The Boise citizen. (Boise, Idaho) 1906-1910, 1909-10-08
THE AMERICAN NOSE FOR news
(The Public

(The Public)
Attention called by the Johnston Democrat TO the rather cur
m fact that although British politics is are over the revolutionary
land clauses Of the Lloyd George Budget the daily newspapers
M country with only excepons-the Democrats might
hove made two three exeption-are silent about it The
- asociaton says Democrat all but ignore the fact that
tremendous struggle is in progress bringing only the most
ore accounts of the battle And the do come over
M cable ree to the important features Budget "here
mist be some reason thinks the Democrat "wy news feature Of
b unusual Importance should be practically ignored by the press
Of the United States Lack of journalistic enterprise does
m the Democrat the do oversadowing
home OF latter there AS to the former e press
associations the cable with the starred the
Of Abzz they follow the movements of the Gar with minute
fidelity they chronicle every happening of the European courts So
M Democrat thinks be agreement of press
aons and the great newspapers which control Them avoid
matter charged with political dynamite If this the
anaion it asks 'hen what the explanation The question
we'll put Although there may be something in the Democrats
urrnise we doubt if there much another.
American correspondents abroad would probably load down.
their DISPATCHES with this Budget fight and its deep sign
canoe even the English papers loaded down with It, they
and their managing editors at home regarded it as news The
influences which draw forth the Democrats question are probably
m less to anv news monopoly scheme for suppreng political
dynamite than to journalistic incompetency Not ncompeency
with reference to enterprise American newspaper
esing enough But incompeency with reference the drec
ton Of their enterprise.
AS the net result of more than generations Of newspaper
training since Civil War; the newspaper OF the United States
considered as class controlled by perverted notions OF what
constitutes news for civilized newspaper constituencies II they re-
p court trial it is the little sensational Incidents and not the
real news of the tra-te of the casethat find interest
ing expression they report speech they exhaust twice as mch
space as would be necessary readable summary OF Its points,
exploiting the mere qups qurs of the speaker or OF some IN
uper making persons who heard the speech wonder what speech
are reading about and leaving those who DIDN'T near
utter ignorance of pupo else deceived about It, And 50 all
along the line In the of the trained newspaper man news
not information News in his mindof course there are eN
cpons but tbev are usually men who Of the cult
news gossip; sensational comca episodes Paul Pry dlS
closures of private affairs the comng and gongs OF ceeDes
above all scandal There singular significance IN the er
newspaper mans of his ideal newspaper @ @
man who as nose for news For most OF what esteeu
news" by the American newspaper disngshaDe more P 10
than by any other quality and needs nose to a
That the principal should say why the dSt
struggle of eudasm in England gets scan attention IN e !
press Blood flowing nor likely to flow 1t is TOO intense
controversy to supply frivolous gossip and TOO serious W
elaborate comcaies it has few elements of secluded private me
above stairs which the enterprise mpudene might reveal 10
obb constituency of curious readers and it IS so tree from
scandal that there the slightest Whit OF an odor 10 0
attention of American newspaper with "a nose 1o news
being news this final chapter the history OF British uS
naturally enough neglected the American press Wat e
the Johnsown Democrat expected? Its editorial deScI "
struggle as news feature of unusual Importance but nal u
not make news Quite contrary In the American new"
paper sense the features OF unuSuai lno"
make news, but those of unusual unimportarce