The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-09-19
THE COUNTRY EDITOR

I 1t is sometimes saddening TO see
the tendency of the big city dailies
to have fun at the expense of the
country weekly and its disingenous
editor, says the Fourth Estate.
In this day of quick transportation
and rural free delivery there are few
intelligent people so "far back" as
not to take daily paper. The far
mer nowadays has his city daily just
as regularly as the man in the city
and he gets it only a little later. And
if it be a real live daily he finds in
it much that is of interest concerning
his own community.
1t is obvious that a city daily can
not give a quarter column OF space 10
an item to the effect that Mr.. So-and-
So of the Four Cross Roads is build
ing a new store Yet that news Is
just as interesting to the people OF
the Four Cross Roads as in some city
papers news to city people that a
new department store is to be opened
in the retail district.
Both the city daily and the coun-
try weekly have their own separate
fields to FILL The country weekly fills
"a most important place in the scheme.
journalistic 1t is its province to tell
the happenings of its community.
These happenings may look funny in
print to the editor of the city daily.
but it is not for him that the country
weekly is published.
And the country weekly is not read
in the way back regions alone
either. Many a city man takes time
to tear the brown wrapper of the
little weekly paper and forget the big
world about him, and the big city
dailies, while he reads about the old
folks down at home. A city man who
thinks in millions might be supposed
to be the last in the world to find in
terest in the fact that Miss Bessie
daughter of Ben and Jane Shocks, is
married to John Jones. But human
nature has strange involutions. The
city man and Ben Shocks may have
been boys together. chums in many a
youthful adventure, and Jane-then
Jane Smith-may have been his first
sweetheart.
Who can know all the reasons why
many a city man likes to read over
and over the country weekly from
his old home? 1t is enough that his |
own heart knows.
The country editors calling is not
one which promises great riches He
must have devotion to his work, and, ,
considering what he gets out of IL
he delivers surprisingly high class
of goods.
1t is doubtful if the country editor
always realizes just how great an in
fiuence he has, and his opportunities.
AS a matter of fact, he is nearer
to the people to whom he appeals
than any other man who spreads black
ink on white paper.
The men who make the city daiIies
do not repOse for large portion of
the time on downy beds of ease. but
after all, the editor of the country pa
per has the hardest work TO do of
any man in the newspaper business.
He is generally his own printers
foreman, advertising manager. collec-
tor, editor-in-cfief, and staff of re-
porters. When he has nothing else
to do he can kick off handbills or
business cards. In such cases he is
his own power plant also.
The country editor may not just
exactly come up to the ideas of the
editor of big city daily, but he
suits his own subscribers. and even
some editors of city dailies know
that this is the highest test-Tampa
Times.