The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-04-25
Newspaper Responsibilities"
Lancaster News.

hoaSdptOk ANCWos
Like the. Anderson Daily Mail, we have
peen ioroibly Impressed with an editorial in
The S~partanburg Journal on the subject OF
newspaper responsibility" and following
the example OF our Anderson contemporary,
we reproduce the acticle In fuli.-The Jour
nsl says:
1.-THE local newspaper is the. window
through which humanity views The commu-
nifty. The out slider has no other means Of
forming an estimate and the home consumer,
constantly reading the stories Of the. town,
uncop sciOusly takes bis Views OF the sur
loundings largely from what he reads about
uis neighbors DAY alter day.
Tine honest newspaper Ii obliged to print
oil the Dews that Ii Legitimate, bnt In The
prominence given an Item, and In The recital
of details, there 10 a way vi making the sheet
Wholesome and hopeful or yellow and BE.
we're.
However virtuous a com munity may be.
however alive TO The great interests OF pro-
sress and ueVeIope ment along right lines, all
nave q seamy siue. 10 exploit ~wrongdolnRs
al great sensations, Ii the mist impulse OF the
neOphyte. He has imbiDed the IDEA that be-
cause mere is in every community u CLASH
who delights TO dtlve In The slime anu Impu-
rifles vi lhe police court, that these hould be
catered u, and the hot stories With the
rh. paper that desires such matter can sl-
ways hnd IL. The reporter who looks for
crooks can dnd them and the paper that
callers 10 se sensations need never be wanting In
'uSWb.' bQL u BlN6b GQ6 U6eL 6lGm6Qt OF tQb
community az Instinct q shock as II Is salts.
flying 10 the other classes, and tho general
pubilc upconsciously takes up the idea that
such q hot-bed OF crime and crookeoness as
the picture thus painted, IL by no meaus a
healthy community.
1T is undoubtedly the desire OF all news.
papers 10 help the community from which
| they draw support lust III IL Is TO please the
TO suppose that o daily recital OF misdeeds az
the most conspicuous part OF q newspapers
makeup, Is wholesome, beneficial or appre.
ciated.
another matter In which there Is grave
responsibility resting on the newspaper Is
ID giving publicity 10 business or public mat.
ters premalurely or partially. II is best
happens that In the mad rush 10 ma :'some-
thing new under the sun" the reporter pets
an linking OF an Item and Instead oi awaiting
developments, be plunges in and either
puts Inc matter IN q false light, creates q
wrong impression, or else upsels some plan.
"Of course, newspapers are run In accord
ance with the views Uf those in charge, and
those are generally very fully Impressed
with The belief that they know how ~ ought
TO be done. There is no hope that these re-
marks will have practical effect in any
quarter, but more's The pity.
when people are given proper intellectual
food properly served, they thrive, but there
is such a thing as mental dyspepsia or dis
temper.
"lI Is not we'll to look too long on the
seamy SIDE. Every community has its good
points-men and women who believe hat
this is q good ~world-grand woodworking
forward along correct lines, despite the occa-
slonal Jolts in the way. There are flowers as
well as thorns, and 1t ia just as we'll TO give
The flowers q proper setting in the vase 80 as
to Keep the thorns from overshadowing
prominence"
the News then adds:
The editor OF the Journal no doubt had
chiefly in mind the daily press when he
penned the foregoing, but bis entertaining
remalk KS are applicable In the main equally
as we'll TO the country newspaper. 1t is moi
often, however, that a paper published out.
side OF a city of considerable proportions, and
With q population largely cosmopolitan, is
found bearing the earmarks OF. syelIow
journalism" The country editor usually
avoids anything like breezy sensationalism.
But, unfortunately, too many OF US are pessi.
mists. We should look more for the bright
side o. things. A newspaper should be made
10 carry sunshine INTO every home within
the sphere Of It's influence. never leaving lis
reader with 8 dark brown taste' IN his
mouth. AS the Journal POLITICALLY remarks
while there are both flowers and thorns In
this world, ut Is just as we'll to give the
flowers a proper setting in the vase so as To
Keep The thorns from oyershadowing promi'
nence."