Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-12-14
Treatment of News the Thing

Treatment of News the Thlng
with the facilities afforded by the
telephone. a fairly well organized re-
portorial force for the collection OF
local news and the advantages offered
by the Associated Press to those pa
pers that have the greatest or az
neWsgathering services i'll the world
for the collection and treatment of in
telligence transmitted by telegraph, 1t
Is pretty safe to say that the great
difference between the news as 1t APP
pears in various papers is in the man.
ner in which 1t is handled and pre-
scented, and not Ia the essential fea-
lures of incidents.
Some newspapers, owing to the Ia
cilitles afforded them by a large repor-
torial force and special correspondents,
and the number of pages devoted 10
news items, are enabled to present the
intelligence which they afford their
readers in a more extended FORM "A
careful investigation, however, py
readers of newspapers having, for IN
stance. the Associated Press franchise,
will show that the special telegraph
service of papers making that a fea-
tlIre is in almost every instance an
modification of news items given in
shorter and more succinct form by the
Associated Press. This, then. brings
the average reader to the consideration
of a matter which has been very mucn
mooted and discussed between the
makers of modern newspapers for some
years, toWit:
"Whether the newspaper which
serves it's news to it's readers in a sue
cinct form. according to it only such
n number of words as is necessary TO
set forth the item fully and plainly,
or a newspaper devoting more space
and consequently more words to tell
ing the same stories, is the most to be
desired.
Revolt Against Mere Size
"There has for some time been a
disposition on the part of the news
paper-reading public to rebel against
the big newspaper and TO favor tle
journal which, on account OF the sue
cinct and short manner in which Ii
presents its news items, requires less
of its readers time to put him in touch
with the events that are TRANSPORTING III
his own community and in the world
ut large.
In this age of strenuous occupation,
when the hours are usually TOO snort
to permit the busy man to attend 10
his days duties, there would appear 10
he a good deal to be said in favor or
the newspaper which, while affording
all the news, levies the smallest tax
on the time of It's readers.
Assuming, however. the news serY-
ice of all newspapers to be practically
equal, the most important question TO
be considered in relation to news
paper is it's moral character, ana
there can be no question that the in
huence which daily appeals to the m
tellect of the large majority OF the
people of every civilized community is
of tremendous moral significance ana
power It is to be feared that the re-
sponsibility which this influence i'm
poses upon the creators of newspapers
is not always fully recognized Or II
recognized, is not lived up TO.
1.-The developments of modern Jour-
nalism have produced type of cheap
sensational paper whose creators, rec
oenizing the fact that sensationallsm
is attractive to a large number OF
minds, depend for the popularity OF
their journals OH such news Items.
This striving for the sensational not
only frequently induces the makers or
newspapers to deal carelessly with the
truth. and in fact to depart. delfber-
ately and knowingly, very widely from
it in the matter with which they NIL
their pages, but also induces them TO
deal with matters whose moral 1ntiu-
ence and appeal are of the worst posi-
bile character. There can be no doubt
that much harm has been done, and
is daily being done, IN the world by inc
class of newspaper which subordinates
everything to the acquiring of GER
tain popularity with a certain class
of readers who are attracted by the
sensational and sallacious. These news
papers are necessarily sowing the seed
of much evil, for every day they bring
the minds of their readers in contact
with things which leave more or less
lasting moral stain behind them.
Evil Influence on Politics
ssrA d. +l,fs ,IosS of io1IrpaI a19O