The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-06-28
newspaper ID in the newspaper busi-
ness. He concentrates his brain, quite

newspaper Lib In the newspaper buS1-
ness. He concentrates his brain, quite
legitimately, upon the commercial
aspects of things, upon the margin of
profit, upon the reduction of expenses,
upon buying white paper and selling it
printed, and that is business. But a
man who has the advantage, honor and
pleasure of addressing the public every
day as a writer or thinker is a pro-
%fessional man. So, of course. is he who
directs these writers and reporters,
who tells them what to say and how to
say it, vino shows them how to think,
who inspires them, though he may
eve write a line himself, and decides
what the principles of the paper shall
be. For example, the greatest editor
in the whole history of European jour-
nalism, John Delane, never wrote any
articles Of his own, although for thirty
six years he was the head, the heart,
the brain of the London Times. But
he directed every writer; he furnished
the thought, the policy, the initiative;
he bore the responsibility, and he cor
rectcd both manuscript aRa proofs.
Nothing less than the highest ideals,
the most scrupulous anxiety to do right,
the most accurate knowledge Of the
problems it has to meet and a sincere
sense Of it's moral responsibility will
save journalism from subservience to
business interests, seeking selfish ends,
antagonistic to the public welfare,
Commercialism has a legitimate
place in a newspaper-namely, in the
business Office. The more successful
a newspaper is commercially the bet
ter for it's moral side. The more pros
porous it is the more Independent 1t
can afford to be, the higher salaries 1T
can pay to editors and reporters, the
less subject it will be to temptation,
the better it ear stand losses for the
sake of principle and conviction. But
commercialism, which is proper and
necessary in the business office, be-
comes a degradation and a danger
when it invades the editorial rooms.
Once let the public come to regard the
press as exclusively a commercial bust
ness and there is an end Of it's moral
power. Influence cannot exist without
public confidence, and that confidence
must have a human basis. 1t must
rest in the end on the character of the
journalist. The editor, the real "jour-
nalist'' of the future, must be a nan of
| such known integrity that he will be
| above the suspicion of writing or edit
ing against his convictions. He must
be known as one who would resign
rather than sacrifice his principles to
any business interest. 1t would be
| well if the editor of every newspaper
were also it's proprietor, but every edi-
tor can be at least the proprietor Of
himself. If he cannot keep the paper
from degrading itself, he can refuse
to be a party to the degradation.
By far the larger part of the Ameri-
can press is honest, although partisan.
1t means to do right; it would like to
know how. To strengthen it's resolu-
ton and give to it's wisdom the indis-
pensable basis Of knowledge and in
dependence is the object of training in
journalism.
We are embarked, whether we like
it or not, upon a revolution in thought
and life. Progress is sweeping for
ward with a~ccelerating force, outstrip-
ping in decades the advance of former
centuries and millenniums. All pro-
LESSONS, all occupations but one, are
keeping step with that majestic march.
Its inspiration has fired all ranks of
the marching army, or must we except
the standard bearers? The self con-
stituted leaders and enlighteners of the
p~eople-what are they doing? Stand
ing still, lost in self admiration, while
the hosts march by? Are they ever
doing as we'll as that? Is it not a fact
that the editors of seventy years ago
were, as a rule, better informed In
law, politics, government and history
than those of today? The statesmen
and lawyers and political students who
used to do editorial work for ambi-
ton or intellectual pleasure have
ceased to frequent the newspaper
offices. There is no trade so humble
that it is not developing a standard OF
competence based on thorough train
ing. For the more intellectual pro.
fessions-law, medicine, art, archi-
lecture, music. engineering in all its
varied branches-the years Of prepare
ton are stretching over ever lengthen'
ing periods.
Is the most exacting profession OF
all, the one that requires the widest
and the deepest knowledge and the
frmest foundations Of character, to be
LOFT op+;roIv RI tho ohononS Of self o611.
cation? Is the man who is everybody's
critic and teacher the only n who
does not need to be taught himself?
1t has been said by ONE that my OBJ
ject in founding the College of Jour
nalism was to help young men who
wish to make this their vocation. 9th
ers have commended it as an effort to
raise journalism to it's real rank as
one of the learned professions. This
ia +r,,o Ryyt whi1Q II ia a great Meas.