The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-10-06
PRESS IMPROVING
PASTORS VIEW
"The Church and the News
paper" Discussed by the
Rev. c. E. Granger.
ATTITUDE HAS CHANGED
Religion More Popular in Present Ad-
ministration Than Its Prede-
cessors, 1t Is Stated.

ceSSors, II Is Stated.
Improvement of the attitude OF the
press of Washington toward the church
was asserted In a sermon on The
Church and the Newspaper" preached
by the Rev. Charles Everest Granger
u. D., in Gunton-Temple Memorial
Church last night.
This improvement was due in part to
the fact that religion is more popular in
the present Presidential administration
than in previous administrations. Dr.
Granger asserted.
DIR. Granger said:
"A strange combination. Not at all!
On the contrary. a very natural and
proper combination. They have many
things In common. They came into being
in the same period Of history. during the
days OF the Roman Empire. 1t was then
the church was instituted, and II was
then the "Acla Diurna'' of the Romans,
which were daily. official, written reports
OF public occurrences, were issued.
From these small beginnings these
two great Institutions have enlarged and
expanded until now they are universal,
each of them.
Have Many Connections.
ing the ages greatly multiplied their
activities, until today there is scarcely a
legitimate interest affecting society with
which they are not connected and in
which they are not engaged. Education,
charity, good government. ethical Gull
ture, arts and sciences. religion, all these
are fOstered by both of these institutions.
but as there have been corruptiOns in
the chuTCh and weaknesses in the church,
so also in the newspapers, and it is of
some of those latter we wish to speak
kindly this evening.
The press has, upon occasions, not
hesitated to criticise the church, and be-
cause of this liberty taken by the press,
the press will not feel that the church
is unduly harsh when we point out some
weaknesses and Corruptions in the press.
The great weakness of the average
daily newspaper is its lack OF moral tone.
In the prominent exploiting of high
crimes, of immoral pursuits. vulgar
pleasures, vicious sports. ultra sensational
events, the newspaper has saturated the
minds of men and debased the moral tone
o: society.
Many newspaper men argue that they
simply give the people what they want;
they produce what the public demands.
But right in here comes a nice question
for the newspaper to answer. Who is
responsible for this base and craven
taste?
1T is a false taste, and the question
arises, how far has the press gone to
cultivate and encourage this taste?
Another weakness of the newspaper is
its careless statements sold to the public
as facts and news. Many statements
absolutely false are given out as truths
Many startling newspaper stories are ap-
parently made up out of whole cloth.
This so generally is known as to make
the newspaper rather a laughing stock.
People frankly and jestingly say. oh,
only a newspaper story
THE newspaper is often excused in
this on the plea that the public demands
prompt reports of news and in this effort
to acquire news quickly, accuracy not
always is possible. But why sacrifice
accuracy to speed?
Better be a little slower and moe
accurate. The mad rush for quick news
is not so much a demand of the public
as a desire on the part of the paper to
make a scoop" and out-wit and out-run
its rivals in early reports. Let there be
a rivalry among the papers for accuracy
rather than early news. The public
wants accuracy and of that it has no
assurance in the newspaper accounts of
the day.
IRelIgious News Desired.
Many papers make the mistake of be-
ing absolutely secular. They forget that
relationship of the church and the news
paper They forget that many people
are religious and desire religious news,
and desire it intelligently given. Our
papers go through some funny antics
in trying to secularize and sensationalize
religious news.
VIXEN l came to Washington l was
told that the attitude of the press to
the church was not very cordial: not
but simply Indifferent.
1T has improved very much rec entity,
and I can tell you one thing which
think has contributed toward this i'm
provement, viz, the present administra-
ton.
Religion is eminently more popular in
this administration than formerly. Now
We find the papers as always alive to |
the spirit of the day, on the job, and al
most without exception catering to re-
Iigious news. II is a good sign; It is well
So God bless the work.
1.-THE public is more and more demanding |
a clean and reliable journalism Or |
CARNATIONS, statesmen, and private indi- |
viduals are protesting against the news
papers in their competitive sensational |
ism. Many OF our best papers are them
selves engaged in the reform. And will /
the church have no part IN this effort?