The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-06

against all possible forms of anarchy 1t
must not forget the corrupt and cor
rupting public press. 1t is not fair to
take the life of the assassin and allow
those who poisoned his faculties and
aroused and fed and stimulated the
devil within him to escape
Congress should pass a law forever
prohibiting the public press from prinl-
ing cartoons of our public officials.
If a newspaper cannot live unless it
employs cartoons and other outrageous
misrepresentation which appeal only
to the grosser and most destructive ele-
n ents of our depraved nature, then in
all decency it should die. a brave. open,
honest, manly course is always the
safest and best Most of our daily
newspapers, we are glad to say, as a
rule, are conducted on this principle,
and there is no reason why they all
should not be. The American people
know a good thing when they see it and
stand ever ready to pay for it. 1t is not
needful therefore for the editor of any
American newspaper to lower the dig
nifty of his high office, degrade his own
manhood and corrupt and ruin other
lives and homes. by catering to the
worst elements of human nature. Why
should he wallow in the dirt because
others wallow in the dirt? Let every
newspaper man be man, clean, honest,
fair, conscientious and upright, endeav-
oring to be the best there is in him, and
to give the public clean, honest, just,
intelligent and newsy paper and there
will be no insinuation that any news
paper in America is either a secret or
an open ally of the anarchist.
GROSS MISSTATEMENTS.
Dr. Countermine closed his paper by
reading what he said had been prepared
for him on the subject of Journalism by
a Topeka newspaper man. DIR. Counter
mine preferred to circulate this slander-
GUS unwarranted and untruthful
TRADE as anonymous He also refused
afterwards to disclose the name of his
authority. The statement, as read, is
an insult to the newspapers of Topeka
and of the country and in presenting
it DR.. Countermine disgraces his call
ing, just as any reputable newspaper
would disgrace its business by publish
ing what is known to be false or could
easily be shown to be by the most
casual investigation of newspaper meth
odS. What DR.. COuntermine thus read
is as follows
The sensatio is the rule with jour-
naliSm, the practice being to eXagger-
ate wherever eXaggera ton is possible.
This eXaggeration, this practice of high
ly coloring, has of late been denomina-
ted yellow journalism" and more re-
Gently, thousands of papers have Sc
Verely cenSured their more enterpriSing
co-workers in the field of sensa tional-
ism. 1t is not the practice of the daily
paper to secure the facts, but upon the
other hand, that which is required by
the journal of today of its reportorial
force, is to get the clew, the hook upon
which to hang a story and then write it
up in the most sensational manner, and
the reporter VINO cannot come up to this
requirement can reckon on but short
tenure as an employe of the enterpris-
ing journal of today. 1t matters not
whether the sensation be in the line of
religion, morality, social life, business
or politics, the story published must
be of a sensational kind, irrespective of
the facts in the case. In the collection
of material and the construction of the
story that must pass muster and meet
the approval of managing editors. the
is not expected when he catch
eS on to a story to delve for the facts.
He writes his story that may have a
direct bearing, possibly a damaging ef-
feet upon the character or business of
some person, easily within reach of
some journal, and yet the person so af-
fected viii not be called upon but will
be confronted when he reads his paper
with something said relative to
himself or his family that is
without truth although possibly with
an underlying semblance of truth
Headlines are constructed to feed and
stimulate the thirst for the sensational,
run across two or three columns and
hint at matters not borne out even in
3 sensational article, the matters hint
nation of the writer or the person in
charge of the headline writing for the
pa per.
The Importance of political leaders
and political places is magnified every
where, and more especially by the daily |
papers that circulate in Kansas. Should |
4 person from remote country read |
any of the daily papers that circulate IN |
Kansas for a year, he would reach the |
that there was no other call |
ng or vocation in life worth consider |
ng or worthy the efforts of the young |
nan or the old man than that of politics. |
The modern paper is yellow, the diff |
terence being in degree, and that degree |
IS determined by the facilities and pos
'ibly the ability to give the journal the |
bright saffron hue that its more success !
-ul councillors in rlA field of yellow [
journalism may enjoy.
Continued eXaggeration, criticising the /
acts of public officials. stirs up a dis /
content upon which anarchy feeds and /
rom which deeds of violence flow and /
his has it's counterpart in the milder
Yellow that stimulates the young man |
If the country to quit his peaceable pur-
suits to engage in hunting Jobs OF a
political nature.
No paper will retain for forty-eight
hours reporter who would write the
news just as he finds it. If he cannot
give to the most trivial items the most
coloring he is soon informed
" the management that his services are
Tot wanted and that he should seek
ome other vocation than the Journal
site field
MIR. SHELDON DISAGE:EES.
Il disagree with some portions of the
'aper," said Rev. c. NJ. Sheldon, III the
discussion that followed the reading of
he paper. Il think the newspaper is
III lily. NilliltA II
S directly traceable to the sociological
roubles and conditions of the tenement
districts.
Anarchy is in the hearts of men in
ountries where they have never had a
aper and in the hearts of men who
ave never read a paper. And one of
he things that causes it is for them to
ook at those surrounded by every lux
ry, and make comparisons
John D. Knox, a Methodist minister. |
} strongly opposed to yellow Journal
sm- I don't believe President Lincoln
7ould have been assassina ted but for |
he lying of the Democratic papers," he
sserted- One of the most damnable |
nings 1 know is the lying new spapers.''
Il am glad to see that I am not the
My one that disa grees with DIR. Coun-