The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-01-11
PRESS OF the FUTURE
Innovations Predicted by Sir AL
fred HarmSwOrth.
HIGHLY SPECIALIZED JOURNALS

1T is very probable that the daily
press Of the future will be highly spe-
cialized, so much SO that we may antic-
ipate one daily devoted entirely to pol
itics, another to sport, another to re-
ligious matters, another entirely devot-
ed to literature, and so on" said Sir
Alfred Harmsworth in the course of an
interview recently granted to the New
York Worlds staff correspondent in
London. 'Then the man who reads
will be able to take any 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 an 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 great deal
Of money. In time to come this will
give place to specialization in the direc-
tons which have mentioned.
81 do not see any objection to daily
newspapers, like the Times here, run
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 Harms
worth, the multimillionaire of English
Journalism, contributed an article to
the World on 'How to Achieve Bust
ness Success" He then owned thirty
three publications., Since then they have
nearly doubled in number. During these
twelve months also the English public
has been rather startled to find that in
addition to starting many fresh pub
LEGATIONS of the popular kind with
which his name is associated he has
turned his attention to old established
papers, some of them possessing 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 Harmsworth
has been completing arrangements for
duplicating his London enterprises in
New York. On being asked by the cor
respondent if these statements were
true, Sir Alfred Harmsworth replied:
''They are absolutely untrue / have
not the slightest intention of building
up any establishment in the States. /
have arranged for the publication of
the Self Educator there because spon-
taneous demand arose for it. That is
all. If were foolish enough to think
Of catering to the American public I
should have just as much chance as an
American would have in catering to the
English public if he came to London.
''Nor have any intention Of develop
ing 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 a great difference in the re-
Quirements of the British and Ameri-
can public, and the Journalistic supply
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 practically no equiva-
lent in the States. Consequently the
Sunday editions of the big American
dailies supply this want by delivering
q composite publication, including hui
morous pictures, made up in sections.
with regard to Illustrations, my ex-
perience of the daily newspaper is that
1t should either be fully illustrated or
not illustrated at ALL Consequently the
Daily Mail is reducing it's illustrations
to the vanishing point, while we are
increasing their number in the Daily
Mirror. The public demand is that
the newspaper shall be one thing or the
other. The same thing applies in the
States. That there is a large public
growing up which prefers solid reading
matter to a combination of letterpress
and illustrations is shown by the grow
ing number of 'all reading magazines
now being produced on both sides of
the Atlantic"
1T is suggested that the extent and
variety of your business, it's all en-
bracing character, are bringing your OPP
erations more or less into line with the
American trusts"
'"There seems to me to be no reason
for that suggestion. The distinctive
feature of trusts which is so much dis
liked is the squeezing out by any sort
Of means of all other competitors and
30 obtaining a monopoly. Nothing Of
the kind takes place with my business.
In fact, our own success in various di-
rections has enabled others to obtain
success on similar lines. There can
not be anything to deplore in the
growth and expansion Of a business
which succeeds on the basis Of fair
competition.
II confess, however, that it is one Of
my ambitions, which commend to my
energetic friends In the States, to
make my business self sufIlcing and to
manufacture for myself everything
that require; hence my purchase Of
land In Newfoundland In order that l
may be able to make my own paper.