The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-08-06
ABUSES OF JOURNALISM.

There are few more interesting and i'm
portant themes in its relation to all branches
of modern thought and action than the true
province and mission of the newspaper
both city daily and country weekly. For
whatever else may be said of it, it cannot
be denied that it is, all things considered,
probably the mightiest and most far-reach-
ing intellectual agency of the times. All
other professions, all other departments OF
activity, are in a measure, and often in a
large measure, dependent upon it for aid
in the PRONUNCIATION of their ideas or the
execution of their designs. 1t represents
them all to certain extent, and is recog-
nized by them all as the necessary medium
by which they are brought face to face and
mind to mind with the great body of the
people, 1t is, in word, not merely the
fourth estate, but all Of the four estates in
one; the power which, in sense, is the en-
bodiment of ali the others. 1t is notewor-
thy, too, that the increase of its influence
is in direct proportion to the growth in gen.
eral education and the common progress,
and this is so because, as has already been
said. it is, for the most part, representative
in its character and reflects the develop
ment and the culture of the age, or, at
lSdSl, VI Tic SICd9 VI Aoo Soho|A0o
ents. 1t is unfortunately, however, tree
of knowledge of evil as we'll as good, and
being accessible to wise and innocent.
learned and ignorant alike, its influence for
wrong may be, and often is, as potent as
its opportunities to uphold and strengthen
the right. 1t is precisely in this that the
danger of modern journalism to society
consists; danger which is none the less
real because it is frequently insidious and
unnoted. What is known as the sensations
newspaper is too familiar to need descrip.
ton. It's energies are devoted distinctly
to pandering to the lower instincts anc
tastes of humanity, with the object simply
of increasing ts>circulation and enrichine
its managers. No considerations Of public
or private decency or morals are allowed t.
stand in the way of these objects. The onl,
question which it asks is, "Wil it pay?'
II it thinks it will, it will publish anything
no matter who may be hurt or affected
Reputation, honor, the good name of re
spectacle people are nothing to it in it
fierce thirst to outstrip competitor in it
special line. Its uncleanness is only equal
ed by its utter brutality. It is true tina
this poison carries with it in many cases it
own antidote. The wise and experience
soon learn to know the newspaper just a
they know the individual that is unworth,
to enter their houses, and which is to b
Stunned as dangerous and degrading
But the innocent and the inexperienced can
not always discriminate between the mere
tricious and the genuine, and the tinsel an
glitter of the false may easily lead thef
astray The evil~influence of bad news
paper is, however,. not limited merely
those broader offenses which may readil
be detected by casual inspection. HIGH
colored accounts of executions, morbi
descriptions of criminals which CONVEX
murderers into heroes, exaggerated an
picturesque stories of crime, detailed an
demoralizing reports of divorce proceeding
and scandals in society and the courts an
the immoral illustrations with which SON
leading papers insult their readers, are tt
most dangerous features of this kind I
journalism.