The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-01-25
Sir Alfred Harmsworth
on Future Newspapers
de Predicts Specialized Journals, One
Devoted to Sport, 0ne TO Religion,
0ae to Politics and lllustrat.
ed More or Less.

press of the future will be highly
specialized, so much so that we may
anticipate one daily devoted entirely
to politics, another to sport, another to
religious matters, another entirely de-
voted to literature, and so on" said Sir
Alfred Harmsworth, in the course OF
an interview granted to the Worlds
staff correspondent in London. ''Then
the man who reads will be able to take
any one or all Of them. as he pleases.
Of course, we already have daily
papers entirely devoted to sport, and it
will be found that there is equally good
public for papers devoted exclusively
to some one other subject. In London,
for instance, there are several daily
papers trying to cover the whole
ground, very much like one another in
their supply of news. and not few Of
them losing q great deal Of money. In
time to come this will give place to
specialization in the directions which
I have mentioned. ....
81. do not see any objection to daily
newspapers, like the Times here, rum
ming large lending libraries. Perhaps
in. the distant future the newspaper
will supply the public not only with
news, but with everything else that
it wants."
Twelve months ago Sir Alfred
Harmsworth, the multi-millionaire Of
English journalism, contributed an ar
ticle in the World on "How to Achieve
Business Success" He then owned
thirty-three publications. Since then
they have nearly doubled in number.
During this twelve months also the
English public has been rather startled
to find that in addition to starting
many fresh publications Of the popular
kind with which his name is associated.
he has turned his attention to old
established papers. some Of them pos
sessing more prestige than. circulation.
Latterly it has been rumored-and
some definite statements have been
made to that effect in New York and
in London-that Sir Alfred Harms
worth has been completing arrange
ments for duplicating his London en-
terprises in New York. On being asked
by the World correspondent if these
statements were true, Sir Alfred
Harmsworth replied: H.. 49, :
'They are absolutely untrue. I have
not the slightest intention Of building
up any establishment in the States.
I have arranged for the publication Of
the Self-Educator' there because
spontaneous demand arose for it. That
is all. If I were foolish enough to
think Of catering to the American
public should have just as much
chance as an American would have in
catering to the English public if he
came over to London. I shall be glad
if you will give the statement that I
intend to try my hand in the American
periodical market the most absolute
contradiction. >'. :
"Nor have I any intention Of devel-
oping Sunday newspaper on the lines
Of the Sunday editions of the big New
York dailies. There never will be any
demand for such a paper in London.
There is great difference in the re-
quirements of the British and Amer
fcan public. and the journalistic sup
ply runs on different lines altogether.
The British public is accustomed to
getting all it wants in the way OF
stories and illustrations in our weekly
periodicals., for which there is prac-
tically no equivalent in the States.
Consequently the Sunday editions Of
the big American dailies supply this
want by delivering a composite pub
licstion, including humorous pictures,
made up in sections.
with regard to illustrations, my
experience of the daily newspaper is
that it should either be fully illus
trated or not illustrated at all. Conse-
quently the Daily Mail is reducing its
illustrations to the vanishing point,
while we are increasing their number
in the Daily Mirror. The public de-
mand is that the newspaper shall be
one thing or the other. The same thing
applies in the States. That there is
large public growing up which prefers
solid reading matter to combination
of letter-press and illustrations is
shown by the growing number Of ALI
reading magazines now being produced
on both sides Of the Atlantic"
ut is suggested that the extent and
variety of your business, its ALIEN
bracing character, is bringing your op-
erations more or less into line with the
American trusts"
'There seems to me to be no reason
for that suggestion. The distinctive
features of trusts which is so much
disliked is the squeezing out by any
sort Of means of all other competitors,
and so obtaining a monopoly. Nothing
of the kind takes place with my busi-
ness. In fact, our own success in
various directions has enabled others
to obtain success on similar lines.
There cannot be anything to deplore in
the growth and expansion Of business
which succeeds on the basis of fair
competition.