Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1909-12-23
ON THE NEWSPAPER BUSINESS
I. the Field Becoming unprifitable for
Morning Publications.


The New Orleans Item says the
morning newspaper is dying out. Dur
in the last 90 years the number of
morning papers that have failed, so far
as our knowledge goes, has steadily
increased. In Chicago, the Chronicle
has shut up shop, leaving four morning
papers in the metropolis of the Missis
sippl valley In New York the Herald
and World are making money with the
other morning papers on the ragged
edge, and not new one established in
a generation.
In Philadelphia the Times has sus-
pended. In Baltomore, the Herald, after
costing over $1,O00,00O, turned itself
into an afternoon paper-the only one
in the field besides the Newsstand went
to the wall in few months. Balti-
more now has two morning papers and
one afternoon paper. 1t is a city of
more than 100000 people whose papers
supply 100000 substantial reading
people. Only recently both it's morning
papers have been making money.
among cities the size OF New Or
leans we know of but one, San Fran
cisco, that has maintained three morn
ing papers. and those papers have a
general circulation throughout the en-
tire Pacific coast.
Atlanta supplies all Georgia with
center than New Orleans-yet Atlanta
has but one morning paper, the Con-
stitution. Memphis is a great center
for newspaper distribution, yet the
Commercial Appeal is the sole survivor
of three morning newspaper attempts.
St. Louis has but two English morning
newspapers, likewise Cincinnati. Mil
waukee has but one.
Different fields and different locali-
ties demand different standards of
newspaper expenditure. 1t probably
costs Mr.. Hearst $4,000 or $1,000 day
to publish his morning New York
American, on which he loses money (?)
We know a newspaper published in u
far smaller field. the income of which,
last year, was over 100000. an estab-
lished and most carefully managed
property--but it's net revenue was only
few hundred dollars
1t is true that circulation responds
to the expenditure of money, likewise
some advertising-bu not enough to
pay. The new newspaper today is up
against pitiless game-for it must
needs furnish something cheaper and
better than established papers Pro-
vided it can do this-can expend UNI
limited money and wait indefinitely. as
Mr. Hearst has done with his papers
the fight becomes a real fight. 1t may
utterly destroy its rivals, and still be-
cause of the expense of operation nee
essary to maintain the standard it has
set it may prove improbable. A stu
alton OF this kind can be cited in a
number Of cities today where both
morning and afternoon papers which
have monopolies Of their fields are
operating at a loss.
"A newspaper is partly great man
uacturing and business enterprise.
There would be no substance to news
paper investment if years and years
of business upbuilding did not count
for great deal.
I'm fact, individual genius and per-
sonal work can no longer make a news
paper( ?)-although a general lack OF
these qualities can break one .
This must be borne in mind the
| number of newspapers in the United
States in great cities is diminishing
and will continue to diminish in am
swer to an inexorable economic law
The time has passed wnen newspapers
can be proftably started, morning OF
afternoon The commercial side OF
the newspaper business is not fully
understood by one newspaper in q
hundred, and we do suggest that those
men who have given their lives to it
who have made in modified way a
| success of newspapers, should be given
credit for some knowledge and ability
In their chosen fields"