University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1909-10-22

tured people often get the idea tina,
they constitute the whole nation. But,
as Arthur Brisbane told the diners at
Delmonico's, they are merely few
shiny apples on the tree. They aren't
whole trees by any means. And if the
newspaper is to be the weapon of dem
ocracy, it mustn't shoot over the heads
of its audience. What have said will
throw light, l hope, on the general
query of earnest persons who feel
deeply that the newspaper is casting
away it's opportunities, and that it fails
to make it's proper contribution to the
higher life.
A friend once said to Mr.. Nelson,
founder of the Star, "If | owned a
daily newspaper and wanted to make
the largest possible returns, would
take the New York Nation as a model.
don't see why you don't do it."
How large a circulation do you sup
pose newspaper modelled after the
Nation would haye?" Mr. Nelson asked.
'Oh, couldn't say. But it would be
the largest in the country. Probably it
wouldn't be as large as the Nations.
| That is a weekly and circulates every
where A daily would have more
| limited field. But it would be large
enough to produce an enormous in
come"
The latest newspaper directory was
consulted. 1t showed the Nation to
have a circulation of about 1000.
AS Good AS Its Readers.
The truth is that every decent news
paper publisher prints as good news
paper as his readers will let him. He
aims to give them little better paper
than they really want.
And here difficult problems arise.
Greeley used to say that what Provl-
dence permitted to happen he wasn't
| too proud to report But that maxim
won't work Providence often needs
editing Some things no decent news
paper will print. Others it will modify
by omissions. But there remains Il
good deal of news on the border line
which it is difficult to know how to
handle. Judgments will differ. Brit
ish newspapers will print full reports
of divorce trials which AmeriC an
newspapers will handle very guardedly.
One or two American newspapers used
praC tically verbatim reports OF the first
Thaw trial, which most newspapers
carefully edited.
1t is impossible to lay down hard and
fast rules here. But you will under
stand that in this aspect of its work
the public becomes a very real prob
lem to the newspaper. The public in
sists-and for the NEST part rightly
that it shall know what the world is
doing. that it shall not be treated as a
child. In some points the newspaper
Will yield where it prefers not to. In
others it will stand out against pres
sure. remembering always that while
consideration must be given the con
ventional Young Person, the newspa
per is published for mature readers.
Its Limitations.
, am quite ready to concede that
even with these principles admitted
the newspaper, like every other insti
+ tuition, constantly falls below its pos
sibilities. Its information is frequently
; written. Unhappily, the number o
} perfectly equipped journalists is lin
! tied. There aren't enough to go round
, In this respect the newspaper profes
+ sion is like every other. People fire
, quently lament the fact that theatrica
, managers refuse to produce good plays
2 | strongly suspect that the reason th'
t managers refuse to produce large mum
. berS of Peter Pan" or Arms and tn,
\ Man is that the supply is short
f There are few clergymen or lawyer
i, or doctors or merchants of the frs
Y order, and it is easy to point out de
feCts in the work of physicians an,
:, college professors and canal builders
, The fundamental trouble lies in tn
: limitations of human nature.
The true histories, you know, hav
the reputation of being unattractive
:, and the interesting ones OF being ur
true. The same difficulty occurs in tn
J., conduct of d newspaper. 1t is rar
that reporter can be found who ca
write vividly and accurately, and wit
a background of information. Me-
u who have any one of these qualitie
S developed to a high degree comman
n large salaries. The man with the pei
d feet combination-well, nobody ha
:, ever had the chance to bid for hi
/. services.
$ After all, the problems of the news
l. paper are those of democracy. It's di
t ficulties are those that confront an
great democratic institution that aC
l. dresses itself to the Many, not tn
k Few. There will always be many fin