Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-08-29
THE REPORTERS PLACE.

Although it was announced at the
opening Of tho peace conference at
Portsmouth that reporters and cores
pondents would be excluded, every
newspaper has had column after col
umn of reliable news from the scene
of the meetings and the whole world
has been kept well informed of the
progress of tho conference. This has
been due largely to the ability Of the
reporters themselves, but it also
shows that men like the peace ENJOYS,
the men of foremost standing in the
whole world of nations, realize the po-
sition to which the news Satherer
has climbed and realize also his right
and the right of the public he repre-
sents, to know news of Importance.
They realize that the correspondents
will print what they can learn and it
is impressed upon them that if they
do not give the reporter the opportuni-
ty to learn the facts they and not
, the reporter will be responsible for
any errors that may be made.
After experience in news gathering,
the average editor or newspaper
Writer inclines to the opinion that
those who resent the supposed intru-
sion of the reporters are usually men
OF mere momentary Importance, and
nearly always they are quite mistak-
en- as to the functions and value Of
the reporter. They may be lifted up
| by the selection of the post which
they command for.an unusual purpose,
or they may be gossiped of as the pos
sible incumbents Of public office,
or they may be concerned in a mar
riage, or in birth, or in a death
which, for one reason or another, is
! justly and properly interesting to the
public. The idea that possesses such
persons of temporary interest is usu
ally that their privacy is being in
truded upon; that they are being an
noyed and prosecuted for the gratifi
cation Of the curiosity of the reporter
himself, whose unpleasant duty it is to
gather and present what the public de
sires to know. Such a person may
rest assured, however, that the report
er is no more pleased with the task
of visiting him and interviewing him
than is he to receive the agent OF
the newspaper. The reporter is a
very intelligent servant of the public
His duty is to find out what the public
wishes to know about, and it usually
has the right to know what he seeks
Moreover, as a rule, it is best for the
public that it should have the informa
ton which the reporter seeks.
The Boston Herald, speaking, nc
doubt, out of the fullness Of a mind
recently angered by brush with the
omnipresent man who wants some
thing "kept out" has the following to
say on this subject:
The real man, who is before the
public for the public's good, knows
that the community is properly con
cerned with him; that 1t is possessed
of proper desire for adequate in
formation concerning public affairs
or concerning any matters of general
interest and Importance, or concerning
| persons who have made themselves, OF
who have been made, Of interest tc
their neighbors. Such a man recog
nizes in the reporter an intelligent and
hard working member of society, and
a useful public servant He realizes
the value as well as the power of the
press, but he never asks for the as
sistance of the latter, for he knows
that he will receive it when the pub
lie can be benefited by his public EN-
ployment. 1t may be said that, as a
rule, only those who desire very little
OF the press, and who pretend to look
down upon much that it does, includ
! ing the work of the reporter. beg hum
bly, and persistently for it's favors
and they may rest assured that nc
one understands them better and wax
ues them more justly than the keen
eyed, observant, thoughtful reporter