New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-09
Careers for the Coming Men.
Practical Authoritative Discussions of the Professions and
Ceilings Open to Young Americans.
journalism.


/ opened the way to moral changes striking
/ The cost Of material has been reduced
| from two-thirds TO three-fourths. the cost OF
| composition One-half, the cost of printing
| greater proportion than either. Meantime the
! supply of the raw material has become almost
| unlimited; the speed with which news can be put
| in type has been so greatly increased that col
| umns OF matter. AMI pages II need be. can
| be set within hour of the time when the
| paper must reach it's readers: and the speed
| with which printing be done has been
revolutionized that it is easier 10 catch mails
| and news companies and newsbOys at the ear
lest hour desired with edition of hundred
thousand than IL used be with an edition
| of five ten thousand.
| Obviously the business result from these revo-
| lutOnary changes in the methods OF the bust
ness inevitable, matter what the senti-
ments. or wishes. principles of the men
engaged in it. Nothing could prevent either n
great reduction in price or a great increase in
| size, or both; and nothing could then wholly
avert the moral changes which soon began 10
| accompany this unexampIed facility of pro-
| ductiOn
Reductions in price created new and differ
| ent constituency. II is a mistake to suppose
| that the one-cent newspa pers gained their main
/ support by drawing away the old patrons of the
high priced journals. What they chiefly did
| was first to induce many of these 10 read an
extra paper, and next find new classes OF
readers. But reduction in price and increased
facilities for production on a large scale and OF
any size did more than create and differ
ent constituency They changed the general
character of American newspapers. dear as well
as cheap conservative well reckless and
sensational They touched papers that MAIN
tain high prices and people that rarely or never
read cheap papers.
one effect early perceptible began on the bust
1 cid +f-,
| such ~ advance above the cost of manufacture
| that ali it's expenses can be betrayed out Of the
| profit circulation There must be added q
certain revenue from advertising Now what
| the advertiser first thinks he wants roughly
speaking. is publicity He attaches great i'm
portance to mere circulation. and concludes at
, any rate. that however much he may cultivate
particular. choice preserves it is unsafe not also
to SOW broadcast A consequent craze for circu-
lation rather than merit. for circulation, in fact
as the only thoroughly satisfactory test of merit.
| came to control pOliCy-circulatiOu among intel
| ligent and moral classes, if practicable and con-
venent. but at rate. great circulation. TO
matter among what classes as the final evil
dence of success, and the only way TO make the
sale Of a newspaper below the cost of manu-
faCtUTe ultimately a source of profit
1t would be unjust not to give the other
side of the picture. While evil traits OF the
American newspaper have been increasingly
developed under the cneapness of produc-
! ton, expansion of facilities and craze for
mere circulation, there other changes
as marked and most beneficial The flip
pancy of our pers. which so vexed the
soul of Matthew Arnold. certainly continues. as
we'll as their depIorable addiction 10 the use and
invention Of slang. But they are more gener-
ally Well written than they were fifteen years
ago, and often more attractively arranged.
The number Of young college bred men whom
they enlist grows steadily larger They
better informed on the subjects they discuss or
at least they have acquired and organized far
better means OF gathering information. They
CLEAN news with amazing thoroughness. and
they exhaust it from the most secluded and
guarded hiding places with the mysterious
energy of an air pump Whoever has had TO do
with public affairs has learned that as all
is in conspiracy against a vacuum, under the
guidance of the newspapers the whole world
around them is in conspiracy against a secret.
They cover the earth with their correspondents
They study the progress and the politics
OF all nations. They give foreign news by cable
with tenfold the fulness Of few years ago. Al
most every first class paper has it's own special
cable letter from London Paris In fact. the
ocean lines are used as freely now BY the press
as the Iiae to Washington formerly was. \
rate OF IS cents word from China. and OF far
more from the Philippines does not check the
I full daily reports.
Transformations and rivalries in Associated
Press organizations have made il easier TO
start newspapers and easier to secure a
Z good new service from all the world AS for
. cur own country. telesraphs and telephones.
/ in the energetic hands of the press. have
made it from ocean to ocean mere sounding
board The newspapers follow al explorations
terrestrial or sidereaL They watch every IN
ventor and tell the marvels of every discovery
/ They cultivate systematically and assiduousiy
At . isl
I tho Drama They present letters Of adventure
and pictures day by day OF the business world
rbav give details OF political. Legislative. finan-
ciaI maritime. railway. social. educational, re-
+ forrnatory charitable and religious movements.
/ especiaIIy in the Sunday issues in a profusiou.
a variety vivacity and popular attractiveness
never before approached There has been
extraordinary increase in the attention given TO
the interests Of women and also in the space
surrendered. even in the most sedate OF journals.
to every conceivable variety OF sport. All kinds
OF special interests ind constant and cOpious