The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-03-02
THE INTELLIGENCER.
WHEELING, MARCH 2, 1908.


" tNqse Must ltcbhkr.
The rebuke administered by the Judge
presiding at thesrial OF Sheriff Martin
and his deputies at Hazle.on. Pa, to
sensational newspaper reporters who are
representing the eastern yellow Journals,
\ was well deserved. The Judge did not
go too far when ne served notice on
these sensationalIsts that every one OF
them would be barred from the privi-
leges of the court room IL they continued
to abuse them by tho publication Of
exaggerated reports Of the trial, calcu-
lated to prejudice the case In the public
mind.
During the past few weeks the reading
public has had rare opportunities OF wit
Messing the constituencies methods
which have been adopted by yellow
Z Journalism, and of the manner In which
it makes use OF grave crises in public
affairs to inname. II not corrupt, the
public mind with sensational falsehaods.
"A trial Of a case with unusual features
has afforded these same journals an
other opportunity to naunt before the
4 eyes of their readers more OF this sor.
of yellow!shness in all its fdeousness.
Incidents occurring in the court that are
of small significance are magnified into
sensational Developments: the evil
dence of witnesses is given n signia-
canoe that 1t does no. possess, and Is
placed under black headlines that are, as
shnmeful in their misrepresentation, as
s Is the conduct OF the reporters who dish
up untruthful reports of the trial, to
suit the tone OF the papers they serve,
and to cater to the taste for sensational
ism that has been cultivated by them
among their patrons.
This is the same course that has been
pursued by these yellow journals in
their reports concerning the Maine dis
aster, and the developments of the crisis
y between Spain and the United States.
1t is a disgrace to American Journalism
and harmful to the public. But, fortu-
nately, the public each day shows evil
( dence OF Its disgust with such methods,
and is learning to discount the reliability
Of the papers that pursue them. Out OF
1t all will come better appreciation Of
the conservative press that refralns
. from the sort Of sensationalism, which,
In time of grave moment to the coun-
try. can only be harmful In Its effects
and unnecessarily add to the gravity of
the situation.
The journalists" who represent this
class of newspapers in reporting trials
in courts are OF the same type as those
who are just now furnishing so much
that is totally unworthy Of belief from
Havana, Key West and Washington.
Their employers who make stock OF
public calamities for their own gain will
have no other news than that which
comes from a corrupted Imagination.
and will employ only professional
"fakirs" VINO will do their bidding. The
Y Pennsylvania judge who administered
Z the Just rebukc TO them performed a
public service.
AT such time, when the nerves of the
public are wrought to high tension. It
4 IS no time for sensational journalism.
Facts In regard to q situation. which by
its very nature Is grave enough, are
what the public wants, and not spccula-
tion and bogus interviews with public
men who are afterward obliged to re-
pudiate sentiments that they never ut
Z tered,