Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-21
A NEWSPAPERS PUBLIC SERVICE.

The Times Republican from time to
time has commented editorially upon
a phase of news publishing little und-
derstood by the public, viz, the great
care exercised by the average editor in
verifying his news reports and making
his published statements absolutely ac-
curate. No one who has not served a
veterans career behind the scenes in
the business OF newspaper publishing
can have any conception of the dill
gence and constant care exercised by
newspaper men to make their every
statement absolutely true in fact. BY
& computation ii Will be found that in an
averag e issue of the Times Republican
there are news items about people and
events under no less than sixty FIVE
general date lines, from points outside
Of iowa This news is gathered by the
Associated Fress, "a great cooperative
association with trained Journalists in
practically every town in every civil
lied country of the world. Besides this,
from the Information gathered by a
staff of ever $50 special Iowa corre-
spondents an average daily issue of the
Times Republican will contain every
day news about persons and events in
sixty Iowa towns. and the local pages
viii appear daily with news concerning
nj least 100 different citizens living in
this community. All of this informa-
ton. aggregsgting in volume every two
days the size of an ordinary 350-page
book, has to be ferreted out, reported,
edited, set into type and published
within an average working day, and
yet the percentage of mistakes to the
total number of aceuracies. If known,
would make the average critic of
newspaper ashamed of himself
1t must have been with some idea of
this situation in his mind that Judge
Burnham. in ruling upon motion to
direct verdict for the newspaper In
yesterdays libel suit against the
Times Republican, said: ut is the duty
3
of a newspaper man, when he conducts
md publishes a newspaper, to give the
news to the public and. If 1t is done In
good faith and without malice or in
tention to wrong or injure another, il
it is substantially correct, it Is condi-
tionally privileged and, therefore, there
is no liability on the part of the pub
fisher to one who claims he is wronged
8 In suit against them for damages, and
& II this paper has ever done good serv-
ice, it seems to me it has in this mat
ter
Since man began to live in organized
society the acts of his neighbor, and
the doings of the individual have be-
come matters of legitimate concern to
the public in so far as such acts could
or would have material effect upon
the welfare or Interests of others, and 1t
has long been held by courts that
newspaper, engaged in the business of
publishing news, not only has a condi-
tional privilege to publish facts of pub
: lie concern about individuals, but has
distinct duty to perform which places
upon 1t an express obligation to keep
the public so Informed, in common par
lance, to print the news. The legiu-
mate performance of this duty. when
fearlessly done, becomes public serv-
ice of immeasurable value In the pro-
lection of private interests and person
al welfare upon every side.
In this particular case of the publ
cations complained of the distinct pub
lie service Of the newspaper was ably
set forth by the court when 1t said:
.sNow the charges that We're made
against this plaintiff had been clrculat-
ed broadcast turnout that community
before these publications. 1t did not
seem to have affected either him or his
business very materially, until i came
out in the newspaper. Then, when the
same facts that had been known to