The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-08-19
THE REFORMING or
NEWSPAPER READERS
The Public Largely to Blame
for the Presence Of Sensa-
tional Publications.

for the Presence Of Sensa-
tional Publications.
From the New York Evening Post.
' The problem Of reforming newspapers
has been so long discussed. with such
meagre results, that 1t is q relief to
near of the reform of the newspaper
reader being undertaken. That Ia he
rea. home for this kind OF charity to
begin at. First catch your newspaper
reader. and fill him with so deep a dis.
gust at what Is trivial and vulgar and
sensational and indecent that he will
make a powerful demand felt for better
newspapers, and better newspapers you
may have some hope OF getting. The
trouble Is that this demand u. in gen..
eral. left SO feeble and inarticulate.,
Thai 1t exists at all, 1t sometimes takes
an unusually shrewd editor to discover.
One such. in q large city of h West,
who had been placed In charge Of q
paper Of the shrieking order. looked,
. large element of university trained,
men in that town who might like to-
be addressed as reasonable human be-
tngs. He urged the proprietors of his
newspaper to leave off believing, and,
The result was a very gratifying in
.sSASS 0SSA oAA 1
snce. Per contra, we know Of another
newspaper. in a city filled with cultured.
people, which recently changed owners
md lapsed into the yellow variety, with
:he consequence OF displeasing and los-
ing a great many readers, to the con-
ternaton of the new regime. These in
stances imply what could be o by
means Of newspaper patrons, II they
could only be reformed.
A beginning of the work has been
made on a modest scale in England.
The English press has not yet fallen to
our lowest levels, but is rapidly has
tening that way. The same effects Of
sensational and childish methods Of
journalism are observable there as here.
Those interested in education and social
reform see the need Of fortifying peo-
pie against the intellectual vacuity and
the moral disintegration which come
from steady and unwinking reading Of
silly or coarse and reckless sheets. Ac-
cordingly, q first step has been taken
by the Clubs Industrial association.
This organization. located in the north
Of England. has recently formed a
newspaper class" for working girls.
The object is to teach what papers to
read and what to avoid, and also what
parts OF any given newspaper to give
chief attention to and what to skim or
skip.
The idea seems excellent. as driving
"k tS 6ICdk ldCh III I'LL CnlS
business, which Is the lack of discrimi-
nation. 10 vast numbers of people all
newspapers look alike. Print is print,
In whatever guise it presents itself. and
Is a thing sacredly to be received. You
VIII see clergymen and benevolent sill
religlous paper to a perusal of the
Devils Own. with no sense Of jar or
shock. In the universal fux of judg-
men. tumble of opinions, the pow
er OF making distinctions seems to have,
neen lost. Long habit inures even
yulgarity which. in any other form.
they would think repulsive. ut is only
those ridiculous newspapers" they saw.
NOW, the first aim of education is to
seek to give the ability to discriminate.
W KNOW what Is good and what 10
Ieauers, VINO go on p~atronizing venal
OF demoralizing newspapers. is much
greater than that of the unthinkinR
ahd ignorant. The latter can, perhaps.
pc taught to be a little more fastidious.
Oul what OF those who already know,
n n profess to be select in their
taste and associations. yet. who act an
II they cared not how soiled are the
papers which they take in their hands?
me discrimination which 1t may be
noped the reformed newspaper reader
will exercise, goes further. It viii deal
not alone with the choice of the ionrnai
70 read. but with that of what mater
IN II to read. There is q great amonnt
OF newspaper reading which can onlv
sDe cailed slavish. People bury them
serves IN the pages and devour them
from the first headline to the last nera
item. An appalling dissipation 81
energy and dulling of the mind cannot
ran to befall many In consequence
Ihey exhibit an abject reverence for
the printed word that is fairly Arabic
Any put into type must be both
and they pore over the intellect de-.
y columns with an intentnesa
mat IS truly marvellous. A man onoht
% pc trained. or to train himself To
:ook Tor his own in reading n news
s sa5er;aaa ne e., should chiefly consider, as
which finds" him. The proportionafe
amount Of time to be devoted to mare
aews, to discussion, to literary feat,iras
20 report, to criticism in art.
Sr music or drama-all this is some,
~ nih hs ah1a intelligent readers ought
Many OF them, we suppose. do so: the
others, and the blankly ignorant mav
well appeal to the compassionafa Ola -
reformers. "lo VI
President Hadley. of Yale. was quite
cannot make great progress in imnro wo
ing the Intellectual and moral tone 10
newspapers until newspaper reader.
and patrons are improved. Until thew
. amd 70 discriminate Journalism viii
until they insist upon measure and rae,'
son. exaggeration and clamor will on
tfnue to rule the columns, and brawHn~
ignorance to give Judgment ali daS
long: These English reformers Of the
nes. Sy H. VINO r,st AXE hold of the busi-
teach people what papers are u;ort -
reading and how to attain a consistent
n useful point Of view in readinr
them. There is neither copyright nn.
tarin to prevent the use Of the same
.uea N TINS country. where the need Of