The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-08-13
The Question of News
and Publicity.

Livery editor OF newspaper Won
ders, sometimes, If the general public
thinks newspaper is a charitable in
stitution. The demands which are
constantly being made upon every
newspaper in the country would be
amusing, were not these demands so
costly.
The general public seems to think
that the average editor is sort of
good fellow, who has opened an Office
for the express purpose of writing up
things and people who want to be
written up, and that these people
have been most magnaninous when
they have given the editor curt
thank you. Many do not consider that
this is necessary at all, but are frank
" Of the opinion that the editor
should be glad to get the news. AS
this kind Of ''news" is unfaiIingly ex-
plotting somebody's private interests,
in the opinion of the editor, it is not
news at all, but advertising.
The fact Of the matter is that news
paper editors are in the business to
make living, just like other people.
It is true that the making of a living
through the avenue of newspaper
work is never the main idea of any
good newspaper man, for the simple
reason that any man who has grad
uated in newspaper work and reached
the plane of technical experience
necessary to the management and di-
rection Of any newspaper, is fully
aware that the newspaper game is not
a money-making game. And that no
newspaper can ever hope to succeed
that has back Of it no higher inspira-
ton than the lure of money-making
Nevertheless, it is d fact that the
newspaper game is the costliest game
in the world. It costs more in money
in time, in energy, than anything else
in the world-except war. And in.
deed, a newspaper Office on busy
night, is not unlike a battle-ground
or a storm centre Of some kind.
Now, the fact Of the matter is tina
it makes no difference how high al
editors ideals may be, the machiner!
of the newspaper is much Ike tn,
machinery of any other business en-
terprise7-it needs Oiling, and oil cost
money. And unless the newspape
earns money, who is going to pa
for the oil and the power that max
the wheels 60 round7
There are only two ways that
newspaper has of making money, an
these are through its circulation an
its advertising. The man who CON
plains about the local paper is il
variably the man who is not sui
scriber or who does not advertis
And these men are always the first
complain, also, when they do not r
ceive gratuitous publicity.
It is true that a newspaper, in Il
nature of things, has to give certa
amount of free advertising. It adve
tises the church meetings, club NEE
ings, comings and goings of peopl
entertaining, public and private, n
because these things are really new
but because they are of local intere
and custom has sanctioned it. B
these things are not really news
all, but simply courtesies extend
by the newspapers to the public
public that shows scant appreci
ton for such courtesies, as a genel
thing.
It does not seem to occur to I
public mind that every line that
put into q newspaper costs mon'
And it is a fact, known to eve
newspaper man, that, as gene,
rule, the more space given to p
son or organization, the less apprec
ton accorded. On the contrary, t
person or organization comes at i
to demand as a right that which v
extended as favor.
The newspaper in the small to
fills a position peculiarly its own.