The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-04
REID ON MoDERN NEWSPAPERS.

REID ON mODthN NEWSfDA1, Ems.
Whitelaw Reid in a lecture to the
students of Yale offered some free hand
criticism on the modern newspaper.
Emanating from such source, these
criticisms are interesting if not entirely
Just. Mr.. Reid, like all newspaper men
and some who are not newspaper men,
which he would like to see all newspapers
tending. A newspaper is q very human
institution and is liable to err. However
high may be the ideal of the manage
ment, there are circumstances in news
paper life just as there are in social
life that render a strict living up to
ones ideas impossible.
Mr.. Reid complains of the lack of char
acter in the editorials of fne modern
newspaper and laments the fact that
editors are sold with the mechanical
part of the institution like a livery
stable with its stock
We must agree with Mr. Reid that the
editorial end Of the modern newspaper
is deteriorating; that the modern tend
ency is to news sensation and dress
rather than to sterling character evil
denced by the editorial page This is
caused by business considerations. Peo-
pie would rather read a racy account of
a social scandal, than an editorial criti-
cism of a public abuse or a well written
comment on vital government policy.
The people have a right to judge the
character of a paper by its editorial
page and the influence of the press is
measured by that alone 1t is all the bet
ter if there is man of flesh and blood
behind it, shaping its policy and stamp
ing it with his individuality.
We cannot accept the view of Mr..
Reid, that an editorial writer should not
prostitute his talents by advocating
measures or causes with which he is not
IN sympathy; that free trader should
not write protection articles.
There are usually two sides to every
question, and although no man can do
ms best While writing against his con-
Vict1ons, he nevertheless is apt to be
more logical and just while advocating
measure in which he does not believe.
because he then seeks to convince by the
logic of facts which he is compelled to
admit
The personal element in newspaper
work is gradually vanishing. a few men
like Henry Watterson give a personal
character to the journals with which thew
are connected, but as a general PROPOSE
ton, the editorial writer must depend
upon the style and finish of his efforts
to secure readers and influence for the
paper for which he labors.
Papers are very much like public men
Their influence may be paramount today
and tomorrow their mightiest efforts will
avail nothing. A paper without charac-
ter or merit may have a wide circulation
and WELD tremendous influence while
its neighbor, which is better paper in
every sense of the word, will be passed
unread
Mr. Reid sees a hopeful sign in the
fact that, newspapers are better written
than they were fifteen years ago; the
fippancy of tone is made I'D for bv an
added finish of style which he ascribes
to the increasing number of colIege-bced
men on the reportorial and editorial
stats.
The press, like the stage, is apt to be
about as the people want it. The or
binary newspaper does it's best under the
circumstances in which it finds itself-an
angel can do not better.