The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-11-20
Hancock Department
PASTOR OF M. f. C CHURCH
CRIIICIztS The PRESS
CHARGES INAccURAcY AND SEM
sATloNAL TENDENCY.
Gays Paper Conducted for Gain Con.
tains Elements of Dancer.

Any institution that plays a part in
creating public opinion, or Influences
thought in any way and which is con-
quoted with the object of making mon
ey contains clements of danger s.id
Rev. w. E. Marvin, pastor of the Han
cock Methodist Episcopal church. in
ms sermon last evening. His advertis-
ed topic was THE Yellow Journal" and
ms text was from the parable of the
man who sowed tares i'm his neigh
Dor's field while the latter slept.
While the title of the address was
specific, the discussion on newspapers
by Mr.. Marvin was general i'm it's
scope, the great amount OF money in
vested in publishing plants. and the
army of people employed i'm printing
and publishing papers and periodicals
being included I'm the talk.
Every utterance of any person has
some influence, and some unconscious
mental suggestion" said the sneaker
and as creators Of sentiment the pul-
pit the moving picture show, the lee
ture' the school and the press all play
an important part. The press is prob
ably the greatest, with its two thou-
sand dailies and over %. 900 other pub
LEGATIONS, its over Il million men en-
ployed and with some papers having
yearly expense of six million dollars.
To meet these expenses immense cir
culations and great advertising pat
ronage must be built up i'm order to
get the money. The publication of a
paper is business proposition, the
aim is TO make profit, and policies of
papers are formed with the aim always
to make as much gain as possible.
Il hope the time will come" said
Mr. Marvin, when papers will be
conducted as is the pulpit, not for gain
but for public good"
Mr.. Marvin charged the papers gen.
orally with striving for sensationallsm,
and with making much of some mat
ters that in themselves were trivial
As an example he cited the case of an
accidental shooting affair in mans
family. a reporter called but was told
that it was an accident, nothing of
general interest and it was desired
that nothing be said about it. The
story CcUc out headed, Mysterious
Shooting; Father Refuses to Talk"
He further claimed that the publica-
ton Of details of some atrocious or
diabolic crime was generally followed
by an outbreak of similar crimes
the country. General in
accuracy and unreliability were other
faults charged by the speaker against
the press in general. the statement be-
ing qualified, however, by exceptions
In favor of the local papers, which Mr.
Marvin said were not so bad as others
Regarding the local press Mr.. Mar
vim said a number of nice things. He
said that paper reflected the chara-
cters of it's editors and writer's and
hat it was in the power of the public
10 make papers what they ought to be
by patronizing only the best. When a
paper is in the wrong criticism of the
public will be needed and praise for
good work accomplished will be APP
)reciated.
Il wonder how many of you ever
write to the editors TO compliment
them upon some article that pleases
you. We all like praise and are anx-
ous for approval and editors and re-
porters are like the rest of us" he said. |
Mr.. Marvin cited several incidents,
not altogether convincing to show that
news accounts in general were unre-
liable and inaccurate, stating that
scientists claim that newspaper stories
IF scientific achievements are never to
be relied upon absolutely.
Mr.. Marvin was guilty of little in
accuracy himself, showing how easy II |
Is to err. In speaking Of an error in
= statement attributed by the press to
G.. Stanley Hall, at the time of the
Meyer Haywood trial, the speaker re-
ferrcd to il as THE Harry Orchard
Trial at Denver"