The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-18
PRESS OF LITTLE ITALY
JOURNALISM OF MULBERRY STREET
HAS PECULIAR FEATURES.
The Editor with His Ear to the
Ground-What the Reporter Has
to Do-The Comic Weekly.
New york Even,nr Post

| New York Evening Post.
Journalism of itself does not pay In Null
berry street; hence the Italian newspaper
proprietor almost invariably conducts a
banking. stationery or patent medicine bust
/ ness in connection with his journalistic
work. This explains why the proprietors Of
the newspapers of the Bend, although os-
| tensibly occupying the position of redattore.
or editor, are in reality the business man
ayers and treat their papers rather as as
sets in their banking or other commercial
venture than as independent investments.
| The editorial staff proper consists of an
| editor-in-chief, who is generally man who
has had professional training in Italy, but
little or TO experience in journalism. and
news editor, who also fills the position of
reporter and must be a man OF pleasing
address, and with a gift of oratory, as his
chief work consists in attending christen-
ings. funerals and banquets and making
appropriate remarks. The staff is COM
pleted by one or two Observation-Disclosures.
whose chief duties are to make TRANSACTIONS
OF extracts from the American papers and
to cut cut clippings from papers published
III Italy.
The press of the Bend does not mold
public opinion, but is generally nodded by
it, The editors have their ears to the
ground and therefore, it is not surprising
If the editorial tone or policy of their pa
pers now and then changes completely
over night AS to the contents of these
newspapers, IL can be said, in general
way, that three-quarters of the space is
devoted to advertisements the other quar-
ter is evenly distributed among news, the
appendice. or serial story, which is gen.
11xro fraf cl ffnf7 nf
detective story, clippings from papers pub
iished in Italy and the editorial column.
1t is this last department which is of espe-
cial interest, because, In its way, unique
in journalism.
EDITORIAL GRANDILOQUENCE.
The editorial column is either laudatory
or controversial. never critical. This per-
haps reflects national characteristics, for
the Italian is fond of grandiloquence and
loves wordy discussions. No anniversary
of Italian national events or of the birth
or death of Italians of genius, past or pres
ent, is allowed to go without appropriate
editorial comment of the highly colored
kind. An extract from the Sedia Elettrica,
the comic weekly of the Bend, will give
one an idea of this editorial grandilo-
quence. IL is a parody OF the editorial
comment in the colonial press of the ltal-
ian parade of the VENT Setembre, the an
the Italian societies turned out in gorgeous
military uniforms.
The CLINT of steel, the flash of helmets
and epaulets, the waving plumes
produced a profound impression in the
tonished Americans, who, in those sunburnt
faces and in those horny, black hands,
recognized the true representatives. or the
Latin sanque GENTLE" whose legions once
made the Parthians tremble and the Scyth-
ians grow pale The walls of the sacred
city have fallen at the sound OF the martial
q VnI rry 4Nf % 9
triumphantly entered the Campidoglio amid
the neighing of Hadrian's fiery steed and
the hooking laughter of Castor and Pollux.
The grand marshal of the parade,
bursting with joy, like Godfrey of Bouillon.
after thanking the lord Of hosts for the
glorious victory, issued an order OF the day
praising the discipline and Valor of his
armed cohorts
But ii is the lavishness of editorial praise
when directed towards private or semi-of-
fetal persons that makes the Journalism or
the Bend often contemplate. From this It
Is relief to turn to the poleriical edi-
torials. The controversial powers OF the
editors of the Bend are called into play
either for the purpose or reoutung some
statements made against Italy or Italians
by the American press, or to down the
local opponents of given editor In jour
ralism, business, or Bend society. me
editorial defense of the "honor and glory
of Italy when attacked by the American
press has often a tragic-comic element,
as in most cases the elaborate defense is
never read Dy. the OHe0QeT. SUCH SlleIlCe
gives the Bend editor chance in the next
edition to announce that his opponent
found the arguments unanswerable THESE
arguments are, as rue, swe re- his
charges of ignorance OF facts and or MS
tory: for it is seldom that the editor of
Mulberry street can restrain himself from
referring to the glories of Italy from
Romuus down, no matter what the subject
in controversy may be.
vITUPERATIvE PERIODS.
1t is the editorial attacks against news
papers or business competitors. however,
that give Ngulberry-street journalism a
character all of it's own. 1t is generally
war of words; but there have been excep-
tions when the attacks have been followed
up by civil and criminal proceedings. As
rule however. it spends itself in personal
abuse in broad satire, and in the publica-
ton of the family histories of opponents.
The Bend takes a lively interest in this
kind of vituperative journalism. Italian
politics are too far removed, and American
politics are not understood by the Bend,
and so IL must feed its controversial appe-
tite on this.
1t is no wonder, therefore. that, although
the press of the Bend has heretofore alb
stained from religious discussions, one of
the Italian dailies has recently opened its
columns to a Movimento ReligiOso. Here
are reproduced the scholastic .disquisitions
of the middle ages. Lutner, Gavin, Twin
gil. and even bluff King Hail. again play
the part of arch fiends for the benefit OF
the Bend, while all the horrors of the In
quisition and the weaknesses of medieval
Rome are wildly pictured by the Protes-
tant controversialists. The readers of Null
berry street enjoy 1t all hugely. not for
its principles, but in the same spirit in
which a negro watches cock fight.
American politics have practically no part
in the Journalism of Little Italy, except
Immediately before election day, and even
then they mean. at most. the perfunctory
execution of a printing contract with the
managers of this or that political party. In
other words. these newspapers sell so many
columns TO the highest bidder, as If it were
in the nature of advertising contract.
TRANSACTIONS of partisan speeches, the pub
lcation of the party ticket and party en-
blem with an occasional political platituds,
sum UP all that the press does in this line
of journalism.
The Bend seems to have too many news
papers. Some twenty years ago LEO
l.rx ;ot,