The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-02
''TAINTED NEWS

| We notice IN the current Collier
| Weekly an extensive expose or lalnt-
ed news service Of various kinds.
1t is the second OF the articles In this
line that Collier has csrried; aud un-
doubtedly tho Weekly is DOING excel
lent service to the public IN publishing
these exposes. a good many newspa-
pers throughout the country being Of
fered alleged news services OF various
kinds either free or at nominal cost,
might perhaps "bite" at the offer and
unwittingly accept articles that, II they
thoroughly understood, they would be
the first to reject
A great many of the sources from
which this "tainted news" comes have
been exposed in these two articles In
Golfers. There is no question what
ever about the extensive ramifcations
Of these alleged news services. They
arc in the interest OF various large con-
Germs and combinations, and they al
most invariably carry articles that are
prejudiced, some mildly and some rab"
idly, either for or against certain III
terests. A very extensive campaign has
been carried on by means of these
agencies against municipal ownership
OF public utilities, and especially
against public regulation Of railway
freight charges and public regulation of
transportation. Sometimes these arti-
cles are in the interest Of certain rail
way, iron, or mining stocks. Sometimes
they arc on general questions which
would lead the reader, impcrceptibly,
perhaps, on towards the conclusion that
without such leading would not be ac"
ceptable TO him before that leading.
The lures and the wiles of those who
wish to use the public press for the de-
ception of the public i'll this matter
are many, arc extremely subtle, and
generally are "child.like and bland.'
AS matter Of fact, however, it is a
good rule for a newspaper TO decline to
accept free matter. There Is no reason
why there should be my free agency
devoted TO the unbiased and impartial
presentation of news or the discussion
Of any important public question. Real
ly, there are no such free agencies.
When such articles or news are offered
free, then IL becomes the editor to be.
ware. The costliest service is often
that for which the least money is paid;
costly IN reputation, in inducing the
newspaper to take false position, III
committing it to views or tendencies
u-hirl Po1l1N InoS nnf OF 20
all. The Tribune makes it a rule TO
reject all such offers. They are thrown
IN the waste basket, often, without any
Hack acknowledgement of the receipt Of the
matter; the bias being SO evident and
apparent that there is no reason for
anything but contcmptuous rejection.
In other cases where there does not
appear TO &C any particular bias, Chat
undoubtedly meant to appear later in
! the correspondence IN case succession
Of letters is accepted,) it is all the
more dangerous to begin the service.
In tho article referred to in Collier s
"a large number Of sources from which
this F'tainted ncws'' comes are named.
it gives us pleasure TO be able to say
that while we have received articles
from nearly all of them. The Tribune
has never used any of them at all. Not
one There is no point in using free
stuff of this kind. 1t is a perfectly
self'evident proposition that no one
could afford 20 have articles written,
carefully prepared, often with illustra.
tions, and offer thom TO newspapers free
of cost. unless there was TO be some
ultimate return. 1t is perfectly safe 10
assume in every case that such ultimate