The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-05-08
DR.. SCADD|NG ON
NEWSP hPERS
GIVES ADVICE AS TO HOW TO
TREAT REPRESENTATIVE OF
GOOD THEY ACCOMPLISH.

Spokane, May S-"Newspaper men
should be treated as allies instead of
as spies and impertinent meidlers
in things which do not concern them.
We can take them into comradeship
in the work We are doing and, by
treating them as friends instead of
enemies, secure their confidence,
good will and cooperation.
Rev. Dr. Charles Scadding, bishop
of Oregon, said this in the course of
an address on "The Secular Press as
a Missionary Agency at the biennial
sessions of the Eighth Missionary de-
partment of the Episcopal church in
Spokane, when high churchmen form
Washington, Montana, Oregon, Idaho,
Wyoming, California, Utah, Nevada,
New York, Pennsylvania and several
other states were in attendance.
Bishop Scadding intimated that the
average minister does not know news,
when he mentioned that frequently
an item Of vital Importance is con-
cealed in mass of matter otherwise
of not the least interest to- the reader.
On this point he said:
eff you could hear the righteous
indignation and the unrighteous
abuse, and, I fear, profanity, created
in newspaper offices of Friday nights
when all hands are called to fix up
the church notices for publication,
there would be instant reform in
this direction. I am told that week
after week and year after year there
are poured into the newspaper offices
these carelessly written notices, often
in almost undecipherable chirography
with no regard for the style of the
paper for which they are written
frequently written on odds and ends
of paper and often on both sides and
thrown together in a haphazard sori
of way
"The task of preparing severa
hundred notices has become the most
detested work in the newspaper of
fees, and every Friday night oul
civilizing influence on the working
staff is in a large measure undone
1t is only due to the newspapers that
we be courteous, evenin this small
matter, and take pains to secure uni
fOrmity and cleanliness and the pres
ent well-dressed and carefully pre-
pared copy
In preparing matter for the press
you should observe newspaper rules
OF composition: Tell your story in
the first three lines-three words are
better - and elaborate afterward.
Then the reader can not ring off be-
fore you have told him the gist of
what you have to say"
Bishop Scadding said the value of
the newspapers as a missionary
agency depends upon the willingness
of the ministers to go and make some
effort in assisting it: "and," he add
ed, Gin considering the subject it is
necessary for us at the outset to ap-
preciate not the theoretical function
of the secular press, but what it actu-
ally is, and what it actually does for
the people. 1t is not the 'molder of
public opinion often it is not even
the leader: but it does supply the
facts. the fancies, the fallacies, if YOU
please. on which public opinion is
based.
1T must be borne in mind that the
newspaper, even though it has "a
pages, has not single line to waste
1t pays thousands of dollars for mat
ter it does not print, and it is safe
to say that no newspaper uses half
the matter poured in upon it by the
press associations. it's special cores
pOndents and the public generally
The great bulk of this news matter
is bought and paid for, though never
destined to see daylight, not because
it is not news, but because matters
which the trained senses of the edi-
tor pronounce more important news
crowd it out
"ThOse same trained editorial
senses are constantly on the alert for
the important item. Just mention
in the midst of three columns OF
really important church reports the
mere incidental fact that the Rev.
John Doe has resigned an dthat the