University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1909-02-23
Reporter of Today Should Be
Well-Educated Young
Man or Woman.

/ II
time newspaperman cherished ex-
tremely slight feelings of regard
for what was somewhat eontemptuously
termed the schOOl-taught journalist.
And for this there was some reason,
with perhaps some excuse. 1t was an
infraction of established rules, and
thirty or forty years ago the newspa-
perman was as much welded to his
idols as to-day he is anxious to get
away from them. Greeley, Raymond.
WattersOn, Halstead-all the giants OF
the Journalistic day had learned the
business in the shop, and it needed no
young man come from the college class
room to fall in more easily and natur-
ally with the duties that belonged to
the active work of the newspaper Of
flee. There was further reason or
excuse. The early schools of journal
ism were hardly even chairs of jour-
nalism. The course was almost wholly
theoretical. the advantages of practi-
cal training and experience We're almost
entirely lacking, and the schools and
colleges themselves treated the depart
ment as little plaything to humor
the whim of few students. No Won
der then that the employing editors
listened impatiently to the professions
of the school-taught journalist and en-
gagged him with the hope that what
he had learned might be unlearned, and
that a fresh start might direct his en-
ergies into useful channel.
| If much of this Old-time animosity
has vanished, if much of the former
prejudice has been removed, it is be-
cause the schools of journalism have
shown that they are capable of earnest
and useful preparatory work. The
early slipshod methods have been aban-
doned, the Indifference to honest and
capable journalistic training has been
removed. and colleges and universities
have come to recognize the fact that
jOurnalism-we call it newspapering-
if it is to be treated at all is to be
treated seriously. The result has been
that-as is notably shown here in Mis-
Souri-the young would-be newspaper
man is supplied with all the routine
and appliances of the newspaper work;
he is taught how to write from the
newspaper standpoint, how to cOndense
ard how to expand; he becomes IA
miliar-though in limited way per-
haps-with the ordinary details of a
newspaper office, and he has acquired
certain confidence and sureness of self
which in the earlier instances deserv-
edly passed for presumption.
The Reporter Thirty Years Ago.
Look back with me, if you please,
to the reporter as l saw him-alas,
too often-thirty and less than thirty
years ago. One might have asked. why
did he 90 into the newspaper business!
Perhaps he sought the distinguishing
honor of wearing soft hat and car
rying a cane. Perhaps he had a yearn-
ing for the feshpOts of the old-time
business. the favors of those who wish
ed to see their names in print. railway
passes, free admission to theaters and
shows of all kinds and the hundred lit
tie attentions. including meals. which
came the way of 'ye local" But let
us more charitably assume that he
sought the press as the means of graf
flying that troublesome and sOrrowful
disease. the cacOethes scribendi: that he
had won some distinction as a writer
of prose or verse in his schooldays or
college years, and that he honestly be-
lieved he would carry into the highest
journals in the land grade of talent.
genius perhaps, that would make them
famous and himself illustrious Let us
not say that many of these young men
did not succeed in part. and yet how
many of them have l heard exclaim bit
terly after years of varied experience.
why did I do it ?"
In the colleges of journalism. as ]
understand the present conditions, we
find young men and young women who
are sufficiently warned in advance, and
who know exactly what they are do
ing and what they wish to do. Very
much of the claptrap glamour that sur
rounded the journalism of a generation
ago is gone. Railway passes have been
taken away, the theaters no longer rec
ognize the claims of the general re-
porter. Save in very small towns the
cOurtesies of free meals have been with
drawn. and for the sufficing reason that
the privilege of free write-up is no
longer vested in the representative OF
the city room. In short the reporter of
to-day is. or should be. a well behaved
well educated young business man or
woman. engaged for a specific work at
specific salary. and with such per-
quisites only as he may gain from out
side writing in strictly legitimate
way.
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