Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-07-23
Newspaper "ROasts."


Tribune.
A Herbert Spencer can outline
code of moral and ethical conduct
based on the laws of nature that all
mankind can follow with impunity,
but he who would attempt to COM
pile complete code of ethics for
the newspaper profession applic-
able to all localities will fail in his
undertaking, as the writers of the
many excellent articles along this
line in previous issues of The Am
erican Press have intimated, and
truthfully, that the policy of a
newspaper, and country news
paper especially, is necessarily
governed by environment. Yet
there are rules of conduct that
have a worldwide application
verities governing the profession
that are as broad as civilization it
self-and, failing to observe this
code, no newspaper man can hope
to reach dizzy height in the pro-
fession.
First among the sins of news
paper men, and failing common
among country editors, are the
petty quarrels among themselves.
If there is anything that STILES
the country newspaper and warps
thejudgment of it's editor more than
quarreling with contemporary
l have failed to observe accurately.
But | am positive that there is not.
1t seems to me that these little
scraps among editors are purely
disregard for the dignity of their
calling and gross violation of
the ethics of the profession, if we
are to place journalism in the cata-
CORY of the professions, and to-day
more than at any stage of the
worlds progress is the newspaper
given place among the callings
of dignity.
Let us for one moment imagine
two lawyers, two doctors or two
merchants engaged in foolish little
war of words and branding each
other with the appellations of"graf
ter,'' "shyster," ETC., as some edi-
tors are continually doing. How
long would their supply of dignity
last, and how long would the pub
lie repose in them the dignity due
all men engaged in honorable call
ings? Whenever I pick up an ex-
change and see a "roast" directed
at some other member of the craft
l at once conclude that here is an
editor who is wasting his energy
on the desert air and making a
consummate ass of himself besides.
And isn't this about what the aver
age person thinks about it?
The same principle, in my opin-
ion, applies to attacks on private
citizens or even those in public
station. just as soon as man
becomes an apologist he is surrend-
ering, and just as soon as man
starts to pursue the course of mali
cious "roasts" just as sure is his
paper in a state of decadence. No
newspaper can be in a healthy con-
dition when it's editor is in an un-
healthy frame of mind, and an edi-
tor in healthy frame of mind is an
editor who is broad minded, optim-
istic, generous, fearless and free
from malice. Not alone are out
and out "roasts" to be discourag-
ed, but all indiscreet hints and jabs
of any description. Little sarcams
and semihumorous squibs directed
at individuals may appeal to the
vulgar sensibilities of a certain ele-
ment, but that element of right
thinking people TO whom the
newspaper that wishes to attain
any standing must devote
itself, as rule, has no time for
matter of this nature.
Newspaper men of combative
nature often charge their brethern
of more conservative views with
weakness and cringing fear of
expressing themselves lest they
suffer a pecuniary loss, and rarely
are these charges true. Instead
the latter class have deep sense
of the duty they owe the public
and their profession. There are
few editors in this land who will
speak out fearlessly and honestly
when matters of grave public con-
Germ demand it. And when they
do speak their utterances fall with
far heavier weight than those who
are continually harping on the
wrongs of society and iabbing at
public men and private individuals.
There is something inexplicably
grand in the feeling that you are
laboring in q community where
you have the good will of all-not