The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-16

which actuate the multitude. II exists by
popular approval. and hence in the last
analysis is an instrument and a creature
OF public opinion. 1t is of necessity of
the people, by the people and with the
people. 1t cannot live apart from the
people nor drive the public against its
will. Every effort to make it control
public morals and political activities has
proved failure.
II an endowed newspaper were respon-
sive to the throbbings of the popular
heart, were a sympathetic friend. mont
tor and helpmate-a member of the fam
lily, so to speak, of the masses of the
community in which it Is published, 1t
would fill precisely the function that is
now filled by the privately-owned news
uaper There would be no excuse for
It's existence In any event, it would be
the voice of the individuals who con-
troll it, minus the disciplinary force that
popular opinion is enabled to exert on
the newspaper printed as private bus
mess enterprise. 1t could still be venai'
corrupt and viciously partisan-a teacher
of false doctrines and an instrumentality
OF wrong and oppression. 1t could even
more easily than the privately-oWneu
newspaper be prostituted to the service
of special interests.
BY Victor Rosewater, editor Omaha
Neb., Bee:
Mr.. Victor Rosewater. editor of the
Omaha Bee expressed his opinion on the
question of the endowed newspaper In
replv TO a criticism of newspaper meth
DDS by Prof Edward A. Ross in re-
cent magazine Mr.. Rosewater says:
1.-THE Indictment is that the newspaper
fails to give the news, and, of course.
il IL fails in this, which is its principal
mission and raison d'etre, 1t Is worse
than useless and time devoted to news
paper reading is time wasted. woulu
be the last to assert that the newspaper
reading as 1t exists today Is faultless or
that important news Is not sometimes
suppressed, although more often through
mistake or negligence than through de-
sire But the idea which Prof. Ross
would instill that the newspaper OF to-
day is greater offender In this re-
spect than the newspaper of days gone
by, Is almost self-contradictory. Inc
facilities and resources for gathering
news are so much greater nowadays
than formerly that the amount of infor-
nation of public interest given news
paper publicity is many times multiplied.
The searchlight penetrates to every nooF
and corner and the opportunity for those
directly interested to suppress news py
intercepting it at its source or on It's
way to the public has been almost COM
pleteIy destroyed. The hurry and speed
with which the news Is put out eacn
day in successive editions under stress
of the fiercest competition-and the
strongest competition between newspa-
pers is in getting tie news first and
scoring beats or scoops on one an
other-make the suppression by one
paper OF news almost certain to be
spread forth by rival paper, one OF the
rare occurrences rather than the COM
mon place which Prof. Ross would nave
us believe.
Now what is the important news
which we are told is being suppressed!
Prof. Ross cites a few examples which
he believes are fragrant and reasons on
the theory of false in one, false in all.
I venture to assert, however, that II
would be impossible to find two expert
enced newspaper men who would agree
on what certain classes of news items
are of unusual Importance, but 1t would
not take long to develop unreconcilable
differences of opinion as to specific news
items. The customary rule of the news
paper office is to put the most important
news each day on the front page yet
the contents of no two front pages are
ever alike even where each has at its
disposal every item the other has. What
then makes news important? And does
the wealth or business prominence OF a
criminal make important an offense that
would attract small attention, II any, in
man in ordinary station? Is not one
of the we'll founded criticisms leveled at
our newspapers because they give I'M
due weight to wealth and blazen the
foibles and follies of the millionaire In
space that might better be devoted to
Esomething more useful9 Is a. crime COM
mitted by an advertiser more important
than the same crime committed by some
one who does not adv ertise? incidentally
It must be remembered that the news
paper is a legally responsible institution
that can be, and Is, held to answer
rumors reflecting on peoples regulations
and slide out from under when the lurid
tales are disproved. Loose talk and idle
gossip are altogether different from cold
type in black and white; the newspaper
cannot say 1t did not print it or meant to
say something else.
Because newspapers as a rule prefer
construction to destruction they are ac-
cused by Prof. Ross of malfeasance for
selfish purposes. True, a newspaper de-
perds for It's own prosperity upon the
prosperity of the community in which II
Is published. The newspaper selfishly
prefers business prosperity to business
adversely.
A panic is largely psychological and
the newspapers can do much to aggra-
vate or to mitigate its severity There
IL no question that to the wilful efforts
of the newspapers as body to allay pub
lie fear and TO restore business conf
dence is to be credited the short dura-
tor and comparative mildness of the last
financial cataclysm Would an endowed
newspaper have acted differently? Most
people would freely commend the news
papers for what they did to start the
wheels of industry again revolving, and
this is the first time l have seen them
condemned for suppressing important
news" of business calamity and indus
trial distress In subservience to worship
of advertising revenue.
We are told that partisan newspapers
suppress news rejecting on the party
and party leaders or menacing party sue
cess. If so, there is always a partisan
paper of the other party sure to print il.
Not only do / deny that democracy has
been struck staggering blow" by the
detection of the press" but assert
that modern democracy is as much a
product of the newspaper as the news
paper is a product of democracy. A
few black sheep in inc newspaper fold
do not make tho whole flock black. nor
do the combined imperfections of all
newspapers condemn them to failure. Per-
sonally, I would like to see the expert
ment of an endowed newspaper tried, be-
cause Tam convinced comparison would
only rebound to the advantage of the
newspaper privately conducted as a COM
mercial undertaking. The newspaper
most akin to the endowed n swspaper in
this country is published in the interest
of the Christian Science church. With It,
import news" is new calculated to pro-
mote the propaganda of the faith, and
close inspection of its columns would
disclose news suppression in every issue.
Ill