Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-10-11
PUBLIC JOURNALISM BACKED BY A SCIENTIFIC PRO
GRAM OF COMMUNITY BUILDING

The writer believes that the newspaper with definite con-
suctve scientific programs dealing with public affairs is the
biggest thing in country perfect freedom Of the press
exists.
newspaper great small country weekly or metropolitan
daily that formulate scientific program for the solution
of the community problems and back with persistence and
ability and answering arnestness the greatest power on
earth
That is what The Capital Journal has tried to do and what
believes has reasonably demonstrated newspaper can be
made in the affairs Of sefgoverning American community
To prove this contention desire to take the editorial
the last two days of editorial management for the purpose
of setting forth ideals Of journalism that have struggled to
bring into every day application and practice.
This is the next to the last issue of The Capital Journal under
the present management and may not be out Of order to
few words about the business in which have engaged for
the past hrtyve years ortwenythree years in Oregon)
and shall continue or less to be connected with.
Growing up country newspaper office taking part in the
small affairs of little community the editor of this paper
has always felt intense interest in local government and in
the development of the community life
He realized the tremendous power of the local newspaper
in building up the diversified interests that constitute
NAL or modern town or little city.
The town starts with local newspaper and grows under its
gentle admonion and sometimes criticism into small
city, and then the country weekly blossoms into small daily
This the BIRTH growth and expansion of community life
along the line of newspaper work. and must be said the
paper publisher and editor lead the procession of growth and
unfodment
lem town and finally little city than done the Week
y Statesman back in the fftes and sixties by A. Bush
He gave the town reputation all the Northwest and in
the then nation and the cutting satire of his paragraphs and
the punch and sting of his leading editorials have been
equaed in the history of Oregon journalism.
So Salem made originally, all towns that amount
anything made by newspapers and by newspaper work
done by real newspaper and makes not only
towns but men,
II hoeb bod
part the making of Salem the bright and progressive city
that today and Salem would not be what is without its
work
The newspaper bound to take hand in shaping the public
character and the pubic reputation of any town where
printed because constantly appeals the public and is forced
to present matters of public interest.
Homer tells of stranger who given audience before
king in the days of ancient Greece and the first question the
king asked him whether his business of public char
acter matter of private concern?
That question uppermos in the minds of newspaper
workersto derenae between what is the public interest
and the interest of the individual the smaller group citizens
representing special opposed to public interests
The Capital Journal has always sought to sustain the public
and the general interest and every honest and decent
paper does the same thing and they entitled to great
credit as a body of public servants for this devotion
The private citizen and the professional must do this
times but not all the time and when he does not dffeenta
is considered moral turptude his part it is consd
cred on the part of the journalist
The editor of this paper West to establish newspaper
and conduct these lines freely than he had been
the Western press
The editor of this paper constantly criticised and at
tackled and held in condemnation for struggling for this ideal
because persons who affected by such policy for the pub
lie good judged him by other ideals.
Every newspaper that is active and aggressive will make
mistakes and do acts of injustice to individuals but its creed
of principles right and its faith in its sincerity of pur
strong and clear such mistakes do affect its general
intention to deal rgheouy with public matters and the
Of rood government.
The newspaper and the newspaper makes the public
in the community and the of the merchant and the
preacher and the lawyer and the school teacher largely what
he makes them
The unfortunate fact about the newspaper business that
hreeourhs Of it's work for the general public and the gen.
eral public gets this service that makes community life what
ever success it is, and pays nothing for it.
The newspapers best service rendered without contract
without compensation and without recognition from the
munty it benefits
For instance took years Of hammerng awaken the
Capital City from the sleep Of half century and get going
on the lines of modern city building
Now that the ciyis going forward by leaps and bounds the
work of the newspaper forgotten and the millions added the
wealth of the community credited to its endeavors
But the work of the newspaper that transforms country
town into little city and then proceeds to make it bigger
city is forgotten.
The first job The Capital Journal tackled getting state