Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-11-10
Press AGENCY imposition.


allow themselves to be imposed on to
larger extent than do the newspa-
per people, we would be at a loss to
say who they are.
There is hardly a commodity that
is in greater demand than publicity,
and certainly no commodity that is
subject to more extensive or persist
ent acquisitions from people so bent
on trying to get what they want with
out paying the price.
Experienced newspaper publishers,
as we'll as the solid, substantial ele-
ment of the general public, will easily
recognize the subjoined editorial from
the Louisville Courier-Journal, as
having been written by one who thor
oughly understands his subject:
A Spanish grandee once observed
that all noble and royal Spaniards
agreed that the public was an ass and
should be ridden. The only point
upon which disagreement was possl-
BILE was who should occupy the sad
die.
All special interests agree that the
American press is an ass, but there is
no disagreement about who shall ride
it. The various interests are In
hearty agreement that everyone VINO
has need of free advertising, or pub
licity" as it is called, shall make free
and unlimited use Of the news col
umns 1t is due to the folly of the
press that the burden Of free adver-
tising has been long and patiently
borne. 1t is time, surely. to rebel.
The interest of the newspaper as
business enterprise; the conscience OF
the press as a gatherer and distribut-
or of news; the reasonable demand OF
the reader that advertising shall bear
a label, are influences which should
combine to put an end to the riding
of the ass by everybody and anybody
who wants publicity"
Even the riders are beginning,
many of them, to grasp the fact that
they have made inordinate demands
upon good nature. The American
newspaper Publishers association, In
Bulletin 1904, reprints a speech of b.
A. Moore, representing the state
Charities association Of New York, at
the charities conference in Philadel-
phia, in which it is stated that at
tempts to file valuable space from
newspapers should be abandoned even
by organizations fighting tuberculosis.
Mr.. Moore is quoted as follows:
I'VE do not ask the stationer to con-
tribute the paper we use. We do not
ask the owners of the building we oc-
cupy to contribute our quarters. But
we do ask the newspapers to do the
equivalent by giving us space. when
is like money to them.
Buy space. Advertise your work
l. Il
get the best publicity in the world,
and YOU will ease little of the re-
sentiment that the newspapers are be-
ginning to feel for you. If you do
ANYTHING worth picayune the news
pers will print it as news and without
your solicitation"
Advertising that is frankly adver-
tising commands respect. Advertls-
ing which parades as news not only
lessons the respect of the pubic Tor
newspapers as vehicles of information
but also breeds contempt in the nina
of the reader who might. if properly
approached, become interested in the
enterprise, the commodity, the artl-
Gle, the individual, advertised.
Nowadays a very considerable pro-
portion of the readers of the press
quickly recognize, and as quickly re-
sent, publicity articles" designed 10
impose upon them by passing Off ad-
vertising as news.
The paid advertisement challenges
attention and disarms criticism. 1t Is
an open and above board claim for
consideration: not an effort to trade
upon a lack of intelligence. more OFT
en- presumed than actual, among read
erS.
Publicity bureaus are often so eX,
pensve that paid advertising would
be less costly. The press could, ana
should. greatly reduce the volume or
free publicity. The result would pc
more informing and reliable news col
umns. That reform would be worth
more than the advertising which
would supplant the free publicity
masquerading as news.
So well put is all of the foregoing
that we do not feel disposed to take
issue with any of it-certainly not In
a spirit of detraction; but we are dis
posed to think that the writer might
have been less liberal in his admission
that there is no disagreement as to