The Cairo bulletin., 1905-08-13
REPORTERS AND THE PUBLIC.

Newspapers are not nfrequently
taxed with lnaecnraey in reporting eur
rent events. and the charge is often
sustained. But the fact thar much Of
this inaccuracy IS entirely due 10 the
persons who furnish the information
which. under the conditions must be
taken as true by the reporters, is not
generally known. II is. therefore, en-
.couraging TO observe that there are
those who appreciate this fact and
give il proper weight Ii everybody
realized the facts there would be few
.inaccurac' es in the newspapers. Re
porters want to be aecurate--do not in
vent the mistakes bur almost inyar
iabiy 40 the best possible under the
that accompany obtain
ing the news.
Mr.. Owen Root. Jr., one OF the mana
gers of the New York Metropolitan
street railway. at the last annual meet
ing Of the Street Railway association
Of mat state. put mosu sound advice III
his remarks upon the relation of pub
lie corporations to taa public press
than can ordinarily be heard in such.
gatherings. My experience. he
SAYS. has been thai the press de-.
sires to report truthfully the occur.
.renees which come to their attention,
and | believe that very large per
.centage OF the miss tatemenss of faet
which we see in tae newspapers come
from either a lack Of proper informa-
ton or from a desire to make a read
able story and without any desire To-
lnjUre the company concerned IN
bic speech Mr. Root said:
4 do not think You can oyeresti-
mate in the long run the beneficial
influence which polite and courteous
treatment on the part Of the officials
of the railroad has upon the reporter
himself. however small and unimpor-
tant ne may seem, or however poorly
he may be dressed. the cumulative eff
feet Of polite treatment Of reporters
Ills bound 10 he very great In the long
run | am reminded III an incident
which occurred last year when there
was some criticism being made Of the
New York City Railway company on
account of the number of open cars
that were being operated. A reporter
came 10 see ME oite night when |
vas LEAVING the hanse rather harri AL
TT, and propounded several questions
to me upon the subject. | did not
I have time To discuss the matter very
| fully with nim, but gave him the
facts aEd told him 70 20 ahead and
write an interview, and | would stand
| far it was very much gratified the
tneyt morning 10 pick up the pap \
AMI fial an Interview csnpving b
quarter ff a e9lums mi vii e1 was
Tar superior t. anything ] could svs
xritren'
This is the soundest Of sound sense
ind ought 10 be more generally csnsia
erred by those whose positions bring
them into contact with news gatherers
As has been well said by a promin
tent eastern journalist;
Every enc who sees muel OF ne as
oaper men Oh The active skirnish iin2
Iaf the paofes On knows II to ba trp /:
FIT that there are no men who Ike -
eoatiiences "a well; second, thai there
ire none whose advice is SO likely to
be wise as to what should be prinied
and whaI should be left on, and. third,
!
mat any good new spaper man can be
rit tea I'd remember tina III the lone
run the interests Of his paper and his
Town professional interest," depend iasi
as much upon his discretion as npo1
| his energy, on what he leaves out as
n wRat he pni5 in.R
| When the public reaches the dsgre'
Ipt ssltelligence that enables II tl ar
preeiate these truths there VIII be less
tault finding with newspapers. AM
lass reason fer unfair criticism