The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-03-30
CLEAN JOURNALISM IS.
RATIONAL
Humanity Graves the Story of Pro-
gress.

AS part of an extensive crusade for
better things in the newspaper world,
a lecture on clean journalism was
given Monday night under the aus
pices of the local Christian Science
Society in practically every city and
large town of New England. Stormy
weather and the numerous counter
attractions reduced the attendance in
Skowhegan, but those who were
present expressed much satisfaction.
The lecture was sent out from the
Christian Science Publishing society,
and was delivered by Rev. Robert
Norris In part as follows:
Clean journalism has just as many
essentials as any other class of jour
naism, and its three potent factors
are policy, readers and advertising.
When you take up a newspaper,
you have before you window
through which you should look upon
the activities of mankind. In your
minds eye, each can go over the first
page of today's paper and concrete
opinion will be that nothing good has
happened That is the point. Why
disaster and crime should be consid-
cred prime for blatant display, and
the good that mankind is doing hid
away, no one seems able to reason
out But there is a reason. 1t is not
apparent to the casual headline read
er, but the student of newspaperdom
will tell you that more than 40 years
ago journalistic endeavor was wrest-
ed from It's well-established position
of editorial worth, and since then the
standards of neWspaperdom have
been ephemeral. The unthinking pub
Usher of today's newspaper will tell
YOU that the public demands the class
of journalism in existence but to the
thinker ii is patent that the public
takes what il gets, reads the black
typed statements, and in a skeptical
attitude turns elsewhere for instruc-
tive information. What then is the
basic reason for a change in public
sentiment that once awaited the ar
rival of the press before forming its
opinion to a condition that now says,
it is newspaper story and be-
lieyes that this places upon any news
paper statement the seal of unworthi-
ness and distrust? Seek the reason
in commercialism which embraces
progress, invention and competition
nd in sensa tionalsm which are un
doubtedly the foundation stones Of
the new yellow journalism.
"Civiliza ton has always moved
along certain given lines and the rec
ord of progress shows perpetual bat
lie between the right and wrong po-
sti0ns Great editors have accepted
this record of progress as news. I'm
DERIVING the entire structure of news
p'Derdom, however, is what might be
termed a destructive thought-a tenn
per to decry the good works of men---
nd when this viewpoint was applied
10 the worlds progress present-day
INTO disposition to eXaggerate the
abuses of society, and now shows an
inability to be other than pessimistic
OF mankind's achievements.
The mechanical development of
the newspaper making the setting of
Quantities of type and printing of
many pages at once possible. also es-
,aoIished a new definition of news,
because the gaping columns must be
hiled, and behold, news became the
VIVID portrayal of scandal, crime, dis
dster and all the untoward conditions
mat feed on morbidity. Thus it is
seen that the commercial spirit in
journalism which was forced upon
puoilshers through circumstances