Arizona republican., 1909-05-13
4 CHURCHMAN'S VIEW
 OF THE SECULAR PRESS
REINSTATEMENT NOT so BAD AS
 PAINTED
Bishop Scadding Must Have. Been
 One Himself.

as allies instead of as spies and inn
 pertinent meddlers 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 CO.,
 operation"
 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 from
 Washington, Montana, Oreapn, Idaho. | Wyoming, California, Utah, Nevada,
 New York, Pennsylvania and several other states were in attendance. 1 Bishop Scadding intimated that the
 average minister does not know news,
 when he mentioned that frequently an
 item of vital importance is concealed
 in a mass of matter otherwise of not the least interest to the reader. On
 this point he said:
 If you could hear the righteous
 indignation and the unrighteous abuse
 and, 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 undecipherabie chirography,
 with no regard for the style of the
 paper for which they are written, fre- quently written on odds and ends of
 paper and often on both sides and thrown together in haphaZard sort of
 way.
 The tasl; of preparing several hundred notices has become the most detested work in the newspaper of fices. and every Friday night our civiliZing influence on the working staff is in a large measure undone. It is only due to the newspapers that We be courteous, even in this small matter, and take pains to secure uni formity and cleanliness and the pres ent ell-dressed and carefully pre- pared copy
 Tn 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 before you have told him the gist of what you have to say"
 Bishop Scadding said the value of the newspaper as a missionary agen- cy depends upon the willingness of the ministers to go and make some effort in assisting it; and" he added, fin considering the subject it is necessary for us at the outset to appreciate not the theoretical func- ton of the secular press, but what it actually is, and what it actually does for the people. It 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.
 Tt must be borne in mind that the newspaper, even though it has 24 pages, has not single line to waste 1t pays thousands of dollars for matter 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, its special cor lY. 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 editor | pronounce more important news crowd it out
 Those same trained editorial l senses are constantly on the alert for the important item, just mention in | the midst of three columns of really l important church reports the mere in- | cidental fact that the Rev. John Doe | has resigned and that the resigna- tion was accepted, and be prepared to | turn out of bed at night and explain | to half a dozen reporters all about | the affair The next morning the | line of resignation may appear as | three columns, while the three col | umns of church news will occupy | scarcely more than that many lines i The editor knows that only three | lines in your article contained the | real news of the day and would help | the sale of his paper
 Now, it can not be argued that we | should encourage sensational doings | with the view of calling public atten- tion to the church and it's work. | Even to a salacious morsel the editor fsmself would prefer a piece of news | of an entirely different character. | but he has his finger on the public | pulse and he knows what is required | To me it is certain indication when | a newspaper shows disinclination to | give space to an article that it will | not be read if published.
 We can assume a different attitude to the newspapers. We can take a | generous view of existing conditions, | accept the newspapers as having d right to all our news and show them that we are in sympathy with them.
 If we are to make good use of the secular press we can not overestimate the importance of the makeup of our articles and news notes. I believe that there is much of our work that could be presented in such dress that it would be attractive to the editor and, consequently. to the people. I fully believe tina. the establishment of news clearing house in the Eighth department under the man. agement of our departmental secre- tary, to whom missionary experiences, news notes and brief church teaching could be sent for general publication in the secular press, would he an ex- pertinent well worth trying
 Tt must be remembered that inc |