Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-05-16
METHODS OF CERTAIN INTERESTS
EXPOSED IN COLLIER'S.
The National Weekly Shows How
TAINTED News" Obtains Publicity.
How GratferS Manage News Bur
eauS TO Fool fhc People. Goes
for Big DaiIieS.

The second iustalment OF Golfers ex-
pOsure OF "tainted news" appearing in
the issne OF the 4th. deals with "the sub
sidzed campaign against municipal
ownership 1t is to be followed bv one
on "the 'dollar-a-line' system practiced
by the insurance companies, the Stand
ard Oil company, and other interests. >"
This line OF investigation and exposure
is one OF the most useful that an influ.
ential periodical like Golfers can under.
take, and 1t is to be hoped that it will
not end with exposure OF the surreptitious
work OF news writer's who are bribed bv
on slider, to fool editors. Much the most
dangerous kind OF tainted news il that
which daily newspaper propretors de-
nand, and editors and reporters more or
less reluctantly supply. In the latest
Golfers article we have startling ac.
count of the operations Of graiters who
manage news bureaus and take bribes
from corporations for taintng the arti-
N'N9 ''cH Sctiu W newspapers. SOlne-
times these grafters are paid for their
matter by newspaper dupes; sometimes
they furnish the matter to the papers
Tree. Their work is systematically done,
and Golfers shows it to be viciously de-
ceptive. But it is a small matter in com.
parlson with the tainted news which the
daily press regularly and purposely puts
forth through its local staff.
Most daily papers are controlled by
local financial interests, and the local
news is faIsilied, both for home consump.
ton and for general distribution, by re-
porters and copy readers, to suit the re-
quirements Of the owners or hackers of
the papers. This news is then tee-
grapbed, ii OF general interest, by general
news gatherers who get their informa-
tion from newspapers at their respective
news points. Ia consequence, the rou-
tine news OF the day goes forth to the
world from IT'S place OF origin so distorted
as to establish in the public mind false
notions OF current history. 1t does what
partisan editorials used to do. Few
readers pay attention any more to edi-
torial utterances of the daily press. They
are discounted in advance. Editorial
writers have come to be regarded as men
with no opinions OF their own and no
principles that they feel bound to respect.
Not so with reporters. They are still be.
lieved to be honest collectors OF local
news, and their reports 90 forth bearing
the stamp OF verify. But the reporter is
in truth no longer an honest collector of
news, lie must color and prevaricate,
distort, suppress and falsily, at the peril
OF his job, in order to make the news Of
the day conform 10 the demand OF the
financial interests that control his paper.
Most daily papers nave ceased to be
newspapers, and most of their employees
have ceased to be newspapermen. The
journalistic instinct has given way to the
instinct OF the jackal, and journalistic
courage has flown. Newspapers have
become degraded to the level Of daily
bulletins for cunning financiers, and
newspapermen are their obsequious SER
wants. II Golfers goes on with its ex-
posure OF tainted news to the extent OF
conrageously holding this new Journal
ism mp to public inspection, it will earn
the gratitude eli blinded nation restored
to sight.-The Public, Chicago.