Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-12-29
Changing Journalism
Is for the Better.

From the point of view of the read
ing public. the newer journalism is
preferable to the old. There has, on
the whole, been a general improvement
in the daily press in the last twenty
years-an all-round speeding up News
paper of all classes are better writ
ten, more readable, more entertaining
snd more attractive than ever they
were, and are quite as well informed.
Even the greatest of them ALL the
Times, has been touched with the spir-
it of modern enterprise at every point,
and never reached a higher level of
journalistic excellence. These are the
words of Mr.. Robert Donald, the presi-
dent of the British Institute of Journ-
alists, in his recent address at the an
nual conference of that organization
Himself managing editor of the Daily
Chronicle, he speaks with the intimat
knowledge of the working journalist.
and sketches with graphic hand the
many startling changes in the British
press. But if he records what he chief
ly and optimistically considers prog
ress, he also admits the growth of far
kind, akin to those that have taken
place in Journalism on this side OF the
water. He does not, for instance deny
that eommercialization has gone on
apace The 'proprietoriat system" has
almost disappeared, the corporation
having taken the place OF the individ
ual owner, to the extent that nine
tenths of the leading daily newspapers
belong to limited companies"; lively
such, listed on the Stock Exchange, hs
ure in its daily quotations. Na-.uraliy
he finds that under this corporate own
ership ''the main concern of sharehoid
ers. who are investors and not journal
lists. is their dividends, end dividends
must be earned even IL prlnclple mas
to suffer in the process
Side by side with this development
has come a distinct check to the In
crease of the number of newspapers in
England. That increase has been only
r,er cent. in the morning and evening
field during the last twenty years, III
which the population has grown "a per
cent, and the reading public at an
even faster rate. The explanation OF
this is not far to seek 1t costs large
sums nowadays to found newspapers,
and the aggressive reaching out into
the provinces of the London dailies
makes the lot of the small-town news
na per less and less secure and inVlt
ing. This competition is accentuateu
bv the simultaneous publication or sew
eraI newspapers IN two centres Ii this
has stimulated the provincial press 10
greater efforts, it has damaged the ao-
yertising of the press as whole, the
advertiser feeling that the newspapers
of great metropolitan and provincial
circulation fill all his needs. The more
or less sensational methods of the sue
cessful London half-penny papers
",,,oLa n nossible," Mr. Donald de
o,ores ofor papers run on old-fashion-
"a lines to survive He is sure that
the immediate future VIII gee 'hiS
fierce competition intensineo' ana more
and more Of the old-fashioned klno Oh
journals go to the wall. 1t Is the oay
of the newspaper with tremendous
for special trains, motorcar de-
I,verv services, publicity campaigns
and endless billboard and poster ao-
,,ortis,nr. and Mr. Donald prophesies
that twenty years hence an Ensiish
,,o,,,sranar which has not at least d
nv '. ..,,i,,o,, readers will not be seri-
oorsiaered as an organ of tho
n,,a nol;tieal and social power OF these
,o,rnoI;st,c Dreadnoughts VIII not De
anv less. Mr.. Donald feels: ana theh' 10
oonso,e the small journalist VINO may
soc himself finally put out OF business py
,he coming use of the aeroplane, airsnip'
..v,otornlanes running on special TRACKS,
.,,o ,,srs;ne . OF morning and evening
with hourly editions by day
~ hv night. which our authority fore
sees he adds that there will be a revival
of the purely local country newspapers,
..much improved in form ana styie
Rut all newspapers, it appears VIII nave
to fear not so much competition from
zach other as from new methoos Oh ue-
,,ver;ng news by cinematograph, tele-
,,ho,e or phonograph. This is induDita-
h,v Hooking a little far into the future.
mt what we do not get from Mr. Doh-
o,d 10 some assurance that under the
,yonaerfu, new conditions the character
NJ newspapers will continue as high ana
their sense of responsibility to the pup-
lie as keen. That is the question winch
deeply concerns everybody.
We wish the omen were more raVor-
able on this side of the water, or at
least clearer. Our worst specimens OF
the yellow type combine all the pao
features of unscrupulous, irresponsible
proprietorship and of corporation man
agement The only thing that Is certain
is that the day Of the old-fashioned type
of newspaper is rendered more dinicuit
by the journal which Is the counterpart