Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-05-11
drumming" tho Newspapers.

A big. good looking. self-confldent
and self -assertive young man stalked
into the Editorial Rooms Of the Jour-
nal office. a few days ago, and de-
manded that he be turned over to q
reporter to whom he could give a
''corking' good news story. The man.
aging editor modestly requested in
formation as to the nature of the news
before assigning a man, and was in.
formed that he had done some
stunt with automobile and
1.-The people like to know about those
things
He was politely but somewhat sar-
castically told that he had made 4
mistake in offices; that he had passed
the business Office on the way in: tina.
all advertising was looked after in
the front office.
Then he stormed that he didn't
want ADVERTISING, ETC.. ETC., after
the manner Of the paid advertising
bum," so largely represented in tn,
automobile business. He was then
invited to get out" at once, as we
have small patience with concerns
Cor their representatives. which make
appropriations for the express purpose
Of begging. cumming or stealing
newspaper space. This man repre-
scented one of the worst offenders in
this line. His concern fills the mails
with publicity bureau" trash, not a
line of which we would use or read,
even If it WERE news. The same
I prejudice has been built up in other
newspaper offices. where in recent
years the advertising buns" have
become an intolerable nuisance. There
are hundreds Of such concerns that
seem to prefer the un-Christian, I'M
ethical wholly unfair means of Sc
curing the general public attention by
employing advertising sharps to
bum" the space in the guise of
stories" and news items"
The Fourth Estate" serves up
another side Of the question as fol-
lows:
Space and copies of his paper go &c
make up the newspaper mans entira
stock in trade. These two are all tina;
he has to offer for sale to the pub
lie and no one has ever yet given an )
sort of satisfactory reason why he
should ever be asked by anyone to
donate them.
One thing newspaper people viii
never be able to understand is VIII
any person will walk into news.
paper office and make himself or her.
self an object of charity and insis,
upon what they would disdain to ash
for in any other shop or place Of
business in the town. The principle
is the same in the newspaper ofic:
as in the dry goods store, the gro.
Gerry, drug store and what great
many people need is to come to rec.
ognize it as the same and get OF thi
newspaper charity list.
Advertising space in the newspaper
Is for sale and not to give away. II
has a certain intrinsic value in Itself
that makes it worth money. Copie.
Of the newspaper are for sale. not t:
give away. If they are worth hav.
ing. they are worth the exceedingly
small price asked for them. ~
The public, or at least a large pro-
portion Of 1t, has some very erroneou.
ideas about these matters, and 1t il
but just to the newspaper folks thai
these ideas be corrected in accord
snce with the same business prin
ciples that prevail in all other bust
ness establishments.
In the vast majority Of cases, thi.
generous charity on the part Of news
papers is blissfully taken for granted
and the papers liberality abused
That which Is purely favor is &C.
cepted as a matter Of course and
what should be requests are couched
as demands.
| When the courtesy has been pr.
formed there Il rarely appreciation