The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-15

/, reply 10 Professor Ross and approving il
says: The press is an institution. and
AL institutions are. legitimately. objects
OF criticism when they fail 10 meet with
The approval OF persons of critical bent.
Moreover. the press Is primarily, or at
least secondarily. critic, claiming as
its preroeative the right 10 discuss the
quick and the dead and TO cuss either
or both II the occasion warrants the pro-
ianity. II is, upon this account, incum
! bent upon the press TO hear its critics
amablv. and TO debate its faults ard
their charges amicably. No criticism that
Is sincere should arouse resentment pro-
Nided the person who undertakes ii is not
handicapped by disabling ignorance OF
the subject he tackles. or disnualify
ing prejudice against the institution he
attacks. When Professor Edward Ross
published. In the Atlantic Monthly an
article undertaking the American news
papers. the Courier Journal yentured 10
point out certain inaccuracies as Ia. facts
and defects OF logic and few errors in
conclusions which marked the article as
the output OF a mind unfamiliar with the
affairs Of the work. day world and the
conduct OF newspapers
Professor Ross charges boil down to
the allegation that the press leaves uu-
done pretty nearly everything II ought TO
do and does nearly everything ii ought
not 10 do. Additional sins consist partly
in doing those which it ought 10 leave
undone and doing the bidding % those
who never leave the people undorc. The
crimes charged are mous;rous. If tho
accused were guilty nothing but the eX-
trcmc penalty would vindjcatc the law or
protect society from future harm.
AS Mr.. Rosewater insists, rivalry and
The unwillingness Of newspapers 10 be
beaten. develops most of the news tbat
is worth printing and good deal that
isn't. IT one journal suppresscs a story
it pops up upon the front page OF com
petitoT. But editors disagree as 10 news
values, and outside or editorial rooms
there arc countless persons who have
different opinions as 10 what is news, and
lN~,
press should pursue Many Of them may
honestly and Innocently believe that
Whenever given newspaper does not
meet with their critical approval com
bination OF corruption and Ignorance lies
behind lis imagined failure 10 discharge
its full duty,
Professor Ross assaults upon the
press as an institution has no value either
as constructive or destructive criticism
IT neither points the pathway upward nor
lays monster low. II its spirit WIS en-
certain newspapers. IL may be put down
as "A piece of logic which viii hardly
pass in the world. that because one man
has a sore nose all the town should put
plaslcrs on theirs But giving the ale
gator the benefit OF the doubt. here Is an
other illustration OF the fact that nearly
every one who knows nothing about
journalism believes that lie knows In
nnitely more about how 10 conduct a
newspaper than any one who has devoted
his life 10 the work.
t3N All means let there be established
the endowed newspaper recommended by
Professor Ross, which will not dramatic
crime or doctor news or punish gossip
yc. which VIII fearlcssly print such
news as that which the professor re-
grets that tho Philadelphia papers sup
pressed. and which viii let combina
tion OF advertisers for the restraint Of
scuiery scandal prevent II from pub
fishing the story OF the unfaithfulness Of
a merchants wife or the indiscretion OF
his daughter. such j newspaper edited
by doctors OF divinity, sociology and news
would be hailed by humor-lovin press
as n contemporary rather than feared by |
corrupt publications as a competitor. !
out with il at once. Let there be light |
Let each reporter and editor be some one
vino has aired his views upon the vicious |
ness and vapdity or newspapers pub !
lishcd by newspaper men,