The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1909-08-18
''ROASTING"
is Not the First and Most I'M
Portant Obligation of a
Newspaper.

The Frankfort News has evil
IDENTIFY 'been there" Judging from
the following editorial, which
voices the sentiment of the news
papers generally and which is ap-
plicable to some people who want
to see everybody roasted" but
don't want to be known in the
roast" The News says:
7 MAKING A NEWSPAPER GOAT.
The editor of this paper is con-
tinually urged to roast this, that
or the other thing or condition in
Frankfort and if we pleased every
body the paper would be nothing
= but one large broiling pan in which
to cook anything and everything.
Those who ask us to write a roast
always refuse to allow themselves
to be quoted and their converse
ton usually is about like this:
Il wish you would 90 after
OF course, / cannot afford to say
anything myself, for | would get
in bad with somebody, but | wish
you would 90 after them strong"
In other words the person max
ing the request for roast is not
Wiling to bear the brunt himself
or herself. but would like to have
the newspaper take the response
bility and get the cussing which
would inevitably follow. People
seem to think that a newspaper is
EAbe regulator of all things and
that the sole purpose and province
of a newspaper is to roast. They
overlook the fact that criticism by
a newspaper is more bitterly re-
sented than is criticism from any
other source and if the man who
wants somebody else roasted was
roasted himself, in the newspapers,
he would want to whip somebody.
Our idea of newspaper is that
it is a vender Of news, relating the
happenings of the day as they oc-
curl and commenting on such of
them as seem of enough moment,
with honesty and frankness but
,the main and most important thing
IS to print the news. We think
4 ;he editorial colum is feature of
the newspaper only and not the
most important feature. The
newspaper is not a policeman and
it is not the duty of the newspa-
Aeb 90 about cracking heads and
acting as an examining court for
the trial of men.
People buy newspaper for the
news that is in it and rarely buy it
for the views of the editor of the
paper. A live news item is worth
more than the most learned edito-
rial that can be written and the
| editorial column is most impor-
tam when the editorial becomes
news by reason of the interest that
is felt in the opinion Oh this par
ticular subject to the editor.
A newspaper should be indie
pendent and courageous in its edi-
torial columns, but it should also
be courageous in its news columns
sahd it frequently reeui res
More courage to print the news
\ than to write an editorial. |
In the news columns the facts
alone should be given. They |
should not be distorted or cOlOred
and should be presented as nearly
4 Correctly as they can be obtained.
\ Those who want seme real fan
cied injury to the public exposed
or roasted are willing to make the
newspaper the goat and let it
stand the punching which will fol-
the roast. They seldom are will
hing to share the joys of being the
GOAT, but want the newspaper to
Near the burden alone. If there
rs anything wrong anywhere and
III can be presented in a legal and
|Iproper form this paper will print
M as news, but we do not intend
10 try to police Frankfort and cor
EJECT all the evils that exist here.
Mot that there are many, but there
|are SnJugh to keep us busy if we'
Enn1olrtOOk the lob.