Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-08-22
A SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM.

journalism at Columbia Uni
versity, New York, is the most
practical tribute to a great pur-
pose that has been made in this
or any other country. The Civ
ing of libraries and the endow-
ment of colleges and universe
ties are good things under all
circumstances. But the news
paper is the great educator of
the masses, and a gift or en-
dowment for that institution,
whose influence is worldwide,
on the lines proposed by Mr..
Pulitzer and President Eliot,
of Harvard University, will do
more than any other fund for
any other single educational
purpose that can well be con-
ceived. The course of Instruc-
tion in the proposed school of
journalism will be thorough and
comprehensive. The student,
who in addition to the aptitude
for newspaper writing, possess
es the technical knowledge
which Mr.. Pulitzer's munifi-
cence will enable him to &C
quire will have a valuable
equipment for practical news
paper work. The lawyer, the
surgeon, the engineer-indeed,
all men who follow any profess
sion-qualify themselves for
their work by systematic study.
There is no good reason why
the journalist should not re-
ceive special training in the
technique of his profession or
pursuit before he begins the
work of newspaper production.
Practice, it is true, makes per-
feet, and the college-trained
newspaper man will have much
to learn after he starts upon his
journalistic career. The same
is true, however, of the surgeon
of the lawyer and of the
engineer. The ideal journalist
has an open mind and is always
learning. If he has had the
advantage of the systematic
education which Mr.. Pulitzer
offers to place within his reach
he will be able to master the
vital principles of journalism
and to apply them TO his work
with much greater facility than
he would if he were without
special training. Mr.. Pulitzer's
object is to raisethe intellectual
standard of newspaper workers
and thereby to elevate the press.
That is a very laudable purpose.
If he succeeds the public will
derive as great benefits from a
higher standard of journalism
as the newspapers. Attempts
have been made in the past to
introduce the study of journal
ism at one or more educational
institutions. They have been
on the whole,grotesque failures,
because of the utterly made
quate provision which was
made for teaching the art of
newspaper making. The news
paper is a veritable tree of
knwledge of good and evil, of
whose fruit all men eat at their
peril, and he who dc vises the
means to reduce the evil and
develop the good in the great
est possible measure will de-
serve the applause of mankind.
Mr.. Pulitzer has displayed great
wisdom in attaching his pro-
posed school of journalism to
so prominent an educational
institution as Columbia Uni
versity. He has made the en-
dowment large enough to secure
the services of the best teach
ers. He has identified with
him in an advisory capacity
men distinguished as educators,
publicists and journalists. He
has done the right thing in the
right way, and his project
should prove notable success.
That the students at the Column
bia University School of Jour
nalism will receive substantial
benefits from the course of in
struction to be provided for
them is very clear. But the
influence of the press will de-
pend in the future not so much
on the men who make newspa-
pers as on those who direct
their policy. The strength of
the American press lies in its
integrity, its fearlessness and
its realization of its responsible
ity to the public as a molder of
opinion. This is the secret of
its hold upon the people. No
school of journalism which
fails to emphasize the i'm
portance of absolute honesty
and devotion to the general
welfare on the part of those
who shape the policy of news
papers will achieve permanent
success or discharge it's duty to
that vast public which looks to
| the nracS for inctruction and