The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-10
WOULD SOCLALLZE PRESS
IN BEHALF OF CHARITY
Novel Idea Suggested as Part Of General Conference
Sc}eme-in Address Before Publicity Section, Mr.
Shaw EXPLAINS Attitude Of Newspapers

Shaw Explains Att
In discussing the broad question or
cooperation between newspapers and
charitable organizations for tho gem
ernl welfare of the communities of
which they are part, speakers at
| the press and publicity section OF the
4 national conference contended yester-
day that reporters must either be sub
sidized or the press as a whole So
cialized. making 1t to a very great ex-
tent tile organ of social and charitable
societies Though most of the dis
discussion was print shop talk. and
| failed. with one exception. to grasp
Ethe newspaper end--n situation which
made 1t more or less theoretical from
the latter point of vi>w-it opened the
WAY for better understanding.
People I,end News Columns.
l Mr.. Edgar D. Shaw, manager OF the
| Washington Times. read paper OH
! publicity in Charitable Work from the
]. Newspaper Point of View 1t was
clear. practical and instructive. Hav-
ling the interest OF all at heart Mr.
IShaw dealt with the subject from this
common, or halfway ground.
Ono of his Illustrations showed that
1.-THE news columns and not the editorial
| page attract the largest number oil
readers. ~ Washington paper little
while ago" he said. printed an edi-
toria emphasizing the Immediate need
for money, lest the work OF the Assoc
ciated Charities be crippled. and urg-
ling earnestly the readers of that paper
to contribute. The response was two
| $40 checks, ono OF which came from
the writer OF the editorial. Another
paper in the city at another time print
ed in its news columns q story OF
woman who was lighting for the liveli-
| hood of her children, weak, underfed,
but accomplishing. weighted down by
n drunken husband who took from the
very hands of the children the money
that might buy them food. The story
made It's characters live to the readers
Though no contribution was directly
| asked. though no name or address OF
the fnmilSA was given. the response to
the Associated Charities in their be-
| half within twenty-four hours totaied
| s124, with n variety of gifts and sup
| plies"
The news story was read. Later 1T
was dissected Mr.. Shaw agreed that
Il could have been toned down and
] toned UP, for even some of the mem
lbers not familiar with newspaper work
had to admit that 1t was sloppy IL
served its purpose, however, FAR more
substantially than the finer writing IN
! the editorial column, which brought IN
$40 as against s124.
Moved by the Spectacular.
Mr.. Shaw argued that the Associated
Charities work in the various cities
should not have to be performed by
a few willing persons. while the great
responsibility. Discussing printed APP
| peals for aid he cited the disaster in
San Francisco, which was spectacular,
ard which caught the popular and SEN
sational fancy.
Did not your city raise more for
the sufferers than 1t gave for local re-
/ lief that year?" he asked. mine did"
Continuing. No described campaign
led by Chairman II. Writ Steele IN
Baltimore for tho relief of tuberculosis
victims Public interest was aroused
\ to such pitch that the returns were
/ bountiful -le believed the workers
4 had material for effective publicity.
/ "The editor" he continued. would
| be strange indeed who did not well
! come. because or his own selfish In
| terests. such human stories as the As
| ISOLATED Charities can give him, and
/ that community would be strange in
] deed which, reading cases so pre-
scented, with the men and women liz
! ing for them did not respond with per-
4 sonal and material help.
mo less a task than that of bring
4 ing cheer and courage and practical
4 help to the needy is that of so build
| ing public opinion that test of good
1 citizenship shall be an active and ear
nest interest in the welfare OF ones
less strong and less fortunate fellows"
Ruined by the Headlines.
publicity From the Point of View
of the Social Worker" was the subject
/ of an address by Mr.. Charles +. Weller,
i executive secretary of the Presidents
Homes Commission. of Washington, D,
fEC. He cited a number of instances
/ where the public demand for human in
.lterest stories had interfered with the
Il working plan of the organization. and
4 contended that the officers should con-
II fer with newspaper editors with a
Il view to striving for the common well
i fare. Mr.. Weller leaned somewhat 10
1.-THE idea that news should be printed
from the society's viewpoint. saying
that some of the most effective appeals
4 had been written by Subsidized" re-
! porters--young men who charged space
i rates. He told of an article which was
/ prepared by Il Washington paper, and
\ which described n days work with the
4 secretary. It's real effectiveness, lie de-
4 clared, was ruined when 1t was printed
under the glazing headline, "a Day in
the Sums"
4 Socinlize the Press.
Secretary A. w. McDougall, OF the
q Newark, N. j., Bureau of Associated
4 Charities, took the position that news
4 papers sh ould be socialiZed; that they