The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1902-06-08

make up OF paper often spoils a good
news item TO place ever SO good a
bit Of news about London, Or San Fran-
cisco, or New York, or some other for
cign city In the local columns and call
1t local is misnomer, and he reader
sees that he Is being faxed, He goes
10 his local columns for locar news,
If he is looking for foreign news he
goes 70 ether departments of the pa
per for il
A hong llst OF personals such as
" John Brown came In On the night
train, Bill Smith went IL; on the
night train, -" So anj So is spending
a few DAYS in the city" Is not news,
When an up to date PAPER happens to
get out of news it sometimes goes
around TO the hotels and writes per-
sonals" about the Browns and Smiths
and JoreSes, The public does not give
a cent about these Fellows unless they
are people of note and have been out
Of the country far long tins, Or have
returned after long absence, Then
the average two line personal about
them would net he satisfactory. The
public would like 10 know what they
have heen doing whlle away, Whal sue
cess they have had or, if>thay are go
ine away. why they are going away,
ana what they are going 10 do, II
person is worth noticing there is
story in him and The mere statement
that he had come and gone is not
news.
Then there are some papers that do
Tot discriminate between a news ittm
of Importance and one ot msre passing
notice. For instance, a Grand Army en-
might be held in small
,ity, which IS an important svent with
The city, and the newspapers should
give fun accounts Of the proceedings,
Yet some papers would cover the Ia
rades and daily sessions OF the body in
-he same srace that hey would give
10 some merchant who had a pretty
display window The public would
want to know all about the G. A. =.
sessions in detail, while the mere slate
nent that Merchant Jones hal decorat-
d his window for the occasion would
be all that they would like 10 know
IN that point. Any important event
hat occurs The public has not the time
o look the matter up and get the de-
ails but depends upon the paper TO
10 this. A mere local "squib" that
such an event happened. they already
Knew. and the item is therefore not
news
The modern newspaper heads its ar
icles, if they are worth a head The |
'ublic does not wish to wade |
Trough" page OF mixed up TENS,
ONE of them a half column in length,
o find if there Is any news in the
'aper. News items properly headed
nables the busy reader at lance
o Gull out what he desires to read
nd what he does not care to .ead.
The duty of the newspaper $ plain.
ne public may be humbusged for
lng time, but it viii gradually make
he proper selection and the paper that
iscliminates and gives space to the
cal news and arranges It in proper
eading will fra!ly take the lead
gainst the antiquated anl the fax
1g methods. in spite of he TACT that
he people are often drilled into a rut
y their reading.
The Astorian was commended for Civ {
lg the teachers institute good space;
was commend d for giving the school
exercises good space;
was commended for giving the G.
. R. encampment good space; it was
,mm ended for standing TO its party
nd fighting its battles straight from
le shoulder it was commended yes
,rday more than a dozen times for
wing the 7. P. A. visit good space,
nd all Of these things added together =,
,unt in the long run. The Astorlan a.,
i'll strive to advance from issue to 7
sue until it will be a source of pride /
the city Of Astoria, and has an am {
tiou to be classed among the news
lpers, and not among the imitators. p
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