The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-11-16
MUST NEWSPAPERS SHREK?
Even Pulitzer Came TO Doubt the
journalism He Helped 10 Create.

Even Pulitzer Came TO Doubt tn
journalism He Helped TO Create
The remarkable personal qualitie
an dthe extraordinary career of tn,
late Joseph Pulitzer deserve such rec
ogntion as his sudden death has call
ed forth. His rise was no accident
He had the mind and will to carve hi,
way anywhere. To an energy which
was both restless and untiring. be
added marked Intellectual grasp.
The way in which, during the clos.
ing years Of his life, Mr.. Pulitzer kent
his intellectual interests alive. though
in the grip Of relentless disease and
stricken with Observation-Disclosures
which would have crushed most men
into despair or a stolid waiting for
the end-witnessed 70 inner spring of
spiritual vitality in the man, and an
indomitable resolution, which are
/ both rare and admirable
As newspaper proprietor and edi.
tor, Mr.. Pulitzer IS TO be credited with
having championed many of the good
causes of his time. His feelings some
times misled him and his sweeping
| predictions occasionally went badly
astray, but there can be no doubt that
he cherished an ideal of public service
and had passion for making political
life more decent. For all this we owe
him debt which it would be neither
gracious nor just not to acknowledge.
We must pass, however from the
man to the type of journalism which
he first fully eXemplified in New York.
About that, it is notorious that doubts
arose in Mr.. Pulitzer's own mind, He
came to feel that what he had helped
create had somehow become too now
erful and had got away. 1t is known
that he often expressed some such
idea about his own paper; what he
thought of the imitators who had bet.
tered his Instructions, may be easily
imagined.
From the first days of Mr. Pulit.
2er's control of the World, he struck
out boldly for a new kind of pub
licity' in journalism. But that word
means many things. 1t covers not
only the exposure of political scoun-
drels, but it denotes, in practice. a
kind of constant clamor rising into
a shrek, with daily prying into pri- [
vate affairs as if nothing existed any .
where which should not be dragged .
into the light of day, and, worse than 7
all, a lurid exploitation of crime and
nastiness.
Attempt has been made to Justify
such methods on the plea of appeal.
ing to wider audience" and acuuir.
ing the greatest POSSIBLE influence"
But there is always a dancer lest in
fmence be confused with circulation
meaning profits-and the wider au-
dinece be only another way of spell
ing larger dividends. At any rate.
the admittedly evil means remain evil
and work evil, even if they are adopt
ed in the hope of securing good ends.
The Press and Crime was one of
the topics discussed at the meeting of
the American Academy of Medicine
last June, and the author of paper
on "Neurotc Books and Newspapers
as Factors in the Mortality Of Suicide
and Crime specifically accused the
World of having given a lead and 4
vogue to "prurient and crime inspirirs
periodicals."
To that severe indictment We would
not subscribe entire, and refer 10 ii
here only to point to what ave:y
friend of the World must
eel namely, the surprising aul Ia
difference between It's ed
tQrial page and its news columns. IN
he former We are accustomed to find
strong convictions pungently X.Tess-
I'd. We will only ask if there is ony :
'eal necessity for such a glaring iux-
aposition of the offensive and the in ]
locent
Is it true thar the public demands
'epusiyc details of horrible crimes.
md viii not buy IA newspaper unless it
Exploits scandal and every phase of
le,encracy and adultery? This is