Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-11-19
What d Publication Cures to
the People Who Read 1t

| cOntrOl the pOHcy OF n paper or lifn,t
its free expression, they are practice,
hlackmaiers.
A newspaper owes to its render.
that no advertisement should be taken
that docs not leave II free to publish
such news and make such common,
as It's conscience dictates.
should He ExpDsoi.
II conditions In n department store
are unjust or nnsanitary. IL the Duh.
lie sale of certain drugs is inimicaI IN
the public health, II the open sale NJ
alcoholic liquors is prejudicial to the
community. IL food and drink ara
found 10 bc impure. the newspaper
ought TO expose snch conditions or "a
ont Of business.
After while. tho fair, SQUARE
manly position Is the only one per.
manently tenabie. by a newspaper
which hopes TO retain its hold upon
the public.
For instance, I knew q man who
prepared an article for his paper upon
the evils OF the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. This
trade Is infested with as large n com.
pany OF grafters and hold-up men as
any business in tho country. Tho
straight and honest automobile deal.
ers owe II to themselves that these
robbers should be exposed. Yet this
article was rejected by the newspa.
per because 1t might offend automo-
bile dealers.
A newspaper owes to it's readers
that 1t should be printed in type thar
an ordinary human being can read,
and on piper that is not rotten.
A newspaper owes to its readers
that II be well edited and that the
news be not thrown in with a scoop
shovel. Headlines ought to'tell some.
thing about what the article under
them contains News should be
grouped and arranged so that the
hnbituai reader knows where to turn
for just what he wants.
a newspaper owes TO its readers
the maintenance OF high ideals. 1t is
the only reading matter of millions
OF people. Any man exerting such
large influence unless he feels his
responsibility to humanity and his own
conscience and to God. cannot achieve
that real success of which / spoke
II is said that. people do not 90 10
church any more. That will not
discuss. hut certainly people are as
anxious to maintain those things for
which religious institutions are sup.
posed to stand as they ever were In
the history of the world. And the
newspaper that will provide interest
ing and wholesome moral pabnlum
for its readers. will find that 1t is ap-
preciated.
Not that a newspaper should givs
itself up to the propaganda of any
sect or religious cult, or other organi-
cation. But there are some things
that constitute the greatest common
denomination Of all moral and relig-
ious effort since civilization began.
Such things are that it is better to
be honest than to be dishonest: bet
ter to be loyal than to be disloyat
better to be man than to be end:
better TO be clean than to be filthy:
better to be kind than to be cruel:
better to be Industrious than 10 be
lazy.
1t will accrue to the benefit of any
newspaper TO persistentiy and daily
champion these things with all the
skin it can. BY its highest priced writ
ers and in the most attractive form.
The newspaper also owes to Its
readers not TO cater to prurient' taste.
The publication of most divorce pro-
reedings and family scandals ] be-
lieve to be as deeply injurious to the
newspapers themselves as 10. most Of
their readers. | loathe the whole
business. There is plenty of news
without sniping into private affairs.
And there is penalty enough for SEX
oal wrongdoers without the injudcal
of publicity inflicted by
unqualified newspaper reporters.
To sum up, the duty of newspa-
per to its readers is to tell the truth,
10 observe the ordinary human de-
,encies. to encourage independence Of
opinion and maintain those high
deals which the common opinion Of
has demonstrated to be ncc-
assary for any right kind Of life.