The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-08-23
PUBLICITY AND
SUPPRESSION.
(Tampa Tribune)

1t Is curious what different ideas
people will have about newspaper
telling or not telling the truth. dust
let one make an untrue statement
about a citizen. whether he or she IL
prominent or not, and see what bob
berry will be kicked up about it. 1t
matters not that the paper itself was
imposed on, and printed the article in
good faith; that will not appease or
mollify the offended citizen. But just
let a newspaper publish the exact,
plain and unYarnished truth about
everything that comes within its know.
ledge. Let it print all that it can
learn about the people, men and wo-
men, of its town and community aud
the other Robbery would be as a gen
tie zephyr to a whirlwind compared
to the latter ore.
And yet in this latter case the sdi-
tor has been strictly fair, truthful and
impartial. He has shown no malice,
has not exaggerated, and has not print
ed word that is not strictly true, but
he would almost be mobbed, if not
quite, If he printed all things that come
to his knowledge, ard just as they
come. The truth is that most people
do not know how much they owe to
newspaper fo-bearance as we'll as to
newspaper energy and effort. That
they are sometimes imposed on is
true, and that they sometimes do harm
In consequence of the deception prac.
ttced on them, or the misinfOrmation
furnished them, even when the editor
is careful and conscientious as man
can be is also true, for humanity is
lot perfect and human intelligence
not infallible.
And yet, if those who condemn the
paper for sometimes making mistakes,
or for being imposed on, would but re
fleet little they would see that there
Is a large balance on the other side OF
the ledger. They would see that fam
lilies might be estranged, homes brok-
en- up. and friends and neighbors set
by the ears, if the papers should tell
the acts and sayings, with names and
dates, of all the people in any commun.
ity. If 1t were possible for every per.
son to hear everything that every
ether person says, we may form some
idea of the trouble that would ensue
If it were possible for each one of us
to know that all others are thinking,
there would soon BE a cataclysm in
this world of ours.
The result in either case is just
what would take place, on a similar
scale, If a prominent paper, with
good corps of reporters and cores.
pondents, should set TO work to get all
the information it could about the
people of both sexes and fetch it out
In cold print. None but the newspa,
per people themselves know how much
they hear and how much they fail to
print. Names and facts which would
make interesting reading are suppre So
ed because of the trouble that publici-
ty would cause. Many an incident the
prudent public would gladly read Of
never gets into type Many a slip
made by man or woman comes to the
ears of the newspaper man, but gets
no further. JIo
People may complain that the news
papers sometimes make mistakes. and
others that they fail to print all the
news, but many have cause to be
thankful for what Is not printed.
The Tribune has frequently expert
enced this sort OF thing. Let il print
the plain, unvarnished facts about
any occurrence and, while it's action
will be appreciated and approved by
many people, a few of the interested
persons are sure to become offended.
In two recent notorious trials in this
county, the Tribune took particular
pains to publish only the plain bare
facts without bias or prejudice on eth
er side. Hundreds of Tribune read
ers have written or spoken to the Tri,
bune their approval of its course IN
these cases-but, at the same time, a.
half dozen or more people who had
hitherto been friendly to the Tribune
became incensed because the Tribune
did print the truth and the whole
truth.
Every fact a newspaper prints is
sure to make somebody mad Every
fact a newspaper suppresses makes
somebody mad. These are the natur,