The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-02-28
THE TELLGRAM's KxCLUSIYE
DOUBLE DAGGER.

Dg to such nattsIs designed as it Is to-
guide and inform tho advertiser.
In giving the circulation figures OF tho
thousands Of papers listed in tm Annuar
foar symbo are used. calculated to quickly
inform the inquirer as II the source and
significance Of the statements printed.
If the circulation figures Of newspaper
are printed in "bold face" type that
means that they ore sworn 20 by the pub
Usher as at tsoluteIy correct. II they are
associated with an ssterisE, that means
that full and detailed statement, dem
onstratlng their accuracy Is in tho hands
Of the Annual publishers. If double
dagger precsde the figures that means
that they are simply the publishers un-
supported statement worth Just as much,
or Just as little. "a the publishers word
may be worth. or as they may be qualiiied
by other conditions tnat, Of course, can
hardin be known to anybody net familiar
with the respective field If publication
Lastly, if printed in Roman hgures that
means that the ~ W. aver * son offer
the statsm ment as their best and fairest es-
innate from an investigation Of the local
conditions and long sxpCrisnee in Judging
newspaper circulation.
OF course the most valuable and creditable
statement to SECURE is the sworn and de
tailed statements Indicated by the bold
faced type or the astersk. The next most
raliabl, from the advertiser point OF
view Ia the statement which the publishers
OF the Annual them selves give since this
Is likely 10 err on the side of being too
small rather than too large and while the
newspapers may not always like the esti'
mate the advertiser prefers that kind, anu,
iflthe newspaper rsnlly has more than Is
allowed it, all IL has to do is to make
sworn statement and the Annual pub
fishers will rejoice to print tand SEQ that
suoh newspaper gets its full credit.
The most worthless statement Of all, Of
course, in the eyes of either the publishers
of the Annual or the advertiser who is
looking up circulations is the third class,
the "publisher's statement" indicated
by the double dagger SYMBOL which carries
with 1t no responsibility to anybody OK
cept the one party most Interested, thu
is the publisher of the newspaper himself
Now, in looking over the pages devoted
TO the newspapers OF Providence In the
American Newspaper Annual for 1898, It
will be found that the Evening Bulletin is
credited with circulation for the pre-
ceding year of 81, i25 ("estimated'o that
The News is credited with 1900 "(esti-
mated, y and TINT the Evening Telegram
is credited with 81, 100 publishers state
ment.
OF all the Providence dailies, then, the
Telegram is the only one whoss circula-
tion figures, as published In the American
Newspaper Annual ara accom- panied
with tho tell tale and significant double
dagger, showing that the figures are only
the publishers statement.
II The Telegram would give the pub
Usher OF the Annual n chance we would be
curious to learn just what the figures
would be that the NIessrs. Aver would
print as an estimate just rs they now
print the figures of the Bulletin and The
News
The method of publication of tho An
nual, however, contemplAtes the printing
OF any statement the newspaper publisher
shall make, sworn to or not sworn to, pro
viding only in tho latter case the tell tai
double dagger shall 90 with 10 to relieve
the Annual from responsibility. only in
tbs absence Of such \ statement do the
Annusl publishers print their own esti
mate.
1t is our opinion that the Telegram pub
Usher has excellent reasons for not caring
TO let his circulation statement as printed
i'm newspaper directories take the chance
OF anybody elss's estimate savs his own.
OF course. reputable publishers who
make any statements at all are perfectly
willing TO also make oath TO them.
Suppose some advertiser In the Telegram
should demand proof of its publishers
statement" before paying his bills based
on such a circulation statementS Would
the publisher be able 20 produce 1t?