Omaha daily bee., 1910-07-30


II there is one national American crime
more heinous than another in the eyes OF
the average Engiishmsn It Is yellow Jour
naiism." The mention of American poll
tics suggests to the Englishman an orgy
OF corruption In Tammany Hall. and he ia
Mortified. But It Is the American news
paper that completely psrayzes his sense
Of proprlety. 1t is true that the average
Englishman has seen very few American
newspapers, and the most of what he knows
about the yellow journalism OF Xankeeland
he has read of in his own British journals
reprinted from American newspapers or
magazines.
II IL not the British custom to condemn
severely anything British. even IL 1t be
an admitted evil The British habit is to
60 to work to correct the evil as quietly
as possible and without any rancorous agi-
tation. The American habit Is to precipi-
tate the rancorous agitation, regardless OF
whether or not there Is any prospect OF
effectlng a remedy OF the evil. The harsh
things that American journalists say about
other American journalists, and about any
American institution, are toferably sure 20
be- reprinted In the British Journals. and IL
IL from these American indictments OF
American shortcomings that English people
got their notions about their cousins across
the sea.
| OF late years yellow Journalism has been
making great progress in England, and 70
a considerable extent this Is. blamed upon
| Americans. 1t is either product OF the
American invasion, or the result OF the
| importation Of American men and methods
1t il one OF those curious contradictions SO
| often met with in Britain that the parteu-
| lar section of the British yellow press
showing American. influences should be the
staunch supporter Of the conservative party
and. therefore, the avowed enemy OF
| change.
AS matter Of fact, England has its own
yellow journalism, indigenous to the soil.
quite apart from ths exotic American Vari-
ETY. recently imported. 1t differs from the
American brand not In KIND but IN de-
gree. 1t IL designed to meet the demAnd oil
a certain section Of the public. ana II Is
successful. The difference between 1t and
American Journalism is that the demand
Is different.
That insistence Upon class distinction &c
be found In every phase Of British life
makes itself felt in the newspaper bust
ness as well as in politics, religion or the
stratIfied barroon. In the United states
a newspaper publisher attempts in his on'
journal to appeal to all classes of readers
in his territory. He, prints politics for th'
politician, a woman's page for the women
sports for the sportsman, financial new
for the business man, serial stories for tn
sentimentally inclined, ethical articles TO
the religious element-in fact. a little bi
of everything that perchance may inter
est anybody,
In England each newspaper addresse
itself to a particular clientele to BIO foun
among a particular class Of people. tn
Times, the greatest newspaper in tn
world, does not attempt to make an appes
TO the general public. 1t is a serious Jour
nal, endeavoring each day to give diges
OF the political. economic and financit
news Of the entire world. 1t also print
sporting news and other general Informs
ton, but It is more particularly a polit
4 cal newspaper. It's circulation Is largel
amRg those who seek accurate intorma
tion upon serious subjects for actual U.s.
An Ehglishman who wishes TO find OF
the news merely to satisfy his curiosit
e will not buy the Times,
: At the other extreme London supports
5 sporting newspaper which devotes pract
!, cally all OF its space to sporting event
and which Is so ooarae in Its tone an
Language that II probably would be denis
the privilege of the malls IL 1t were pull
. lished in America, The people who rea
the Times do not read this sporting rag
= The people who read Thea rag do NJ
, read the Times. Those who read the Tins
n deplore the decadence of journalism
america, because they learn about tn,
decadence in their own beloved Thupdere
II But they do not read the coarse rag pul
3 iished In their own country. The Tim,
= does not comment upon IL; there is 1
general cutlery against it's evils, and Their
fore upper class England knows less abo
it's own lowest forms Of Journalism than
does about Americas.
In New York a man seeking for foreie
news will buy morning paper. which WI
contain also an abundance Of picture
some funny stories and perhaps a yello
sensation or two. In London, II he wan
to read about foreign affairs, he will b.
the Times; II he wants TO look sat picturr
he will buy any one of three or four dal
morning papers which contain nothing b
picturesi II he is seeking thrills he will bt
any one OF several papers which pubIil
nothing whatever except sensations,
As result the Londoner finds In b
N newspaper exactly what he wishes, al
nothing else. The American gets what
is looking for. but he may get Il along VII