University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1909-02-10
MISCONCEPTION
OF JOURNALIST


: makes his hero pass over from the worl
, OF an author into journalism and con
tinuc in the latter from the moment
when he throws overheard all pretcn>'
to individual character and opinions. [
\. Brattcr uhe authors stepbrOther
sees il new evidence OF the mi>conccp
tion Of the calling Of journalism. whicl
is as erroneous it is widespread an'
which is held by those authors who por
tray journalists in their works
The review then goes on To show how
in developing his point Herr Brattcl
draws examples from various htera-
lures. mentioning" works OF Cooper.
Dickens, Thackcry. Maupa->ant. Au-
.ier, KnUt lIam>un. William Dean
lIowell>. Henry James and others. Op-
posed To this array of works he finds
only two which treat of the new -paper-
man in Il sympathetic manner. Frey
tags ".I"urnali>ten' and >pirlhagcn :
Die Won Iloh.n-tcin.''
Quoting from Brattcr. III il j. any
consolation I" have companions in mis-
fortune. however. than this satisfaction
at least i not denied the much-revilrd
nrw>pap,.rmriI One remembers of the
plays and romancr- of the Scvrnteent h
and eighteenth centuries only those i'll
which every lawyer was pictured IA Il
tricky rogue and every phy>ici;;u IL Il
charIatan and hIockhrad Even our
own time preserves very similar con
rrption> which are "mr->idr,l in the
literary tendency t" depict every rich
man IL Il tyrant and hard hearted
enemy "f w"rkin"m"n. every Pru--ian
officer IL an idiot. and every states at
t"rn"y a. AN unprincipl"d politician.
But Just a. little a. We today are con-
WINGED that all lawyers and physicians
"f former centuries We're trick>tcr- and
blockhcad-. - litrl,. need ha> the news
paper editor To fear that po~teritv will
Hl'i ilnl -
and uniu~tly a. does past and c"ntrm-
p"rary literature. In spite "f tii-. the
question PRESSES it~'li upon him. how
comes il that bv tn" side of his higher
c"lahorcr. the aut h"r he j. :" little rr-
~I"ricd. that many aur hor- look
down the writin" of daily news with Il
real or affected contempt The pro
ducti"n oi literature. - they -aV. i an
art. journalism u trade. The ant hor
'r"at"> work "f art. tn" newspaper
man throws together hastily whatever
IA" pressure "f the moment and the
editor require. Th" auI h"r. VIII" feels
himself Il creating artist does not ven
turc To lower himself in the umarti-tic
professional. -l"vcnly work of the
new ~pap"rman. which i written only
f"r the pa->in" day and which j. oi
ralu" for that day only. Hut these
lI"ht ar"um' MT are easily c"niutrd.
M III" critical works Of Lc>~in- prob
ably those which h" was Obliged t"
write on the spur "f the moment from
day /" day. f"r impatient editors ar"
the very ones that are most read
lie then calls attention To tn. work
done in journalism by Goethe. Bis
marrk. Cavnmr Gladstone and Others.
and says that it i an honor rather
I han disgrace that the pen of Jour
naii-t earns hi~ bread lie. continues.
b'lt. "i course. one must not sell his
opinions. Dickens. Cooper. IIamSm
and others have shown how GRASS this
"mm"rcializin" Of opinions shows it.
sell IN journalism. For the proof Of
il they are indebted To IL. They have
described di--olutc characters and no;
typical journalists"
\"thln" l. NOR" natural than the
conditions which Herr i.rattrr dr>crib-
=. Compared with the Ion" develop
nrn' Of poetry and even "f literary
'r">". journalism i still in il infancy.
II course the "rrat volum. of it, prod
~ i 'id>>. No ih>tH III ION vital tp :
he wcll-brin" of ~ocirtv ever ,lrvrIonrd
'ut by pa>>in" through state al crud-
~ and frequent mi>applicari"n. The
Question: i. where does journalism stand
II its development. Tmd"ubtcdlv il l
la> been. if il j. not still. in The crude. !
tate. As Herr Bratter inferred. il l
Gems /" h" popular belief that Jour
I"li~m i h"pcl-~-ly los, tn prrvarica
ion. impo>i ion. and the ,lc-tr"vin. %; a
n"n- individuality. The grcat masses 7
Il IN" people rail N the -in- ui the 7
r"->. little su>pcctin" that. bv their I
nc"n~ci"u~ patrona"" Of th"-c things
o which they have brcomc accustomed.
hey are actually rctarln" the change n
;hch they demand. or that 1l,. very y
'cn whom they rrvilr are slowly bring" :
~ about the reform in spite of them. 4
Whatever contempt authors may |
av" for journalism j. merely the atti n
lde which the followers of the old As 4"
nme towards the disciples OF the new. y
he di>dain Of the ari-tocrat for the