University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1909-04-13


pounding on our doors 50 regularly
and 80 prr>i>tently. that We are forced
to adopt Il positive attitude toward it
And there is Il distinct tendency. | SuS-
prct. among earnest and cultured people
I" regard it a. Il problem-quite like ill.,
temperance or the unemployed or some
other dreadful phenomenon.
Why. people ask. is the mod
crn newspaper inaccurate to
pnt it mildly :" given to romancing
- frivolous. >en>ational 81
needless "f serious things: Why are
rect in details: Why will it exploit
th" story "f lost puppy. and give only
niirf mention to Il lecture on the Cretan
excavations: Why will it print details
"f crimes and ignore the many fine and
r"hIr movements that always are in
progress?
Now. these and similar questions. ~
far a. they concern decent newspapers.
"ToW. ! believe. out of lack oi com
rr"hrn>i"n OF the newspapers problems
and purposes. 50. tonight. | shall mo-,
attempt To answer specific criticisms
hat are likely 1" occur Ia y"u. Instead.
shall try I" interpret Il" you mrthim"
ot tn" aims and ideals of the newspaper
in the hop" Of clcarin" up various mis-
conceptions. And a> y"u are perhaps
accustomed Ia thinking" of the rw~pa
per a. the pmblic'> problem. shall ven
lure 1" turn things around and ask YOU
+" consider the public a. the nrw>pa
prs problem.
In Il ~rn-.. this hollis true of any pr"
I ir~~i"n. The public is Il problem. | sup
pose. /" The lawyer. the doctor. tn"
clergyman. the merchant But l." none
Il" : ii offer the complications that it
p. seats I" the newspaper. The lawyer
.i'a!~ with She public in Il way. IL for
instance when he is addressing" Il Jury
l'ut for Il large part of his work he is
+ VI 81 p''puidi sttt'ih NV
The merchant may regard the public'>
taste a> tcklc and perprNin". But at
least he deals in goods that admit oI
comparatively perfect manufacture. The
newspaper not only has 10 face the
problem "f public taste: it finds in the
public the raw material out of which
ii manufactures its product
News doesn't grow on bushes II isn't
made up into neat cartons b ymachin
cry which can be- depended on +" turn
ont an endless Succession "f perfect
packages. 1t i gathered from the pr"-
Pl" and its quality partakc~ of the i'm
prrfrcliom> Of human nature. Iou the
II ad"r. see the final product al it comes
from the presses. and it LOOKS >urpri>-
in"ly simple. Why" y"u cNclaim.
"anybody could do that" But any
nndy can't. Have You ever attended a
session of Il municipal court and heard
the c"niictin" stories told by witnesses
many of them really tryin" To tell
The truth! Well. that is the problcm
"f the newspaper reporter day after day
in the search for news.
l"u may recall the explosion in the
basement of the First National bank IL
year ago. Reporters hurried there and
talked with all the persons they could
find who had been in the vicinity. They !
discovered: That there wa> il strong
smell of gunpowder: that there was
n" powder smell at all. That it was i'm /
possible for exploding gas I" have had |
only explosive that would produce such |
results. That Il piece of an iron bomb |
had been found: that the only metal |
discovered was bits OF lraI pipe. That |
after the explosion a bare
headed man had been seen L" rush from
the bank and run north: tina: the bare
headed man ran south: that he didn't /
RIM out "f the bank at all: he ran into
it,
Out "f such conllictin" material re-
p"rtrr- constantly must construct CO.
h"rcnt and truthful narratives. -iftin.
evidence. maxim" due allowance for bias.
and always rcckonim" with the personal
equation.
Br"wnin"'> The Ring and the Book
i t" my notion. the best example of the
perennial problem in telling
he story of the day. The whole clab
prat" poem. y"u remember i founded
III simple incident rccnrntrd from
many points nf view. \ youn" Girl.
f"npilia. i compelled to marry man
II middle are whom she does not love.
cunt Guido. \ y"un" priest Capon-
>accin. helps her to escape from her mis-
'ry. She i pursued and mortaIv
wounded by her husband who i tried
ND sentenced I" death. the sentence ;
inally bcin" affirmed by the pope.
First the story j. told hv Half
Come" from the viewpoint Of the ont l
idrr VIII" ~ympathilc- with the Girl. .
Then comes The Other Hall Rome" ,
, iiich i inclined to iu.tify tho hus ,