The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-07-28
To the Newspapers.

About month ego the News and
Courier received highly gratifying
communication from number of gen.
tlemen in this city who are interested
10 educational work. .banking it for
"the generous manner in which you
manifest your interest 10 the general
education of the youth Of the State. y
Yesterday We received letter from one
of the most aourishiog colleges in the
State enclosing an advertisement of the
college and check for three dollars to
pay for it. The advertisement was long
and check short. In addition
to the publication of the ad-
vertisement. as many times as We
could afford for the. money, request
was made for such notice il the read
log columns Of the paper as We could
prepare. 1t is only fair to say that the
president expressed regret that the ap.
preparation for advertising was SO small
that he could DOT expeod more than the
amount transmitted for the purpose
But we should like to know Why the
appropriation for advertising the col
leges aud schools is always SO small :?
The newspapers in South Carolina are
remarkably generous in their treatment
Of the colleges and schools 10 no
other State of the Uoion, we dare say,
Go the newspapers ill so much Of their
space with free advertising Of sbe
schools. In 20 other State, we dare
say again, do the colleges spend less
for newspaper advertising As to the
college which We now have 10 mind.
the newspapers have within the last few
years. or since its establishment, given
it thousands of dollars worth Of adver-
tising. and given it gladly, and from a
sense of public duty, and without the
hope or expectatat;on Of reward. We
doubt tha. it could have sue
ceeded without their assistance
-certaioly it would not have made
its way to the public heart SO quickly
without the approving words of the
press. Bot when it comes to "busi-
ness.' the college is siogularly con-
tracted in its view as to the value Of
advertising It it has been willing to
accept all that could be said of it aud
for it in the news columns of the papers,
but it cuts the appropriation for adver-
tisiog to the bone when it comes to
doing business in a business way.
And as long as the newspapers accept
what it chooses to offer for their services
they will never get better paid Tie
president of the college il view doubt
less proceeds upon the theory that ga
bird in the hand is ''worth two 10 the
bush." and that check, however,
small in amount will often pay for space
really worth from two to three times as
much as the amount offered. This is
trading, however, and not business.
While We are 90 this subject we
should like to suggest to cur Columbia
contemporaries and to other newspapers
in the State, that there is great deal
of what is called. "of6cial advertising .
that should be paid for, bu. is done for
nothing. Possibly there is some
"news" in almost every official state
ment, but the news" could be COW
cred 10 few lines while the full state
mcns would Gil half a column or per-
haps several columns. Why waste
space on proclamations and orders and
declarations and statements of a public
nature that are worth SO much 70 the
newspapers as "news," but would be
worth great deal more as advertising?
The present experiment in campaign
reporting has given so general satisfac.
ton to the newspapers and the public
that we have thought it might be ex'
tended 10 the direction We have lndi-
Gated. The Baltimore Suo is a very
rich newspaper, and it has made pile
of money out of the politicians who
have statements to make. We have
been told that in active campaign years
the income of the Sun from this source
amounts to as much or more than S23,-
900. A little condensation in the
"oews" reports would doubtless have a
good effect on the advertising business
An associated press for news-gathering
is good tbing-an associated press for
business purposes might not be bad
thing News and Courier.
pPOEECCIOM