The state herald., 1915-04-23

From this II will be seen that each story. with
Its fund OF human interest and useful information
combined, reaches different circulation, the
distribution being governed entirely by the range
OF applicability OF the information 1t contains"
II Is the desire OF the office OF information to
prepare these stories that they may be printed
without editing revision II Is In this that lies
one OF the strengths OF the agricultural depart
ment information service, for II means that scien.
tihc terms and phraseology are eliminated wher
ever possible. that the significance to the people
OF the bulletin on which the story Is based Is
emphasized. and that specific. but easy. instrue.
tions are given TO enable the people to do that
which the bulletin recommends. The stories
therefore. can be called constructive news"
They tell the people what they can do and how to
do IT,
The department OF agriculture takes great care
TO make its stories accurate. Everything that In
put out by the office OF information is submitted
for approval first. to the author: second. TO the
chief OF the Office bureau which has charge
of the subjects with which the story is con.
cerned; third. TO second chief of bureau In
order that he may check up any undue en-
phasls op one particular aspect OF given prob
lem. and fourth. to the secretary assistant
secretary of agriculture for final approval
II would seem that with these safeguards moth.
Ing can be sent out which will be misleading TO
the people II can be said that since the Office
OF information was created II has been q rigid
rule TO avoid nny appearance OF personal pub.
llcity. In the Information stories which are sent
out neither the names OF individuals nor even
the names OF the different Offices and bureaus
In the department are printed unless they are
absolutely essential 10 the story. Every state.
ment that II made II given upon the authority NJ
the department and not upon that OF n part of II.
No stories are sent out from the Office Of infor.
nation about what the department Of agriculture
intends 10 do or hopes TO do Neither II anything
said In praise OF the departments work Plain
statements are given Of what has been done and
recommended. This IL all. II can be said that
seemingly this policy has brought about a very
nppreclablo change IN the way In which tho
newspapers regard agricultural news Once the
dnliy press was inclined TO consider that tho
only interesting stories were those which were
personal In character, were sensational or what
might be called frcakifh Now II IN believed that
the newspapers are much more disposed 10 meas.
urc the value Of story M news by the value
or the Information II conveys
Tho Office OF Information does not measure tho
worth Of newspaper circulation by numerical
standards. but rather by the appropriateness ot
each story that II sends out To the necessities
OF the readers SO II be said that the farm
papers arc regarded aa much more valuable
medium than the daily proHa for purely hEticul.
iural stories, and the papers circulating In rural
districts aa much more valuable for the snmn
kind OF reading matter.
No absolutely accurate information can be- had
mn TO tho extent OF the circulation given TO infor.
nation stories by the agricultural department
service. II n said that clippings are received