Amador ledger., 1900-04-27
A COUNTRY NEWSPAPER MAN.
A Decided Difference Between Country
and Metropolitan Editor.

A Decided Difference Between a Country
and Metropolitan Editor.
Congressman Lands, writing in
''Success, says a good many truthful
things and made many a clever hit.
But in nothing is no nearer the bulls
eye than when considering some phases
OF newspaper life and work he says:
Money can make metropolitan
newspaper man in an hour. Give
country editor money and he will make
metropolitan newspaper successful,
while not one metropolitan newspaper
man in Thousand could make coun-
try newspaper succeed. Why? Be-
cause the metropolitan newspaper man
is not adaptable to circumstances. 1t
would not surprise country news
paper man were he in a single day to
be called on to suggest two or three
subjects for high school commence
ment essays, asked to write an
obituary for leading citizen, request
ed to advise farmer on the matter of
lawsuit, implored TO tender his good
offices in settling dispute among
friends, entreated to quiet domestic dis
cord in neighbor's family thas threat
ened to ripen into divorce, or waited
on by the daughter of farmer sub
scriber who is about to marry against
her fathers will and desires the
wrath of the parent stayed. A medley
like this would drive the editor in
large city crazy"
But he did not complete the list
then. The country newspaper man,
to be successful, must be of very broad
Information on subjects which involve
study and grave judgment. He must
be ready to answer questions which
puzzle his patrons, or evade answering
until he can post himself. He must
keep abreast of the political movements
of the day. He must understand the
am billions, likes, dislikes and preju-
dices of the people of his community
pends. Yet he must be so indepen-
dent, bold and fearless as to command
respect from the worthy and to make
his paper feared by the vicious. He
must be an all around mental athlete;
he must be diligent reader of his
country exchanges in order to form
Judgment as to how public opinion is
taking shape, for it Is we'll indicated by
the tone of the country press, while
the metropolitan press is a very poor
indicator of public thought in its COM
views of its proprietors and its conduct
indicates the newspaper owners own
ambitions and ends.
The country editor is in touch with
all the people of his section in one way
or another. The metropolitan news
paper man is in touch with very few,
and by most of those he is more feared
than respected. There are few met
ropolitan newspapers which are direct
ed along upper planes of purpose and
thought, and which there owners and
managers conduct with an eye to the
right, the best interests of the people
at large, and the highest good OF all
humanity.
These journals are more nearly in
touch with the people because by
study OF the country press-the habit
of Greeley, Bennett and many another
pioneer journalist-they ascertain the
thought of the freedom OF the land
largely, and what it is that propels
their minds in given directions and re-
pells them in others. But we doubt
very much if oven these successful
and high minded newspaper con-
ductOrs could take charge of
country newspaper and carry it
to success except after some long per-
iod of experience and hard probation
Mr.. Lands is right when he says
Country editors are born, or made
only by the machinery of experience,
and one cannot be made in day"
But the country editor of all others is
the most important factor in journal
ism simply because he is closer to the
people of the land. He is more truly
in their confidence. His sympathies
are more nearly theirs, and his prompt
ings in most cases reflect theirs, or if
not, in the open issues he makes we
may look for the true key to their
thoughts, aims and wishes.-Record-
TTniOn