The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-10
AS TO YELLOW JOURNALISM.
An Attempted Defense which Really
Docs Not Defend.

Kansas City Journal.
Samuel Z. Moffett. not long since editor
of the New York Journal. undertakes a
defense of yellow Journalism" AT the
outset he attempts to show that the jour-
mails OF this class are not a modern insu-
tuition, but have existed for many years.
The New York Herald, he says, was yell
low from the beginning. and as early az
1885 il informed its contemporaries seek
ing an exchange as follows:
Editors must furnish their columns with
something original and good 10 set an eA-
change with the Herald. drou story,
a wonderful accident, a tale OF the. noun
tsins or rivers, a prodigiOus growth,
horrible murder, curious marriage, OF
such like tidbits."
yellow as the Herald were the san Fran
cisco Chronicle. the Chicago Times and
the Cincinnati Enquirer, and with them,
says Mr.. MOnett. the sensational paper
OF to-day does not compete in the matter
OF reporting crimes and scandals. The
essence OF 'yellowness' in Journalism. con-
tinueS Mr.. Moffett, Is Vulgarity-the Nul-
garity of the rich porkpacker whose fam
lily displays its diamonds at the breakfast
table"
the vulgarity, or lack Of taste. which Mr..
Moffett describes. The sensational jour
nal OF to-day does not contne itself 10 Dig
headlines and striking pictures about
events which really occur; IL manufac-
lures events out OF its own imagination.
thus getting away from the truth, which lss
or ought TO be, the foundation OF az Jour
nalism. Everyone connected with the
newspaper profession knows that the yell
low journals Of New York will print
anything, however far from reason or
proba bility If IL bears the imprint OF orig
inality and possesses the element OF spice
For example. one Of them printed an al
legged photograph of a Kansas baby which.
IL declared. at three weeks old had risen in
its mothers arms and said: Seven years
of famine; seven years or famine, ana
then expired. Recently, at the summer
home OF the President, one or the New
York correspondents was reproved by Mr..
Roosevelt fer some outrageous publication.
He exhibited In his own defense telegrams
from his managing editor ordering him TO
bride the game warden TO arrest one OF the
Roosevelt children for killing birds out OF
season, and 10 surreputiously make a
their bathing suits One was as dishon-
est and disreputable as anything could be.
and the other was such contemptible IN
vasion Of the privacy OF family that *
called for the vigorous use OF a horsewhip-
The old sensational journals may nave
unduly exploited the crimes and scandals
and incidents OF their day and generation.
but they did not invent crimes and scan
dals and incidents for the delectatlon OK
the morbid and vulgar.
Mr.. Moffett declares that the yellow jour
nails have deliberately adopted the bass
drum and the megaphone as the best means
Of drawing a crowd. and they have the
II. -
stump speaker" he says, addressing TO-
900 people in the open air must adopt very
different methods from those that would
be effective at a meeting OF Sorosis. Deli
cate illusions, softly-modulated intona-
tons, artfully- disseminated shades OF
meaning would be lost IL would be a
waste of time TO hold up Meissonier for
the critical admiration OF such an audi
ence. There must be something that the
whole crowd, 10 its remotest outskirts, can
see at once. The desired effect must be
- a s..eh hos
been found by experience that the big
headlines and pictures do bring circulation,
and that in this respect. nothing can take
their place. Moreover, they not only at
tract readers, but actually create them.
The yellow journals IN New York city have
a larger circulation than all the other
pa pers In the city combined. But they
have not gained it at the expense of those
other papers. The conservative press has
more readers than IL ever had before, and
probably quite as many as II would have
had II yellow journalism had never been
heard Of"
Mr.. Mofett's defense proves simply that
which everyone is willing 10 admit: that
the yellow journals have been enormously
successful. He shows that they are able
to gather a crowd. and they seem 10 DO IL
by cultivating that species OF human de-
pravity which sends thousands 10 witness
a dog fight, and none 70 hear a fine ser
mon or 10 listen to a fine concert. What
he does not show is that yellow Journalism
serves any good end, or that IL Is able 10
benefit its clientage, either mentally or
morally. He is wholly mistaken In as
Stunning that the objection TO this kind OF
journalism alta ches TO the use OF big head
lines or pictures. The objection 10 IL goes
deeper than any phase OF its appearance
or getup, and lies against its reckless eN-
aggeration OF real events and its devilish
genius for manufacturing events where
no events have occurred. We may all re-
member the Mole st. Nicholas liars, which
| the yellow press had in service during our
war with Spain. We also can remember
| those other liars which IT kept in WASH
ington TO and impede the administra-
ton while that conflict was going on. And
we need only look over any number Of
| their current issues TO pick out articles
| that were written with the studied purpose
! OF deceiving the ignorant
In conclusion Mr.. MOffett rather patron
! izingly tells the respectable journals how
| they may alter their present methods and
rival the yellow journals in circulation.
| The respectable journals OF the country
| are very well satisfied with their methods
and their circulation. They appeal 10 the
! intelligence and fairness and justice Of the
| country. and not 10 the mob. II their cir
| culatons are less than those OF the yellow
] journals and certain periodicals OF further
advancement along the same road. they
\ at least have the satisfaction which comes
! with self-respect and with the knowledge
| that they are doing business with the gen.
| tilitV of the country.