The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-10-29
DAILY PRESS A TOPIC
SOCIAL SCIENCE CLUB DISCUSSES
THE NEWSPAPERS.
God and Bad Features Are Brought
Out Prominently; Rev. P. K. Edo
wards tssails Yellow Journalism
and Picks the Sunday Issue to
Pieces; Opinions of Members Of
the Organization Freely Expressed.

The Social Science club held its sec.
ond regular meeting last night at the
home of DR.. j. w. Andrews. There
was good attendance and especial in
terest was centered in the discussion
which followed Rev. P. X. Edwards
paper on "The Place and Influence Of
the Daily Paper in the Family" which
is printed in full in this edition of The
Free Press.
Rev. Edwards assailed yellow jour-
nalism with high hand, but admitted
the fact that the daily paper must
use sensationalism to some extent. He
also gave a severe criticism on the
Sunday editions. j. w. True followed
with a paper that opened the discuss
sion.
Mr.. True agreed with Rev. Edwards
as to the Importance of the subject
and the extent to which it concerns
the welfare of the family and the
nation.
Among other things Mr.. True said:
Commercialism Defined.
Rev. Edwards considers "'the greatest
evil, the root of all other evils in the
American newspaper is its commercial
ISM" Webster says of commercial
ism," "the commercial spirit or meth
cd" and of Commercial" "of or per-
tanning to commerce; carrying on or
occupied with commerce." The paper
fails to distinguish sharply between
base or improper commercialism and
true commercialism. Base or improper
commercialism applied to a newspaper
would be the selling of the support and
influence of the paper, for a price, re-
CARELESS of what was right or wrong;
and the printing of fake or immoral
advertising. True commercialism APP
piled to newspaper would mean eff
cient business management in extend
ing the subscription list and in the
mechanical departments, getting the
news that the people want, up to the
minute, and wise and far sighted
policy in the editorial department that
advocates everything that is for the
general good, and anticipates and leads
public sentiment in measures OF re-
form and advancements. Without true
commercialism in its management the
daily paper on a scale to reach the
masses is financial impossibility.
Without the newspaper being COM
mercial enterprise and paying dividends
to it's owners where would the millions
of dollars come from to supply the
people of this nation with papers
every day?
1t Is a Great Business.
An editorial in Harper's Weekly in
speaking of the newspaper, said: at
was small business and now it is
la great business. 1t was and is
always business. 1t is character
that characterizes, it is tine ideal that
eonsecrates. In world which would
rather keep a good conscience than
not, men commonly behave as right
eously as they think the conditions
will allow. But we must not forget
that it is mainly the conditions which
decide if they do not actuate the
conduct. Both the daily and the
weekly press fairly represent the moral
frame of our people, who like to
think for themselves when 1t is quite
safe, but would rather not when it
interferes with business. We all live
under a competitive system in which
no man is hero or a martyr to HIM
self alone, and the daily paper is no
more an industry now than it ever
was, the scale has changed, that is
ALL" 80
On the other hand if it were pos
sible by some stupendous philanthropy
to print and distribute daily papers
to the millions and the commercial
spirit was not recognized in its news
and in it's editorials and advertising
would such a paper be read by the
masses or would it have any infuencef
1 think not, and such a newspaper
would lose the opportunity of doing
the vast amount of good that comes
under the doctors list of "some of the
things the paper does for u.s."
There would be no "yellow journal"
if it were not for the "yellow streak"
in humanity. 1t simply fills the demand
for that kind of news. AS soon as
the public taste is educated to some
thing better the yellow journal will
cease to exist.
Not Always the Dollars.
1t is not always the dollar, and that
alone, that leads the yellow journal
to the publication of the most sensa-
tional news. 1t is to increase the num-
Der of it's readers. As Joseph Pulitzer
probably the greatest genius in the
line of newspaper building, under diff
ficulties. the world has even seen-has
said thousand time to editors: "Your
paper isn't worth hang unless people
read it." 1t is the influence and pres
tige that an immense subscription list
brings that the editor covets. 1t not
only brings dollars but it brings the
assurance of an immense following and
eventual success when success is neces..
sary for a good cause.
Continuing Mr.. True said: "For my
part 1 see more danger to the family
and to the republic from the subsidiz-
| ing of some of the great city dailies
and some of the magazines by "the
! system" These papers and magazines