The Cairo bulletin., 1904-05-13
PULITZER ON JOURNALISM

In the May number of the NORTH
American Review Mr. Joseph Pulit
ler proprietor Of the New Yorr
World and st. Louis Post-Dispatch
writes ably and at some length in de
tense OF his College Of Journalism
for the establishment OF which he has
set aside one million dollars. He
makes reply to some Of the criticism
that have been offered by the press
= the country, and succeeds In dis
polling some Of the wrong impres
5ions held by some Of his critics.
The general purpose OF the college
IF journalism, as explained BY Mr.
Pulitzer, is to raise the standard OF
the editorial profession Says he 4
wish to begin d movement that vii
raise journalism to the rank Of s.
learned profession, growing in the re-
spect of the community as other pro
LESSONS far less important to the pdb
tic interests have grown He define
a journalist as follows
What is a journalist? Not a bus
ness manager or publisher, or even
proprietor A journalist is the loo6
,ut on the bridge OF the ship OF state
He notes the passing sail, the little
things Of interest that dot the horizon
in fine weather He reports the drift
sng castaway whom the ship can save
He peers through fog and storm e
give warning of dangers ahead He j
not thinking Of his wages, or OF the
profits Of tile owners He is the watch
over the safety ana the welfare Of the
people who trust himl s"F There Il
m obvious difference between a bust
ness and a profession. An editor. a.
editorial writer or a correspondent Is
not in business. Nor Is even cap
able reporter. These men are alreld,
II q profession, though they may not
admit IT, or even realize 1t. rs many
of them unhappily dosnot. III or well
they represent authorship. and author
hip is a profession. The man in the
,ountingroom Of newspaper is H.
the newspaper business. He concen
trates his brain quite legitlmately)
upon the commercial aspects OF
things, upon the margin of profit up
II the reduction Of expenses, upon
buying white paper and selling il
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
professional man So, OF course, is ne
sho directs these writer's and report
9rs, who tells them what to say and
how TO say it, who shows them how to
think-who inspires them, though 10
may never write a line himself, ana
ieciies what the principles Of the pa
per shall be-
Concerning the business and com
mercial aspects Of the newspaper, Mr.
Pulitzer says:
"Commercalsm has a legitimate
place in a newspaper, namely. in the
business office The more success
full newspaper is commercially the
better for it's moral side The NOR
prosperous it is, the more iniepend
ent 1t can afford 10 be. Che higher aa.
aries 1t can pay to editors aud report
ers, the less subject II will be to
temptation. the better il can stan1
( losses for the sake OF principle ana
/ conviction But commercialism
which is proper and necessary in the
business office, becomes a degrade
tion and a danger when it invales the
4litcrial rooms Once i't the publ C
come to regard the press as exclusive
~ q commercial business and there j.
IN end Of SOS moral power Inanenc
cannot exist without public conn
lencc And that confidence must have
a human basis. Il must rest in the
end on the character of the journalist
The editor, the real Journalist Of
the future, must be a man OF such
known integrity that he will be above
the suspicion Of writing or editing
/ against his convictions lie must ne
known ~ one who would resign rath
er than sacrifice his principles to any
/ business interest II would be well il
f The editor Of every newspaper were
/ also it's proprietor, but every editor
can be al least proprietor Of himself
/ If he cannot keep the paper from de.
/ grating itself. be can refuse 10 BIZ q