Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1913-06-06
SCHOOL JOURNALISM.


While The Observer has been ar
enthusiastic supporter of higher ed
ucation, and has been doing all that
was possible in aiding the state uni
versity in its fight against its foes
there is one branch of learning
taught at that institution which we
do not believe will attain the object
sought. We refer to the much her
aided and widely advertised chair
of journalism" Primarily, we do
not believe that Journalist" can
be successfully tutored in any edu-
cational institution. However, it
may be possible to manufacture
Journalists but when it comes to
newspaper men" they must secure
their education in the practical
school of experience, at least so far
as those who manage and edit the
country newspapers are concerned.
A university school of journalism is
largely one of theory. A high pric-
ed instructor, who has gained his
knowledge of the business, if he has
any practical understanding of it,
from the metropolitan newspaper,
may be all right to tell the class how
the big daily is conducted, and how
the news is handled, but he is en-
tirely at sea in the country newspa-
per office, for the reason that the
gulf which separates the city daily
from the country newspaper is wide,
and the two publications are con-
Quoted on entirely different lines
While all news is essentially news,
wherever found, there is a great diff
ference in treating it successfully. /.
The writer has had more than 25
years experience in all branches of
the newspaper and the printing bus
mess, He has served on metropoli-
tan dailies and country weeklies and
he knows the wide difference that ex-
lists between the two. And he has
found that the young fellow who
comes to him as a journalist -
fresh from the college class, with a
diploma and a theoretical knowledge
of the business, is about the most
helpless individual in the business.
He knows how it should be, accord
ing to his pleasing theories, but he
finds out that he is absolutely ignor-
ant of how it really is. The average
newspaper proprietor knows this full
well, and it is the bright young fell
low, brought up in the harness, who
has learned the game from the roller
washing in the back room to the
method of estimating the cost of
job of printing, or the rate on big
advertising contract, who has, IN
other words, served in every capac-
ity of the newspaper and the print
ing Office, who makes good, and who
will be employed in preference to
the college journalistic" graduate,
every time.
Real journalism cannot be learned
from books. Books may tell you Z
how to construct sentences and the I
proper use of the language, but they G
rannot give you the "nose for news"
hat every successful newspaper man
must possess. Books cannot give YOU /
hat sense of being "there" when e
hings happen, that ever-present I
something that guides the trained :
md experienced reporter in gather I
ng the news and reporting it cor q
'ectly. Many diploma bearing
journalists have found this true
ime and again, and while they have
'een entirely familiar with all the
,retty theories, and have had great !
Command of the English language :
md could construct pleasant sound
ng and delightfully."- rounded SEN
ences. they have found themselves J
ntirely unable to write the story of
big news event and tell the peo-
lie in simple language. what they !
rant to read.
The college or the university may =
e ideal in the construction of n
journalists" but newspaper men s.
.ork up from the bottom in the har- n
eSS.
That reformed" minister who s
ia the Willamette valley editors re
,ntly that he had saved 5000 in
x years in a town Of 500 people. Ct
entitled to a place of honor at the ST
ght hand of the Most Monstrous IN
revarieator Of the Aninias club. He y
lated to those gaping editorial hu- ia T.
ans, that he didn't know a thing !.
out the printing business, he took nj
e paper when il was run down and W
d q circulation Of only III. and IN at
! six years he has built It up in th
bscribers and outfit until today be ov
) a typesetting machine, improved 81
.sses, doesn't owe a cent and has ~
600 in the banki And he made Il I,
ont Of his newspaper in his little ~.
.ntry town Of 500 people, He's
journalist ns