The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-16

AAE PAPERS GROWING BETTERs
During the recent state press con-
yention In Seattle, discussion arose
over the modern newspaper. One Of the
spsakers. . weii-known editor from
Eastern Washington. said many severe
things about metropolitan Journalism.
Aeplored its tendencies. reprobated It's
methods and harshly attacked the char
acser OF tho ''men behind the paper"
Several others thought too much atten-
ton was paid to sports. suicides, muir
dcrs and scandals
No candid critic viii refuse to admit
that much appears In newspapers that
ought not 10 be there: Ior can the fact
be ignored that many things are omit
ted that perhaps ought to be adequately
presented. But, on the whole, the Post
Inteiligencer has no hesitancy In declar-
ing that Journalism In the United states
was. A. whole. never on higher
plane. and that the tendency Is toward
correction Of it, faults. Improvement OK
IL methods and elevation Of Its moral
ity. Within a few years there has been
q violent outbreak Of sensational jour
nalism. and 1t has to some extent color
Cd the whole profession. which has in
measure followed its style without
adopting It's principles. Hut the yellow
journal has had its day. being surely
and literally in '.the sere, the yelloY
leaf" II any person seeks evidence Of
tho decay Of the sensational paper. he
can obtain II from any newsdeaier. who
win tell him that the number OF New
York Journals or Worlds sold today Is
vastly less than two or three years ago.
Why? Because these papers OF the gut
ter deal with the unreal. the morbid.
che ansane. and the untruthful. No
Intelligent person can read them CON-
tinuousiy without gradually growing
disgust or without final conviction that
ons-half their contents are lies, or. at
the best. gross exaggerations OF the
truth. and in the other half the really
important things Of life are minimized
and tho unimportant magnified.
II Is n mistake for ehurchmen, or
other sensitive raosallsts. TO demand
that a journal exclude from its columns
stories Of sport. of crime. Of domestic
infelieities. or even OF scandal. The
true function OF newspaper IL 10 pie
ture faithfully the incidents Of dsily
life. aud crime. seandar. divorce and
sports play most prominent part
therein. The hest q reputable Journal
can do Is 10 present unsavory things in
chaste and inoffensivc language. and TO
print nothing saIaclous simply because
n II saiacious. Despite prevalent
opinion TO the contrary. scant attention
II paid by the average daily newspaper
to scandal. suicide or crime. Fer In
stance. eleven couples were legally sep
arated by Judge Jacobs las, Friday. AMI
tho roat -Tntelligeneer devoted tus, a
few lines 20 the matter. A suicide is
worthy small netice. unless The victim il
prominent. or the circumstances in some
way remarkable. Even murder Sc
cures little attention unless Il 10 de-
mandsi by the character az the psrtlci-
pants, or the extraordinary nature Of
the event The police hlot;er, with IS
record ~ drunkenness and dlsorsierl,-
ness. or ~ petty crime. II no longer
printeG at all.
II Is s. trlte saying that the average
Intelligence and character 90 a peopfe
are truly reelected In the average char
aeser and Intelligence us lts newspaper
The influence os a newspaper upon lts
readers. net emily through the express
sion ef its opinions. but by its inter
probation q events. fnay De powerful
but II Is not less powerful! thaa the in
nuenee 81 che readers upson she paper
itself Public optnlon IS never eor-
troilei lev a journal II may ~ mali.
see. or SHAPED. or crystalllsess. la. Il
win not be SD much because The news
paper has a certain opinion on n given
subject as by It's exposition of facts
eonaiticns or occurrences In its reyfs
columns The newspaper that strongly
ifnaresses the public ngiuf - the pap r
that gives coleriesS. adequate and an
biased representation - any SatNsect et
human interest or value. II :, IL the
habit og the journal - make SIS news
accurate. fair sn3 Sufficient. 81 will So
cure tire public confidence. because The
or not II deserves tssat confidence. II
Is not IN be insesreS. that IL Is the dafv
Of an editor to open his columns 10 the