New-York tribune., 1900-12-26
THE IDEAL NEWSPAPER.

There has recently been broached in this city
with much earnestness the project of an 'ideal
newspaper" Certain specifications of the as
sumedly essential characteristics of such jour-
nal have been widely published and widely dis
cussed. These have also been used, both sub
Jectively and effectively, as standards with
which to measure the worth or the lack Of it in
existing papers. We have not been able TO per-
ceive any material change in the quality of the
contemporary press as a result of such COM
parison. Whether this lack of reformation is
due to an estimate of the Ideal qualities as
undesirable, as impraeticable or as already real
lied, shall not venture to determine. 1t
may be worth while, however, to consider those
qualities and their general applicability to the
newspaper press.
"a newspaper that will tell the truth" Moth
Ing no doubt is more desirable than that Yet
are we not compelled to ask, with PLATE, but in
serious earnest, What is truth? Ask any dozen
average men, intelligent, judicous, truth low
ing their version Of or their opinion on any
important public occurrence. You will get
dozen different replies. Each will be given with
truthful intent, but each will be-perhaps un-
consciously and involuntarily, but no less Ger
tainly-colored or modified by the personal
medium through which the absolute truth is
seen. There can of course, be no defence of
wilful lying in the press. But that is rare
What many we'll meaning men criticise as un-
truthfulneSs is no such thing, but only differ
cnt view of the case which differs from their
own because Of the different personal factor
but is not one whit less honest and truthful in
intent with frmness in the right" said Lin
coln las God gives US TO see the right" But
for some iDscrutable reason that gift of seeing
even of seeing the right and the truth is not
the same to all, else there could never be a
difference Of opinion between good men. So
long as newspapers are edited by men rhev. will
suffer the infrmtieS of men, and among thcs.
will be the ability to see the right only in such
degree las God gives us to See the right. {"
Again, the demand is for "a Newspaper that
will print all the news" But-to vary our
former questiOn--what is news? The men who
demand the ideal paper object to the publica-
/ ton Of q vast amount of news of criminal and
scandalous incidents as tending to demoralize
! the readers. Doubtless they are right Vet
that is news as truly as anything else, and if
we print literally 'al the news" we must print
that Or if the demand be modified to ..aIl tho
news that's fit to print" as our neighbor 'rbe
Newly ork Tines phrases it, the question arises
| Who is to be the judge of fitness? There will
be on that point the same diversity of opinion
that we have already noted, and the same per-
sonal factor will decide the problem.
"A newspaper that cannot be swayed by adj
''vertisers or business a newspaper beyond tbe
reach Of patronage" are praisewortbv do
mands to the same extent that they are praise
worthy in other businesses and professions
There Is probably as much independence amonp
newspapers as elsewhere. So as to 'limitlasS
enterprise and without fear" The phrases have
an heroic sound. If we were inclined to hoast
we might claim that The Tribune's revolu+;or,r
Ing of war correspondence and cable news sar
vice in the Franco-German War of 1s7o.,z,
and its bringing light out of Chinese dari,ross
last summer in the form of direct dispatches
from Ii Hung Chang were pretty good az
amples Of 'fhmitless enterprise" In fact how
ever. enterprise, as all human activities mus,
be limited, and its limits are prescribed nortIr
by ability and partly perhaps chiefly. bv tbc
same personal factor of individual Judgment
One man thinks it enterprise to report n divorce
scandal, another TO print sermon. and a tbird
70 send correspondent to the polar regions
AS for being without fear" IT is one thin -