The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-05-28
THE NEWSPAPER .1NDUsTRY."

THE NEWSPAPER .lNDUSTRY."
An article In recent number Of the
Atlantic Monthly by Country Editor.
who confessed that he had conducted his
paper entirely for commercial purposes.
attracted considerable attention. In tho
current number Of the same magazine
Is another article on tho 'newspaper In
dustry," which follows as sort OF corol-
larry on the article previously mentioned.
This writer sets out to show that pub
Fishing newspaper In this day and gen
3 eration is an Industry rather than pro-
Session. He tells us that there are 49,
600 establishments for the publication OF
periodicals. being an increase OF per
cent over 1890 to 1900. OF the 1900
lexist,ng journals. 1900 are dailies. the
frest being wceklies. Only about 5000
bout OF the 1900 have moro than one
;thousaad circulation. The aggregate OF
5Gapital invested is about sls26oo'o'O;
,about s5o,3ooooo Of paid out in wages and
las much more for material. while tho
value OF the product is stated to be $685.
I 0c0. 900. He concludes from this that tho
Snewspaper industry is very profitable
and he is not surprised that shrewd bus
sness men have gone into 1t for profit.
< Contrasting the new newspaper with
the old. he says that formerly the editor
! ran the paper and made it the medium
!: through which to express his opinions
for the enlightenment Of the public.
whereas in this day the paper Is run
by the business manager.
I'm the old place of editor" to quote
= mis- exact language, sis the business
manager for the capital stock OF the en-
terprise. and any opinions are what the
I business demands in the view of the one
. really responsible man-to wit, the bus
! aness man, whose main function 1t IS 10
make contracts for advertising, for paper
supply, for fifty thousand dollar presses
and for the huge labor force of the es-
Establishment, mechanical and intellec-
tual. to earn dividends of from twenty
to fifty per cent. His chief RESPONSE
bilitS. however, lies in his supervision
of the editors, so that their indiscredons
may not reduce the circulation or offend
Important interests" He puts to him
self the question How many neWspa-
pers are there Of this kind?" and says
that IL would be easier to answer how
many newspapers are not of this kind,
then asserts that he can name on the
fingers Of one hand existing American
dailies really edited by editors.
This is a SANDER upon the newspaper
profession. It is true that publishing
a. newspaper is something of an indus
try. newspaper is manufa ctured to
sell. and every large newspaper estap-
Ishment in this day is in one sense
manufacturing establishment 1t IS
also true that the business manager is
an important functionary. He neces-
sardly exercises sort OF general SUI
neryision ever the establishment. The
man who makes newspaper Tor sale
must take It with a view to the existing
demand. otherwise his product will not
sell. But to say that all the newspa-
pers OF this country. or that majority
OF them, or that q large percentage OF
them are edited by the business man
ager is an exaggeration and q calumny
The successful newspapers in this coun-
try, barring few of the so-called yell
low 3ournals. are newspapers OF charac-
fer. newspapers which have settled con-
yictions, 7vlnch follow definite line OF
policy in their treatment of public ques-
tions. which are thoroughly Independent
and coura geous in the expression OF their
opinion BY way Of Illustration. we may
mention In New York papers like the
f;mes. the Tribune, the Sun. the Even
ing Post, the Mail and Express; and.
for all that may be said against the New
York World. 1t is an ably edited paper
and can usually BE counted upon to
take a courageous position on the SIDE
OF truth and Justice.
In Philadelphia the prosperous papers
arc the Record. the Ledger. the Press.
the Times and the Evening Telegraph.
ench and every one Of which is a pa
pcr OF character and settled convictions.
Coming along down, We find that the
prosperous papers IN the city OF s- bsi.i-
more are papers that have an opinion
on public questions and the courage to
express It.
Az for the newspapers OF the South.
no one who reads them needs to be told
that they arc honest and truthful and
fearless in their discussion OF public
questions.
Editors are men OF discretion and they
40 not antagonizc everything in sight
for. tho sake OF appearing to be brave
@ md contentious, But they are as hon
est as the men in other professions and
quite MS brave in giving expression to
their convictions.
But, leaving out Of consideration the
EDITORS par.- the newspapers Of the
country are doing Tar more than was
IS ever done by the newspapers Of the old
IS schoo, In promoting public morals.