| schools Of the state. II did not mean
| that Il would discriminate against all
| other branches OF business by giving
| the schools a cut rate to help them
| along. Nor did 1t mean. in laying en-
phasis upon the necessity or education
| for the public welfare. that II had
| ceased to regard the work or teaching
| as q business. Foo ID n necessity OF
life. and the press Is continually d
| vertising It's readers to be sure thxt
| what they buy in that line Is pure and
| healthful. Newspapers are always ois-
| cussing diet and the pure food question
in some way. Because his Is true
| would any intelligent butcher expect
| a newspape to publish his advertise
ment for nothing or at a rate
| for the reason hat he sells fresh
| meats? Or would any sensible grocer
expect his card to be displayed at a
| special discount for the reason that he
| hoes not offer adulterated groceries
for sale?
That would be ridiculous. you say.
OF course II would: but only a few
days after the News and Courier had
| written it's article on the advantages
Of a good educational system IL re
ceived a letter from h president OF
one Of the most f~lourishing colleges in
the state inclosing the advertisement
Of the college and a check for three
dollars 70 pay for It," The advertise
IA ent. our contemporary explains. was
long out of all proportion to the size
OF the check. and yet the sender had
no hesitation in asking for a good
notice in the reading columns OF the
paper" Then he went on to apologize
Coz the small amount OF the check. and
to his profound regret that 1t
was not larger.
The News and Courier, although II
| speaks calmly, is possessed OF enough
human nature to resent this sort OF
imposition. 1t remarks hat the college
in question has been encouraged and
assisted since its establishment by the
| newspapers OF South Carolina, that IL
has received thousands OF dollars
worth of free advertising, which was
given voluntarily and without the
hope or expectation OF reward" The
college, would probably never have sue
ceeded If it had not been for the aid
Of the 1T has been WILL
ing" says The News and Courier, ito
accept all that could be said OF II and
for 1t in the news olumns OF the pa
pers. but it cuts the appropriation for
advertising to the bone when IL comes
to doing business in a business way
Then our contemporary proceeds To
make the following striking observa-
TONS. which go straight tn the root OF
the matter:
While We are on this subject we
should like to suggest ""s that there
is a great deal of what isscalled ''offi-
cial advertising" that should be paid
for, but is done for nothing. Possibly
there is some news" in almost every,
official statement, but the news" could
be covered in a few lines while the
full statement would fll half a column
or perhaps several columns . sThe
Baltimore Sun Is a very rich news
paper, and it has made a pile Of money,
out of the politicians who have state
ments to make. We have been told
that in active campaign years the in
come Of the Sun from this source
amounts to as much as or more han
s25, 900. A little condensation in the
news reports would doubtless have
a good effect upon the advertising
business.
That Is full of sense.
There are two distinct departments i'm
every newspaper office-the news de-
partment and the advertising DEPART
ment. The news Is put into a paper
for the people,. the advertisements are.
put into it for the advertisers. When
the people buy a paper, they buy 1t
for the news that Is in it: and so, When.
some one comes with a lot OF stuff
thaL ls not news, or with a little news.
stretched out to more than it's legiti-
mate length, 1t must be viewed as of
particular business interest to the per-
son VINO wishes to have 1t published.
n u ought to be paid for and pub,
lished as an advertisement or condens-
ed into its proper space as news. The
best newspaper is the one that the
people prefer, and the best newspaper
lis the one which knows how to keep
news and advertising departments
within their legitimate bounds. Our
Charleston contemporaries lecture is
timely n to the point. A man who
comes to have an advertisement pub
lished should pay fM II as an asiyer--
cisement. whether ne calls II "news'
OF not. and no business has a right to,
expect unfair concessions in advertise
ing rates simply because the press re-
CARDS 1t as a BUSINESS benefciall to. the,
public when 1t, 10 well conducted.
News Is news; advertising il business.
Norfolk Landmark.
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