Milford chronicle., 1914-11-20
THE NEWSPAPERS and The CHURCH.

Rev. r. L. Jackson, pastor of Han
over Presbyterian Church. in the course
OF recent sermon on "The Church and
the Press uttered some truths for
which he deserves the thanks of pub.
fishers, editors and reporters of news.
! papers, and we recommend the careful
reading of his address to minister, in
particular.
The minister scores what he terms
the yellow journals" but speaks a
word of appreciation Of the better class
OF newspapers. He saws such papers
are by no means perfect. but he adds
that taking them all in all, thev are as
good as the constituency to which they
cater.
The minister also points ont that
newspapers are accused of printing
lies, and by way of comment on this
accusation, he pertinently asks if the
accusatory reader realizes that usually
It Is not the reporter who has lied but
the person interviewed by the reporter /
The minister might have gone a great I
deal further in this connection and if /
the laymen could only realize the great .
effort made by newspapers to get the .
truth and only the truth there might
be less criticism. No reporter of a
reputable newspaper would deliberately
mlsquote anyone.
But aside from the question Of per-
tection Of veracity Of newspapers-and
while denying that they are deliberate
ly untruthful and declaring that their
nearness TO perfection is determined
very largely by the support of their
wish particularly to
,all attention TO these words OF Mr..
Jackson;
Now there is no institution which is s
90 constantly and so greatly in debt to r
he newspaper as the church Think of .
he free advertising the church receives, =
he many columns it gets in which to
-dvertise its goods. No Ladies' Aid }
society is too feeble and Intellectual not
O receive an occasional puff No per T
on is so ineloquent that his tedious
eliverances are not once in a while n
one into copy. %
And vet, notwithstanding all the q,
avOrs shown the church and her clergy c,
y the press, how little appreciation of
tangible character does the latter re- tt
give from the former. Too often it is
My criticism and attack. The Ladies' &C
id Society forgets that there are sew h'
raj subscribers who are not interested
! their thrilling doings. The person 81
ho has preached what seems to him to ay
2 the effort of his life strangely for
ITS that the religious editor has a af
rival in the sporting editor, K
no has just as greedy a circle Of
aders as his cOnfrere. These repre- Al
Of the church sometimes are ~
'ttishly peeved when their unconscious
Iorts to swamp the paper with their esh
ntributions of news and sermons are W
mly resisted by the religious editor ]
stead OF thanking him for what he lar
able TO do for them, they berate him "a "a
r what he is unable to do, and publish T
road the enmity Of the secular press PEI
religion Be I9e
With respect TO the considerable =
lOunt OF free advertising given the +
use of religion during the year. we ine
Iieve we echo the sentiment of other tse
al newspapers when we say that it
given ungrudgingly and with no ex- = r
,tation that the virtues of this or WI
1t newspaper are going to be exploit Del
from the pulpit; but there are times
en- the editor and the reporter feel ~
It their efforts are not appreciated Ne,
ause of criticism and attack on the R.
t Of ministers and church organi- =
ions
The amount Of space given to or kin,
ary meetings Of a religious nature Sou
local newspapers is greatly in ex- =
5 Of that given by the newspapers of bou
larger cities. and In a great many amir
es space is given free for matter Of son.
Durely advertising nature. z,
his being true, we believe, as Mr.. tric
kson believes. that ministers and tim
nbers of religious bodies should sire
lie more fully the obligation they E,
TO the newspapers, not only Tor Caly
ir liberal attitude toward religious Win
IS and advertising, but for what sou'
Y are doing for the betterment of W
dltlons in the city and state. for
good
nEDDEAT Mrs.