University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1913-02-10
bands, fathers, brothers and sweet
hearts on the battle field.
JOURNALISM FIELDS
(Fron The Kansas City Journal.)

From The Kansas City Journal)
The belief seems to prevail in va
rious university departments of jour-
nalism that the students in these
schools should aim to prepare them
selves for ownership and manage
ment Of rural publications to the ex-
clusion Of metropolitan experience.
This is the most frequent criticism
Of these departments heard in met
ropolitan ofiices. and in a measure 1t
is Just criticism inasmuch as the So
called professors" Of journalism are
usually not men Of city experience or
familiarity with city newspaper work.
They are prejudiced IN favor Of the
country paper as against the city pa
per and the instructions they impart
on this subject are naturally one
sided and narrow.
Down in Columbia. Mo-, the other
day q country editor with thirty
years experience as the owner and
director Of q small country paper.
told the students in the department of
journalism that they should imme-
diately seek out a country location
and stay there. In the city you
will be a mere cog in a machine. he
is quoted as saying; unknown by the
paper. without friends and a nonen-
tity in the life of the city. In the
you are a leader in; your
and can affect directly
the life Of the locality. for you will
control the policy of your paper.
journalism is the best field
for a young man of energy and hon
esty that America offers"
Part of this statement undoubtedly
is true. Insofar as the country be-
ing desirable as a place for exerting
personal influence. the speaker was
But it is evident that for
thirty years at least this country
editor has been out of touch with
conditions. The city is
today as attractive a field for the
young newspaper man as he can find,
both for acquiring experience and in
broadening his professional view.
The city reporter is a kind of cog,
it is true, but cogs are important and
the city reporter is not necessarily
submerged. He can become an i'm
portant factor in metropolitan jour-
nalism and receive such recognition
both by owners of newspapers and by
the public generally as he deserves
If the city reporter is without friends
It is his own fault If he is really a
he ought not to succeed
anywhere
If this country editor should stop
and think the number of lawyers,
doctors, preachers and other profess
sional men who seem to be "nonen-
titles" in cities he will be forced to
confess that newspaper reporters are
up to the average both in opportunity
and in achievement A first-class re-
porter is always in demand and can
always command a good salary some !
where. He is of acknowledged i'm !
,ortance in large cities and he can
lave quite as many friends as he |
wants. Times have changed in thirty !
'ears. The Old-fashioned reporter |
md the old-fashioned compositor !
lave passed. |
Granting all that this Missouri edi-
or says about the advantages and /
pleasures of running a country paper,
{ is only just to hundreds of alert,
and successful city re-
,orters that students of journalism .
lave a more correct impression of
conditions now maintaining in city
newspaper Offices. The ideal COM
,ination is for the student to gain
he experience of metropolitan work
or few years before going to the
country. This experience will enable
lin to be better country editor, and
will add to the joys of his after
ears by broadening and developing
lin in ways unknown In many coun-
ry Offices. The country editor who
dvised the Columbia students to go
rom the university direct to country
ffices is about thirty years behind
he times.