Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-09
Begging" the Newspaper to Death

The manager of the American News
that every time there is an orange
day. apple day, salmon day, bean day,
raisin day, oyster day, rice day, or
any other Gay devoted to the shearing
of the newspaper flock, that those
particular days be also made adyer-
Using days and that on such days no
publicity shall be published which is
not fully paid for in cash."
The editors of every newspaper,
large or small, know the meaning of
this publicity" abuse. Every day
their Massachusetts, are filed with the
demands of this and that crganiza-
ton which fully intends to reform and
save the world; with the valuable
information" furnished absolutely
free" by land companies, automobile
manufacturers, territory boomers, ad-
Vertisers of all sorts of gimeraeks,
any and all who wish to get something
for nothing. Publicity experts have
convinced many advertisers Concerns
with something to exploiD that their
advertising appropriations will bring
better results under this plan of beg
ging and stealing than in legitimate,
open and honest advertising Even
the Ford Motor Co, which makes
world-loud blare about giving $10,000,-
900 to employees, is one of the most per-
sistent beggars in the newspaper cat
alog of those who intend Ito get some
thing for nothing" Other motor COM
panies fill the mails with free sto-
ries which they demand that the edi-
tor put in the place of news for his
readers The stories are false, mawk-
ish, pure rot" as a class; worthless,
misleading. disgusting, when the mo-
tive and the means are understood
Gradually these pickpocket concerns
are being sized up and listed for what
they are-hold-uppers and buns. The
public is also gradually learning, as
the newspaper offices have learned.
These big examples are followed by
boards of trade, political parties and
even churches, each urging that GER
tain pet scheme be dinned in the ears
of the readers-AT THE NEWSPA-
PER'S EXPENSE.
kick and cane about in wrath, because
their paper is not newspaper and
cannot afford to, bore holes with a big
auger.
The average reader is beginning to
realize that the editor is always at
his wits end to draw the line between
the matters that will be of interest
and profit to the greater number of
his readers, and the stuff" He never
hopes to please more than a plurality
but gives such variety that there must
be a few cents worth of material for
ton be discarded.
Sometimes the newspaper man of
today begins to ask his fellows If bust
ness is becoming an organization of
beggars. Read the following speci-
men of beer and politics, as illustra-
tive: VIII H. dig, of Chicago, couples
the announcement that he has been
awarded the whole of the Anheuser
Busch contract (advertising) with the
following request for the free printing
Of two columns of newspaper space
headed League of Citizens Aims to
Restore Sanity in Atlanta" Copy re-
fers to the Citizens League of Atlanta
which will take such part as 1t re-
CARDS necessary in local politics and
will make politics frankly part of It's
business"
In making the request for free space
| Mr.. Dig says: President August A.
Busch is very anxious to have this
printed in your publication or at least
some portion Of 1t. 1t is very i'm
portant to me that you help me out
and believe you will do it. E. hope
with al my heart that you win see