The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-12-11
PRINIINa &c MING

paper, no matter how honestly, no
diligently and how efficiently he I
bOrs for its success. receives mol
criticism than praise. Little remaT
IS made upon those features of th
paper that are appreciated. but wheI
some one or some interest is ohende
I 10 time is lost in letting the editor @
responsible head of the paper hav
knowledge Of the fact
( The public frequently criticises th
< newspaper because it does not publis
! certain items OF current interest, blu
i more frequently criticism is levelle'
at it because it does publish certain
4 occurrences the nature of which ar,
I such that they cannot with prophet.
be discussed among the polite society
of its readers. The Herald has fell
the force of this criticism. II has
been taken to task because it has pub
lished divorce court proceedings and
the salacious details of other human
interest" stories. Within the recent
past it has been asked, Is such matter
fit for the columns of a clean home
daily that stands for the best moral
and religious interests of the COM
munity?
1t is a difficult matter to determine
what should be published and what
should be suppressed. In doing so
the managing editor of a paper should
never be moved by personal friend
ships, business interests or desire to
promote or injure the fortunes of any
| individual. There are certain features
of police court news that no decent,
self-respecting journal can afford to
publish, and there are occasions where
the publication of other news would
do much harm and little good, al
though the item itself may be of the |
most moral character 1t would be !
almost impossible to lay down any /
fixed line or rule to govern in all
cases; on the contrary the question of
the publication or the suppression OF
certain items must be determined from
the particular facts and circumstances
surrounding them.
But every newspaper should be care
full about what it suppresses If a
paper errs at all it should be upon the
side of too much publicity. When a
bank cashier defaults there is immedi-
ately a rush of friends and relatives
to the newspaper Office to suppress the ,
facts. The broken-hearted wife, the
mother, the disgraced !
children and the ruined homes are +
pleaded with force and eloquence But
he paper has a duty to the public n
hat it cannot overlook. The people 7
re interested in the defalcation of it's
'ank cashier. Every one knows that
his very fear of publicity, of exposure
nd disgrace has kept men honest,
as held them to the straight and mar
ow path of duty. 1t Is the same way =
18th matters involving the sanctity of ="
he home and the marriage vows. If
ivorces could be obtained, homes :
ould be wrecked and the happiness "
its inmates destroyed without the A,
,tendant scandal that comes from
lblicity there would be more of such .,
cidents and God knows there are
lough already. 7
Judges recognize the value of pub
city as a scandal and crime deterrent.
Iscussing this question recently
Idge Aspinwall, of New York, in de-
ing motion to seal the papers in
salacious divorce case said: ~
"Why should the Court protect this
"You say that he has Fl
good woman astray, despite the ,
ct that he has wife and three
ildren in Missouri and that he is
II preaching out there. l see no
ason why the Court should protect
clergyman If he is guilty party.
40 uoh bCuudH ID guilty. anu
pc that he will get all the disgrace
publicity that the press can
cad. He ought to get publicity,
get 1t hot. / think the records In -! :.
n cases ought to be open to the - -
'ers; especially should it be given 49, -
this case 1t is a very good thing SIr:
t we have newspapers In which
h scandals as this can be exposed. He
newspapers are sometimes better
n the courts in exposing crimes.
regard the press as your great <
moral force in the community. oo
r Of disgrace through publicity is n
strongest deterrent operating upon Ho.
'e who would commit crime" Ro,
heriff Conner Ia tn he commanded T.