The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1901-07-11
TIL URSDAY, July II, 1901.
THE CHURCH AND THE PRESS.

evening Evangelist heed passed some
unnecessarily harsh criticisms upon
what he termed the custom of the mod
ern newspapers to give so little space to
the publication of church items and so
much to accounts of baseball games,
rowing matches and other sporting
events, and in the course OF his
remarks dwelt particularly upon re-
cent issue Of the local press in which
the Fourth OF July ball received lib
eral mention and the revival meeting
then in progress was accorded but u brief
notice. Were it not for this particular
instance being cited THE HERALD would
be charitable enough to think the rev.
erend gentleman's remarks were of gen.
eral application and not intended for
local Interpretation but being specific
in their character, this journal feels that
justice to itself demands that its posi-
ton ON such matters be clearly under
stood.
THE HERALD means no disrespect to
"
profession, but begs leave to submit that
the publication OF a newspaper is bust
ness enterprise pure and simple, and the
publisher who would succeed in the
business must print news and publish
accounts of such events as are of inter-
est to the general public. While it may
hn frt,1 hot CT md ,I Of
community may be elevated if nothing
but secular papers and notices of church
socials be read, it is equally true that if
nothing else were printed it would be
short time only until the newspaper
would 60 out OF business just as nine
tenths OF the ministers would be COM
PEELED to seek other means of gaining a
livelihood if all Christians were to be-
come members OF one denomination
1t is further submitted that as there are
nine or ten churches in this city, in
every one OF which services are held
several times every week in the
year, the fact that revival services were
being held in one church was not Of
itself an item of more than ordinary
interest except to the members OF that
particular church, who were already
cognizant OF the fact
To repeat, a newspaper is published
as business enterprise, and must give
the public what that public demands.
A p,orobopt docs tho o,oa tb;rr n. ba,,
he keeps in stock what his patrons call
for. Were he to do otherwise he would
see his customers 60 to the competitor
who was up to date. He may not be-
lieve certain articles are good for them,
but he would find it hard matter to
sell cereals to the epicure who calls for
pate de fol gras. While not asserting
that the full particulars OF a baseball
match is more elevating literature than
is contained between the covers of the
Bible, it is contended that when several
hundred people will pay 25c per head to
stand two or three hours in the sun to
witness game of ball in preference to
sitting in comfortable church for moth
ing, it is only fair to assume that they
are more interested in the published ac-
count OF such events than they are in a
notice TO the effect that a number Of
people attended church on given day
That churches receive more free adj
vertising than any other organization in
the world is well known. That they are
deserving OF consideration at the hands
OF the press is conceded but it is seldom
that church officer comes to the office
OF the newspaper and voluntarily makes
known the various little items OF news
which come to him by virtue OF his Of
Tee. Most Of the church news, such as
marrige and death notices, ETC., which
Is OF interest to the general public, be-
comes known to the news gatherer only
after he has run them down on his own
account.
We claim that the trend in modern
journalism is toward the elevation OF
the morals Of the community; that it is
the aim OF every newspaper to advance
that which is for the betterment OF the
locality that supports it; that while its
publishers may not give approval to all
that is being done OF a public character,
it does not claim the right to become a
censor of public affairs. Its province is
TO give the news, not TO dictate the NOR
ais of the community. That duty be-
longs to the clergy and they have no
right to shirk it nor To shift it to the
shoulders of the press.