Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1916-02-11
THE NHORRID NEWSPAPERS"

The newspaper can write about it
self, as long as the people persist in
talking about it. The Savannah Press
contained a thoughtful editorial On
the newspaper situation as regards the
public, and we herewith reprint it;
A certain Mrs. Mohr of Providence,
Rhode Island, with whom the reading
public is reluctantly familiar, will soon
retire from the newspapers for the
present. We shall not miss her pic
lures, nor shall we feel deprived of
tlle various matters of her private life
with which we have been RECALLED.
Evidence of her guilt, while not suf-
fcent to bring the jury to verdict
against her, were yet of such an allur-
iLg character as to make her case one
which has been heralded to the utmost
remote corners of the country. Mrs.
Mohr makes her exit; we berathe a
sigh of relief, but full well we realize
that soon some other case of equal
sordiness will come along to ensnare
our unwilling attention.
Why is it, we wonder that human
nature Graves knowledge and under
standing of these sordid tragedies? 1t
is exceedingly vain to put the reproach
of this upon the newspapers. The
newspapers, as a general dult, adapt
themselves, in their news policies, to
the people. They supply the sort of
thing the public demands. 1t is true
that some of them are over-zealous to
a perverted curiosity about cvrimes
ard sensational scandals, but let us not
forget that if the public did not
eagerly consume the supply of naus-
eous news, the supply would soon be
replace dby news of a higher and
more elevating character.
Newspapers-some of them-do their
best toward upholding principles of
good living and honest politics, but
their influence is inevitably bounded
around by what the people desire TO
hear about and think about.
1t is both shameful and astonishing
to eralize how trivial and vulgar our
interests really are. Newspaper folk
have their ideals, just as artists and
sure-enough literary folks have, but
like these, We too, have to step down
and compromise to keep the bot boil
ing. Some day the ideal newspaper
will be printed, in which the record Of
crimes and disasters will be secondary
to the record of kind acts and good
news.
1t is we'll understood thing that
sensational murders and suicides are
followed by more sensational murders
which news of bad people and bad
deeds arouse tends to set instincts and
tendencies to work, which are deadly |
to righteous development. The very
fact that these sordid shocking things
are so fascinating to the average read
er is an alarming symptom of human
natures sympathy with things which |
are against the better and higher de-
Nelopment, News of this evil charac-
ter, though it carries with it almost
inevitably, the picture of suffering and
disaster, carries also certain insid.
eous contagion.
The newspapers don't know how to
shut the people off from sensational
rews and yet live; the people feel that
their self-respect is INDICATED if they |
blame the newspapers and yet read SO |
there you are. The truth is, we must |
all move upward or downward togeth-
er. By and by, when the people refuse
tC make scandals and crimes fashion |
able, the newspapers will supply bet +
ter news and the public will reach ,
better standards of thought-but
when?