The Idaho Republican., 1913-02-14
The Value of Publicity
PAPER READ BEFORE EASTERN IDAHO PRESS CLUB BY JAMES H. WALLIS

10 PRESS CLUB BY JAMES H. WALLIS
the want of clothes and food" An
other paper within the last few days,
under the caption, viii You Assist
Us?" published a lengthy editorial
! that starts out as follows: THE ed
itor of the Capital News is in jail
and we will soon be unless a number
of our subscribers come to our res
cue by sending in the amount due us.
+ No wonder that at recent meeting
! held in Caldwell a school trustee
spoke of the newspapers as objects
of charity. One of the newspapers
in that city very truthfully remarked
that "he, perhaps, had been reading
the newspap rs attempts at humor,
wherein they picture themselves as
being on the ragged edge of poverty,
also the frantic appeals to subscri-
bers to come in and pay up their
subscriptions" The press, if it
really desires to be respected, should
first respect itself and under all cir
cumstances maintain a dignified
demcanor. 1t should never dun its
subscribers through it's local columns
nor publish the story of the poverty
of its editor or publisher. 1t should
keep its subscription list in such
order that it cGn render it's subscri-
bers a bill at the end of each year,
enclosing the same in the wrapper
with the paper as it is sent out, as
the postal laws permit. When it do
mates space for any cause of what
ever nature it should always charge
the regular and established rate and
render a receipted bill for the
amount. Advertising space is one of
the things the publisher of a news
paper has for sale, and when he
gives ten, twenty or one hundred
lines to any business of public
character he should receive credit
for the donation the same as a mer-
chant does when he gives a sack of
flour or side of bacon In a years
time the people would awaken to
the fact that instead the news
papers being objects of charity, they
would be seen to occupy converse
position and be credited with giving
Iawny more than any other institution
in the community. 1t is safe that no
individual in any town or city in the
country gives more to charity than
the average newspaper man. The
editor Of newspaper should always
remember the words of Bobbie
Burns, who said: 20, would some
gift the power to give us, to see our
selves as others see u.s." If they
could only see themselves as others
see them, editors would never make
themselves such obpects of charity
to the people among whom their pap
er circulates. Newspaper men must
maintain dignifled position in
their respective communities in
order to command the respect that
their publications are entitled to-.
They should make their" collections
and transact their other business the
same as other men of affairs do, as a
matter of right. Not until this is
done will the profession of journal
ism be placed on a right basis and
the business conducted as any other
Legitimate and creditable enterprise
is.
The newspaper men of the last few
years, especially since the organiza-
ton of the Eastern Idaho Press Club,
have been the means of putting much
valuable legislation on the statute
books in the way of publicity. There
was time when the ordinances of a
city or village could be posted in
three out of the way places and have
the effect of law. The financial
transactions of our School Trustees
we're never known except to the very
few people who happened to be pre-
sent at yearly meeting held a short
time before the opening of the polls
for the election of a trustee Many
in the school district were in ignor-
Eance as to the time of this annual
election and we're never present. It
was the same with our general cleo
tion. No one ever saw in official
form the ticket to be voted for, un-
til the day of election. When, by
chance they were then permitted to
receive a sample ballot, they had the
opportunity Of scanning the names
Of those who were up before the peo-
pie for their sufferage, and learning
the lawful manner to vote for them.
There was not time to make any in
vestigation as TO the qualifications or