The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-07-17
FRIDAY, JULY II, 1914.
is IT

~ At the recent meeting of the North
dakota Federation Of Commercial
clubs held at Minot, the following res
.olution was adopted;
"Resolved tina North Dakota news
papers should publish only the good
and not the bad items about any COM
munity in the state except their own
local items. In other words, boost.
and don't knock"
Undoubtedly the men who passed
that resolution had nothing but the
very best intentions and we're actual
ed by a strong desire to see North
Dakota placed in the best POSSIBLE
1ight before the people of the world,
but just what do they mean when they
say newspapers should not publish
.:bad" items? Is it wise to suppress
altogether, all items that might prove
detrimental to a community?
For instance, there was a hail storm
at Darlington this week. 1t did a lot
of damage. That item might be called
a bad" item of news for the Caring
ton vicinity. But should he newspa-
pers of North Dakota refuse ito men
ton it? ~
Newspapers are taking money from
their subscribers to furnish them with
the news-all the news. When they
suppress an item of legitimate news
such as this big storm at Darlington,
they are not doing justice to their
READERS.
The Forum does not believe it Is
cy as a booster for North Dakota. Blu
1T does believe that this idea Of news
suppression is a mistake.
In the first place the very fact that
there is suppression is bound to leak
out and 1t Immediately gives the idea
that there is something to cover up.
What is there to cover up in North
Dakota? No place in the world is
perfect, and when people read a pa
per that chronicles nothing but the
good things and never mentions any
thing detrimental they know that it
is too good to be true No one
wishes to get settlers to come to North
Dakota thinking it is perfect. There
was but one perfect spot on the
globe and it has never been found,
since the angel drove Adam II Eve
out of it.
The Forum agrees that it is not
necessary to make a great ado about
every little snoW-storm in the winter,
because there is a wrong impression
about North Dakota winters farther
east. AS a matter of fact this state
has not had for years what might be
termed a blizzard. States to the east
have been swept winter after winter,
by terrific snow and wind storms that
have wrecked the wire service, tied
fnp traffic and caused untold damage,
swhile North Dakota has scape en-
ttirely.
Il And it may be, in the early days,
shat the local papers exaggerated the
storms that visited this part of tho
world and gave a wrong impression
but Of recent ears the papers have
Gbeen careful not to eXaggerate the
comparatively mild storms that visit
sthis state. On the other hand, to sup
press all mention of storms in the
swinter, which might be termed bad
Eatems, and to give readers in other
sparts of the country the idea thai
Ethere were no winter storms, no colo
Eand no rigors of climate, is poor pol.
icy.
The Forum is with the Federation
ion the boosting part. 1t does believe
dn playing up" everything. that show!
sthe progress and prosperity of Nortt
dakota or anything that shows tha
ENorth Dakota is a desirable place il
(which to make a home, but it doe!
mot believe that telling the truth
about the climate, or any conditio.
affecting the state or its people, viii
work any great injury.