Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-09-25
THE UPSTATE PRESS.

: The upstate newspaper men are in
session in Portland.
Much is asked ,of them and little
bestowed. The man who wants free
publicity and gives nothing back in
. advertising besieges all newspapers,
but none more than the upstate pub
lications.
On all of them, the mail dumps un-
guessed quantities of matter with
the request that it be given space
without charge and marked copy be
sent.
There are the local real estate men
who refuse to advertise, but want
their names to appear in any mem
/. tion of SALE There is the business
man who never spends cent for pub
licity, but wants write-up Of a
newly arranged show window. There
is the doctor who holds it unprofes-
sional to advertise, but raises IL fuss
if his name is left out Of the account
Of an accident.
State fairs, county fairs, exposi-
tions at San Francisco, expositions
at Seattle, Lewis and Clark fairs at
Portland, livestock shows everywhere,
church fairs, school fairs, and every
other known organization plans its
big event, does its paid advertising
on bill boards, streetcars and other
wise, expecting the newspaper to pro-
vide its publicity free Of charge.
Newspapers, big and little, like
/ UIIlInor hnrcnc "a ~
death. Though their space is their
stock in trade, their only means Of
real revene, they are expected to give
| it here and bestow it there, without
money, without price and without
hope or promise of reward. They are
expected to boost the community, to
promote development, to distribute
free favors to all, and to be the
all-around handy servant of the pub
lie, with never thought by the dear
people that employees cannot be paid,
that white paper and printing ma
chinery cannot be bought with wind |
The upstate newspaper is worthy
of it's hire. Most Of them are ahead |
Of their communities in progress and
appointments. All of them are out
spoken and courageous exponents of
truth, righteousness and public well
fare. Theirs is a leadership and a
service that every community should
appreciate and generously reward. .--
Portland Journal.
The above is a true statement of
facts and should be read by every
reader and publisher in
the Northwest. The shame Of the
whole matter is that so many news
paper publishers will, week after
week, print the stuff and appear
pleased to get it. The trouble with
many alleged newspaper men is that
they look upon their space as just so
many columns that have to be filed
with something, and the long col
umns of boosts for all sorts of CRAFTS
offers an easy way to fill
Jhe newspaper without exertion on
the part of the editor. This will
ngness is primarily the cause of the !
food Of free matter in the first
place, and, looking at the matter |
rom an entirely disinterested stand :
ooint, one cannot blame the grafters =
'or sending out their free stuff-for .
hey know many of the newspaper \
nen will print it. b
The Portland Commercial club s
department sends out a
etter weekly to the newspapers of 2
he state. 0ftentimes this letter con Ii
aims much that is interesting and, a
With proper credits and date lines, it 5
$ admissible to the columns of any :,
as news matter. Yet, :,
many of the papers that come to The 81
Observers desk use the letter entire
S editorial. The same is true of the : !,
'anama exposition at San Francisco, +,
nd the coming ground-breaking "
both of which are flood IL
lg the country press with tons of
rec advertising literature, a large
ortion of which finds its way into bl
le newspapers. The Southern Pa SC
fc has an extremely lively press
apartment, and each week it sends to
ne newspapers articles which often VI
Dntain real merit and are of interest W
, the people. If properly handled, Vi
le stories are worthy of reproduc-
on, but here again, we find that
any country publishers run the Pl
uff as editorials.
Anything, of any sort, almost, can
It into a large number of the
,untry newspapers, and so long as pr
lis is true, and so long as the pub II.
,hers continue to value their space ne
lightly, it is small wonder that
ley are flooded with requests for
zee advertising. When the publish
$ become real newspaper men and 81.
rild their publications upon sound W
isiness principles, they won't have
have a press association to pass fir
solutions condemning the free adj w
.rtising scheme; each publisher will Al
I've the problem for himself. And 20
Zen that time comes the flood of
ee advertising will wane like
sert brook in July. SUI
What the press of Oregon needs is W. W.
wspaper men. or