The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-20
The Newest Journalism.

I MEN the dctiSe management OF
Mr.. Yerkes, the Chicago street
railway magnate, the Chicago
Inter Ocean is valorously fighting wind
mills and otherwise pursuing a career
strongly suggestive of the life and
works of the late Don Quixote All the
newspapers in Chicago abusing him in
good set terms, Mr.. Yerkes, a few
months ago bought the Inter Ocean
and turning it into a personal organ
Systematically began to defend him
self, his interests, his ideas, his friends
and relatives.
The Standard is not much concerned
about Mr.. Yerkes or his affairs; the
city of Chicago has him on its hands
or as Yerkes prefers to look at it. he
has the city of Chicago on his hands
and they will get along the best way
they can. But the Inter Oceans con-
ception of legitimate journalism is
worthy of passing notice because 1t is
identical with the conception enter
tanned by a number of people besides
Mr.. Yerkes The Inter Ocean is pro-
foundly convinced that there has been
little or no legitimate journalism in
Chcago-or as for that matter any
where else-until the present manage
ment of the Chicago Inter Ocean took
hold of affairs and began to show peo-
pie what it really is. Newspapers, il
asserts, have been the curse of Chicago.
Millions of capital have been driven
away. business enterprises have been
wrecked, business men have been driven
into bankruptcy and suicide, Chicago
has been spat upon from all quarters
of the earth, and all because of her
newspapers. 1.-The Haymarket mas
sacre was the direct result of too much
newspaper. 1t was printed into being.
1t began with single speech in beer
hall, and the blatherskite's talk was
printed, merely because a sensation
was wanted. Some other blatherskite
who was anxious to appear in type read
the speech and made another. And
thus multiplying sensation upon SEN
sation the papers brought her present
unenviable reputation upon Chicago"
Her newspapers having thus been the
bane of Chicago's existence, one would
naturally expect to find her inhabitants
suffering somewhat from demoraliza-
ton and degeneracy: and the statement
that lin good government. in sound
morals and in intellectual citizenship.
Chicago is the equal of any OF her sister
cities" coming from the Inter Ocean,
is a theme of establishment. Her bust
ness men, we are assured are as
able and upright; her women are as
good and virtuous; her officials are as
competent and honest; her politicians
are as clean and as intelligent as those
of any other large city in the world"
From all of which it would appear that
the newspapers have not exerted such
evil influences after all. In fact there
seems to be some evidence that in some
respects, at least, they have been an
agency for good. Would Chicago's Off
Gals be SO competent and honest
could her politicians claim SO much
cleanliness and intelligence if the news
papers did not continually keep after
bad officials and wicked politicians
hammer and tongs? What would the
Inter Ocean have? Suppose there had
been no newspapers in Chicago, or sup
pose they had all been conducted on
the style of the Youths Companion. the
Century Magazine, the New York
Evening Post and. under its present
management. the Chicago Inter Ocean.
what would Chicago amount to to-day?
What other agency has done a tenth
rs much to advertise and boom Chi
cago?
News is news, and a newspaper Is
either a newspaper, or it isn't BY sup
pressing all mention of unpleasant
events and disagreeabe occurrences,
the Inter Ocean may make itself a
real nice ladylike magazine. but it
won't be a newspaper