The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-08
THE INTEGRITY or REPORTERS.

A very common error is prevalent that
the work of reporters, given in newspa-
pers, as rule Is not entitled to resi- ect
or credencc. II is generally assumed
that the reporter writes chiefly or wholly
to make a sensation or In some way In
terest readers without regard to facts,
while Just the reverse Is the truth In all
reputable newspaper establishments. 1t
is safe to assume that the statements OF
reporters giver in the leading reputable
journals of the country are quite as
truthful as are the general statements
from the pulpit when the minister gets
outside of strictly religious teachings,
and very much more truthful than are
the public expressions of most II not all
the leading professions. With very few
exceptions the management Of our lead
ing daily newspapers enforce truthful
ness and fairness as the supreme attri-
buteS for a newspaper writer, and yet IL
Is common for all who are displeased
with any reportorial statement, to say
that ITS a mere newspaper story" II
is true that there are a few conspicuous
exceptions to the rule that governs the
reputable newspapers of the country. Two
newspapers in New York have brought
more discredit upon the journalistic pro-
fession during the last year than all the
other causes combined. They have done
it by catering solely to the most prurlent
tastes of the public and to the most vic
ious sensationalism. They are not re-
spected by the public and should not be,
but they do not represent the progressive
journalism of the country, and they have
been more severely criticised by the pub
lie press generally than by any other
class.
Not only are the managers of our lead
Ing newspapers entitled to great credit
for the scrupulous care they enforce on
their reporters and correspondents to
present the truth with as exact fairness
as is possible, but the public little know
the ceaseless care that is exercised in
every reputable newspaper office to pre-
vent the publication of even the truth
when it would be more harmful to pub
llsh than to suppress lt.There is not a
week, indeed hardly a day, that the
newspapers of this city do not suppress
facts proper for public information which
would make a most interesting story.
solely because IL would bring a flood Of
sorrow to the innocent and helpless and
cast an imperishable shadow upon their
lives. With all the errors necessarily
committed in newspaper Office by rea-
son of the haste with which articles must
often be prepared, the public little know
with what thorough integrity the news
papers, as rule, protect the innocent
mate and interesting information. The
skeletons of hundreds of households are
carefully guarded in the newspaper Of
fees of the country, and generally with
out even the knowledge of the people
who are thus protected.
%
The Press of this city a few days ago
gave pointed illustration of the general
integrity of the reportorial service rem
n slo
H.~Woolston, pastor of the Eastern Bap-
tist church, is one of very many minis
ters whose zeal often outruns their dis
cretion when enlisted in humanitarian or
moral struggles He gave an interview
TO 4 reporter of The Press on the war
now in progress to improve the social
purity of the community. He doubtless
spoke to the reporter just as he felt and
as he believed, and he spoke with the
earnestness and enthusiasm which led
him into the common error of exaggera-
tion. When he saw his statements in
cold type he was appalled,; he could not
believe that he had been correctly re-
ported, and he unfortunately so declar-
ed; but when confronted by the reporter
with his shorthand notes read back to
the minister, he was compelled to confess
his error and acted manfuily in doing so.
If Rev. Mr., Woolston stood alone among
the ministers In this regard he might be
justly censured with severity, but he Is
II representative type of very many
ministers who, with equal conscientious
ness, speak In extravagant terms when
discussing public questions. They are
not In such close touch and attrition
with the world as to understand 1t as
people of the world understand it, and
they often assume statements of preju.
diced parties, alike in political, social re-
hSious and moral disputes, to be the
truth and sermons are delivered from the
pulpit based upon such assumptions
which are mainly false.
O.
II those who gave them the false in
formation could see their statements in
cold type they would deny or evade
them, but when the speeches or sermons
are seen in the frigidity of cold type they
realize the error they have committed
IL ministers lawyers, physicians, profess
sors ana all classes and conditions of
those who assume to give public utter
ances for the instruction of the public.
could be schooled in the lessons which
are taught in the reportorial rooms of
every reputable newspaper, much of the
false and exaggerated reports which ap-
pear in newspapers would be prevented.
As q rule, journalism performs its duty
to the public as best it can with the
haste that often hinders thorough inves-
tigation, and most of the reckless Grill
cism that is put upon reporters of we'll
directed newspapers is entirely unmcrit-
ed. When error is committed, it is much