The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-07
AMERICA AND THE
RIGHT OF PRIVACY
"Everybody's Right to Any
body's Privacy and the Evil
REMEDY is WITH PUBLIC
Editor of Every Paper Should be Held
Personally Responsible for Its
Tone and Code of Con-
duct Of Staff.
REMEDY is WITH PUBLIC
From the Century Magazine.

From the Century Magazine.
There can be no doubt that in Amer
lea the right of privacy is becoming
more and more strongly intrenched; the
form 1t takes, however, is everybody's
right to anybodys privacy. The "ye1-
low press" and It's competitors In
paler tints of Journalism. have so per-
sistently enforced the doctrine of the
property of the public in the affairs of
the individual eisst often even In decent
society one who declines to yield to
their demands Is put upon the defen-
sive. Recently. lady-the wife OF
certain explorer-who. with rare in
stinct and discretion, had declined to
allow the details OF her domestic life
and her personal emotions to be ex-
posed to the curious in order to make
newspaper copy" was for that rea-
son proclaimed to be lin hiding"
whereas her reticence should be held
up as a model of wonanly and wifsly
good taste of which the country may
be proud. The arts Of this modern In
QUESTION have reached q perfection Of
technic. playing upon every weakness
of human nature and ranging in their
methods from deception to downright
nothing is hidden that shall not be
revealed.
The hypocrisy Of the claim that those
who let loose the resulting flood of
triviality, gossip and scandal are en-
gagged in q
priestlfke task
OF pure ablution round earth's human
sho res,-
that in order to safeguard society
everything spoken in the closet must
be proclaimed upon the housetop-is
perhaps the meanest aspect of the
whole vulgar and sordid business. One
effect of this growing system is that
decent reporters who are under the
tutelage of decent editors are con-
founded with the others, and thus the
whole press suffers in public estima-
ton. Indeed, under the whip and spur
of competition for news which is put
upon them, the young and impression
able men and women engaged In this
phase of newspaper work are con-
stantly In danger of being drawn into
maelstrom Of wrongdoing. There are
editors of newspapers in America who
consider themselves in good and regu-
lar standing in society who virtually
are maintaining a school of bringand-
age to prey upon the rights and the
happiness of their fellow men.
We are not pretending to say anything
new. This Is but the common talk of
street. club and home circle. and yet the
situation seems to be growing worse. The
yellow journalist is becoming more auda-
cious. Every hotel keeper knows the sim
lister resources of this detective service.
Where interviews cannot otherwise be
had, they are sometimes obtained by ex-
tortion, under the threat of inventing
something ten times worse Character Is
DETAINED by open lies or covert insinua-
ton. Defenseless women are harassed
and logged by newspapers that proclaim
the chivalry of the American. A favorite
device-often more OF stupidity than Of
malice-is to present out of serious lee
ture or speech some picturesque, humor-
GUS or piquant passage, so as to give a
wrong color or aspect and make a part
appear greater than the whole. AS In
the case Of Prof. George Fl. Palmer, an
innocent or playful remark becomes, In
the hands of ''the awkward squad" an
instrument Of Misrepresentation, and the
record once made, the decent press, with
out intention. completes the injury
through the credulity of tho public.
Now. is there remedy for this state
of affairs? So far as 1t affects intelligent
and respectable people. who make public
opinion, we think there Is.
flfbL, luS oQltOE OF every newspaper
ought to be held personally responsible
for its tone, and for the code of con-
duct Of his staff. If the ethics of his
paper arc wrong. It Is because they are
his ethics. No employer can guarantee
inerrancy IN his workmen. but what is
done in matters of tone and policy II done
because 1t is desired by the editor Hard
~ day passes without gross misstate-
ments of fact which will be denied to-
morrow; in these some one u guilty of
. fraud. and fraud easily traced; but
how frequently does q dismissal follow
upon the preparation of q successful
'fake"?
Secondly incredulous as the public was
yesterday, 1t seems today to be ready /
for any imposition. When It u our own |
affairs that are the subject Of report. we
know how erroneously-not to say cruelty
1.-The work is often done. And yet We are
off guard in reading what Is said Of an
other We forget that tho business of |
some lewder papers Of the baser sort Is
primarily to make trouble. An invented !
interview or q yelled insinuation IL relied
upon to make 1t necessary for the victim |
TO reply. This gives to such papers that |
which is their variety-and their monot- |
ony. II we are to put faith in anony- |
nous attacks then is no one safe. for |
nothing but the worlds belief In . man |
stands between him and the power of |
the evil-disposed to ruin his reputation. |
We must exercise the win not to be- |
neve.
Thirdly. another defense which the pub |
he has against the irresponsible press IL |
to ignore 1t, for the public by its toler- |
ance Is accessory to the injuries It re-
ceives. What Is the use of pretending to |
q code of breeding and conduct. and OF |
holding It up to ones children II one ad-
mits into his house SO insidious foe as |
the yellow journal? 1t is possible to i
explain to the young. and to COMPUTE err |
rors of moral statement, but how can
enc contend against a malenc atmosphere? |
tn lap should do wrong Is not so re-
erettabls as that he should lose his stand
ard of right and wrong.
1t is q pleasure to testify to the hon
cradle character of MANY reporters with
whom one comes in contact-the respect
they pay to the rights and feelings of
those whom they interview and the care
they take to be accurate. The names Of
certain newspapers are guaranty of
fair treatment by their representatives. |
for II IL known that these are under no /
duress to "get the news at any cost"
II, for its peace and safety. the public
should have to organize a league for the |
suppression of abuses in the press, 1t |
would be the editors Of these journals who
a - t.