University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1909-04-21
VALUE OF A SEPARATE
SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM
Courses Should Be Specialized for Newspaper
Man Specialist Says Joseph Pulitzer
About Class Distinctions.

| lousy small income. lie sees 'ho"'
of vulgar people, much more prosperous
than himself. living in much greater-fiN'
urv. vet he would not change his life and
his social circle for theirs. Ma! we
not hope that similar education VIII
| in the future create similar corps
| feeling among journalists - the same
pride in the profession, the same dc
termination to do nothing ''unbecomlnS
an officer and a gentleman:' Why not
| The journalist has position that Is
all his own. He alone has the privl-
lrge of moulding the opinion. touching
the hearts and appealing to the reason
of hundreds of thousands every day.
| Here is the most fascinating of all pro-
fcS>ionS The soldier may wait fort!
Years for his opportunity. Most law
yer>. most physicians, most clcrgymen
die in obscurity. but every single day
opens new doors for the journalist who
holds the confidence of the community
and has the capacity to address 1t.
But aS yet the journalist works
alone. If he is Il college graduate he
GOES to his college club as a graduate.
not a> Il journalist. He never speaks
of another journalist As my colleague,
As the lawyer or the physician does OF
his professional brother. He hardly ev-
cr meets other journalists socially. in
any numbers. But il the future edi-
tors of the city We're in large proper
ton graduates of the same college and
had IL recognized professional meeting
place in which they could come togeth
er informally and discuss matters OF
common interest. would they not even
tual'y develop Il professional pride that
would enable them TO work i'm concert
for the public good and that would put
any black sheep of the profession in
Il very comfortable position? Such Il
spirit would ba the surest guaranty
against the control of the press by
powerful! financial interests-not an
imaginary danger by any means.
Ii such L class spirit existed. no edi-
tor who had degraded himself by be-
comm" the hirciing of any Wall street
kin" or rim" would dare to face hi,
colleagues. He would be too conscious
of having been false to his better ma
trre. and equally false to the traditions
OF his college and of his profession
1t would be impossible then for any
Huntington or Gould OF the next gen
eraiion to buy up new>papers-a thin"
easily feasible where hundreds of mill
>tron" fcelin" of class pride and prin-
ciplc to prevent it. The knowledge
that reputable journalist would refuse
to edit any paper that represented pri-
vatc interest against the public good
would he enough Of itself to discourage
such an enterprise. Such Il refusal
would be as severe a blow to public
confidence in the newspaper as the re-
lection of Il brief by a high minded law
Yer is to the standing of case in
court.
No. there is nothin" to fear i'm class
distinctions founded on moral and men-
tai superiority education and
knowledge. We need more such classes.
IN the presence of the prevailing mania
fore mere money making. The million
of teachers form Il class of this kind.
with small pay. but with the conscious
Ness OF pursuing noble profession.
such distinctions are especially nrccs-
>ary III republic which has discarded
"'"ry'hin" in tn" way of rank and IL
tie and left personal merit the only
'mn. that can dispute the worship OF
wealth.