The Bossier banner., 1908-08-13


iticians and variegated stage people. Some
of the country papers print great deal OF
this stuff. They should not do it.
Country papers should print only that
which is of interest to the community, !
That is, something entertaining, instruc-
tive. or beneficial That is the business of
newspaper, and in printing this it gives
the news. 1t should print reports OF the
most interesting and important occurrences
of the day, in the village, parish, State,
United States, and the world. OF course,
these must be condensed. More space
should be given to these, and all reports OF
prize-fights, society scandals, show people,
political twaddle and village small talk,
should be omitted, even the pink teas.
The people, that is the thinking people,
desire to know what the people in the next
parish, or State, or the outside world, are
doing and what they are thinking about.
This is useful, and it is news. The news
paper is the medium through which this is
communicated. And it should be done as
briefly as possible, and in the clearest style
The editor is entertaining his reader as well
as giving him news. He should not print
everything that comes into his office, as
one sweeps trash into the gutter. He
should draw the line on those high explo-
sives brought in by ''friends,' even
though the refusal lose a subscriber. By
omitng such rubbish he will gain scores
where he loses one. Too much space is
given to politicians-small, and presuma-
bly great Politics is trade; statesman.
ship is science. The one is made by the
newspaper: the statesman makes his own
reputation, and does not importune the
newspaper for "puffs.' Instead of max
ing small men great by puffery, we should
leave them alone in their obscurity.
Coming back to the main issue-the
country newspaper: There is a wide Diff
| ference between news and rumors.
reputable newspaper will not print a rumor,
if it tends to the injury of a person or his
property. The old-fashioned London
Times invariably waited until next day,
and if the rumor was verified, it printed
the news. Since it became yellow, it re-
versed this custom, and recently paid
heavy damages in libel suit.
In the good old days of the South, when
we were much younger, our papers did not
print rumors, especially of personal ma
ture. Though founded on fact, they were
omitted. 1t was beneath the dignity of the
editor. 1t was not journalism, and the
people did not want it. There is no ex
cuse for printing rumor.
There are many things of human interest
that should be printed in the papers instead
of gossip and scandal, which only interest
the morbid whose taste should not be con-
sidered by the publisher. Therefore, the
editor should have keen judgment, and
seek to give his readers what is best for
them, and not what some of them want
He should print only the best, and. those
who want the other kind of stuff will have
to do without it. They did so in the early
days of journalism, and the papers of those
days led public opinion-they did not fol-
low. The papers were better written, more
independent, and had more influence, than
those of to-day, and their readers were
better informed on public events, consid-
ering the opportunities. The editorial in
the mammoth yellows of the city carries
little weight, though it be printed in poster
type one foot in height. Journalism has
made great progress during the last quarter
of a century in the gathering of news,
circulation, etc., but its influence on the
people is less.
Another "feature" which should be
omitted from the newspaper is the over
drawn reports of executions, morbid de-
scriptions of criminals, in which they are
made to appear as ''heroes;'' prurient
details of divorce cases and disgusting
details of scandals, especially those of the
'swell'' society of New York, Pittsburg
and other cities. The only difference be-
tween these and those of the underworld,
is that the "Four Hundred'' are rich. and
the others are not But the details of the
doings of both are equally disgusting.
The personal column, or department., of
a newspaper should be limited and the
mention of men and women should be a
matter more of news than idle gossip.
Discretion should be exercised. From the
mere mention Of the movements of busi-
ness men, the society column evolved, and
! finally, it has developed into one or more