The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1914-11-10
DOWN WITH THE PRESS AGENT

Spanish Y andee' 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 peg
sible WAS who should occupy the
saddle.
All special interests agree that the
American press is an ass, but there is
no disagreement about who shall ride
II. Ihe various interests are in
hearty agreement that everyone who
has need Of free advertising. or pub
lictty" as 1t 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 adyer-
tisIng has been long and patiently
borne. 1t is time, surely. to rebel
The interest OF the newspaper as q
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 aH 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 speech of E..
A. Moore, representing the State
Charities Association Of New York, at
the charities conference In Philadei-
phia, in which it is stated that at
tempts to file valuable space from
newspapers should be abandoned even
by organizations fighting tuberculosis.
MIR. Moore Is quoted as follows:
I'VE do not ask the stationer to con-
tribute the paper we use. We &c rot
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, which
Is like money to them.
BUY gpace. Advertise your work as
business houses do. and you will get
The best publicity In the world, and
you will case little OF the resent
ment that the newspapers are begin
ming to feel for you. II you do any
| thing worth n picayune the newspap-
ers will print 1t as news and without
your solicitation"
Advertising that Is frankly adver-
tising commands respect. Advertising
which parades as news not only les
sens the respect of the public for
newspapers as vehicles OF information
but also breeds contempt in the mind
Of the reader who might, If properly
approached become, interested in the
enterprise. the commodity, the article,
the individual, advertised.
Nowadays q very considerable pro-
portion Of the readers of the press
quickly recognize Sand as quickly re-
sent, publicity articles" designed to
impose upon them by passing off ad-
vertising as news. 80,
The paid advertisement challenges
attention and disarms criticism. It is
an open and aboye board claim for
consideration; not an effort to trade
upon lack OF intelligence, more Of
ten presumed than /, actual, among
readers.
Publicity bureaus are often so ex-
pensive that paid advertising would
be less costly. The press could, and
should. greatly reduce the volume OF
free publicity. The result would be
more informing and reliable news col
umhs. That reform would be worth
more than the dvertisfng witch would
supplant the free publicity, masque-
rading as news. The Courier-J Journal.