The Devils Lake world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1911, 1911-01-06
THE FUNCTION Of
THE NEWSPAPER

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First. 1t must be a paying venture.
This it may be in two ways. 1t may
pay so handsomely in dividends Of
higher manhood that someone will
/ come forward on the strength of that
] to pay in good money all the bills
incident upon it's material life. Or it
may pay dividends Of real money thar
will make it unnecessary for any phil
anthropic person to contribute more
than the price asked for it's issues.
This latter state of affairs can be
realized in two ways. (A) BY being
such IA worthy paper that it's subscrip-
ton list will cover all the needs of the
paper to keep it alive. (B) BY having
such list of paid-up advertisers that
the necessary amount of money flows
into the treasury. A newspaper must
pay in one or the other of the two
ways above or face within a short
: lltHe the enQ OF llS lie.
| Second 1t must fill felt need
There are two classes of people in
the world. if we class largely all of
the worlds Inhabitants. One class
will do what is right; the other class
will do right, if the doing right does
not conflict with any pet scheme that
may he in mind or on hand at the
time y newspaper that favors what
is right at all times fills a felt need A
newspaper that favors doing what is
right when it does not conflict with
the aims and wishes of its subscribers
is a newspaper that fills a felt need
Both these newspapers will have a
temporary success 1t takes no eX-
pecrt in psychology to dtermine which
one will live longest in the annals
of the country.
Third 1t must furnish news that is
reliable. No one who reads in head
line of the killing of fifty persons wish
es to be told in the reading matter
that only ten were killed! 1t may be
truly Il source of satisfaction to
learn that only ten were killed, but
the editor of the paper knew it when
edition, furnishing later reliable news,
denies the first report, that is gladly
read. But reliable news means con-
sistent recording of facts And the
newspaper that puts out inconsistent
statements of the same facts in the
same issue is a paper that is not fur
nishing reliable news to it's supporting
constituents.
Fourth. 1t should be nom political,
political party in the country. This is
especially desirable in a small city Or
town. When a newspaper is attached to
Il political party it's editors secondary
aim is TO advance the interests of the
party to which he Or his paper be-
long. Oils first aim of course is to
make the venture a paving one) Be-
longing to Il political party and being
Il nouthpiece of that party things are
said that ALLEVIATE from the support Of
the paper people just as good as the
editor or any one in his political par
ty. If the paper were a newspaper,
independent from any party politics,
the ground could be covered in such a
way as to allow all men, honestly be-
lieving what they thought was right,
to stand. When drug store issues a
monthly paper We expect that drug
store to speak well of itself and say
nothing about other drug stores. II
political newspapers would only do as
justly as that. not many would find
fault with them. A newspaper that
is avowedly connected with political
party cannot keep from printing mis-
representations Of the other political
parties, therefore we say that it is a
part of the newspapers work to keer
out of the political arena.
Fifth. To uplift the people to whom
it goes. This means in every aspect OF
life. temporarily and eternally. This
brings us to point where it is neces-
sary to say that lone editor, espec-
tally if he be man of the world, can
not always put out such paper. Con-
tributing editors and associate editors
have ever been used by newspapers
in order that the true function of the
paper might be fulfilled A paper be-
comes biased. warped and narrow, il
it be the product Of one man, simpl,
because every man has tendency to.
ward these conditions. The coming to.
gether of different minds in consulta
ton; the opening of ones mind tt
the other brings light here darkness:
was before New policies are adopted
that never would have been put int
being if the whole thinp rasted uno,