New-York tribune., 1901-05-12
BISHOPS ON NEWSPAPERS.
DR.. POTTER WOULD REDUCE THE SIZE
OF THE PAGES AND DIVIDE THE
SHEET INTO TWO SECTIONS

The modern American newspaper Is 100 ou'Ay'
said Bishop Potter yesterday AFTERNOON aS ne
searched through for a certain arucle- me
Bishop sitting at the time in his library Whcn
Is situated in OF his house. AZ No ~ "sh-
ington Square, where the noise Of the street Is
heard only a muffled murmur.
II you the proprietor OF a daily newspaper
how would you it?'' asked Tribune reporter
who had called 10 the Bishop in regard 10 an
other subject.
The Bishop looked up from the rumpled mass
OF paper with some expression Of surprise at such
question and then. folding the big pages tosether'
he answered.
IF had the management Of great metrorol-
tan daily. the first change would make would be
TO reduce its size. I think that the pages OF our
newspapers are just about twice tco large
The chief reason why the size OF the papers
should be made smaller is that they read for
the most part by people in transitu. Conditions are
such in the cities Of this country and in this city
especially. that the business man must travel a
good fraction OF hour. and IN some cases even
longer. 10 and from his place Of business AS We
know, too large in the rush
hours, and passengers are jammed together with
little liberty TO the OF their arms and legs
Accordingly. when a attempts 70 read
newspaper he has 10 engage In nothing else tnan
= wrestling match with his neighbor in turning the
huge pages. Often there is little each page
that the turning OF the pages occupies about all
his time. With pages one-half the size and printed
with solid reading this difficulty would be
greatly alleviated.
Secondly. I would have the paper printed In
two sections. which could be easily detached. 1
would have every item that pertained TO finance.
commerce and the outside wcrld OF action in one
part and the women's news. the dress patterns.
cooking recipes, household squibs and childreus
diets IN separate section. Then. after breakfast
the business would take the part in which he
was interested along with him 10 his office and
leave the woman's section at home
In the third place would have the first page de-
voted to news which Is OF greatest local foreign
comments and editorials Each page should De
particulartzed. that the reader who IS inter
through the whole paper fer his particular in
formation"
ana OF snort and long stOries?' was asked
That should be governed entirely by the class
OF people which forms the papers constituency
when the rehearsal Of details is unnecessary. But
a.! subjects cannot be treated IN short space Ger
tain themes demand an evolution OF argument that
must have scope and freedom.
NY pleasure Is great at times 20 dnd some col
unn or two column article written with accuracy
and then 20 follow from one idea to another when
each Is arranged in precise sequence with its fell
Il believe that such articles are not popular,
however, ADDED the Bishop, after pause. II
appears 10 De one OF the faillnEs Of the present
age mat men DO not care 10 maintain a continued
line OF thought FOR any length or time. The people
want storettes instead Of stories, novelettes In
stead OF novels. operettas instead OF operas, and
vaudeville sketches instead OF five-act plays Some
one has characterized this vaudeville age, and
the characterization Is not far from right.
We this in schools. Children are taught
a great many things. but only little OF each The
child has a little German. little Latin. little
Although I am only a layuan in Journalism
nevertheless II Is subject OF great interest 20 me
ana have spent much time in thinking over rs
grea, power and what believe are its stu greater
possibilities