Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-07-19
Editors Letter Box
Mr.. Pagan in Rebuttal

n IN. Editor Of the Daily Kennebec
Journal:
After the editorial belaboring which
YOU last week accorded my very moo
est opinion on newspaper puolclty
ask your kind permission to present
to YOUR readers one or two points IN
rebuttal.
In the first place 1 think it is Gus
tomary among editors Of newspapers IN
this country to invite criticism OF eV-
ery description from readers. put "heh
the editors get this criticism they 90
not a. a rule accuse the writers of har-
boring designs on the editorial Joo or
dignity.
NV criticism Of the press in general
is summed up in the fact that the peo-
pie today understand very little ABOUT
the great industrial problems Whlch
the people themselves will be calied
upon to settle in some way before long
and they, the people, will have very
little chance to get posted until editors
paw more attention to the stuff they
are now Ringing into the waste basket.
Editors are waiting or seem to be walt
ing for something big to happen, ana
then there will be a hurry-up can TOT
the news.
A few years ago. when l undertook
to tell the public what l knew ABOUT
railroad accidents the editors told me
as they tell me today, to hire hall.
They refused to look at my stuff,
they were too busy publishing fake
stories at a dollar a word and taking
their vacations on railroad passes to
pay much attention to the uncomfort-
able facts. They were simply selling
their space, and it was only when | got
to the people by other means TO the
effect for example that railroad widows
and children were being robbed of in
surance and claim money and that at
railroad wrecks the arms and legs of
victims, instead of their fingers and
toes. were being cut off in order to Sc
cure the extra remuneration, it was
only then. 1 say, that the press got
onto it's job. During all those years,
such was my egotisn I was trying to
reform the newspapers, not to edit
them.
Furthermore, in my humble opinion
there is no such thing today in the
Kennebec Journal as free news" AS
matter of fact the general adver-
tiser today pays about all of the bills.
When a manufacturer or storekeeper,
for example, places his ad in the Ken
nebec Journal. he, the advertiser. has
it in his mind not exactly that he is
buying space. but that he is paying the
owners Of the newspaper for their
trouble md skill in neWsgatherlng and
for the attractive display of the same
to the end that the greatest possible
number OF eyes may cheerfully light
on the ad in question. In other words
the advertiser understands that in re-
atty the news is the seller of his goods.
My point from beginning to end then
is that the press today is not publish
ing in sufficient volume the industrial
and manufacturing news. Industry and
the sale of its products is the worlds
greatest advertiser. Your statement
intended for railroad men and railroad
managers that paid for space is the
newspapers stock in trade is no ans
wer to the demand for publicity. For
the modern newspapers most constant
and valuable stock in trade is the in
terest and sympathy Of the community
it serves.
The above is respectfully submitted
and directed at the press in general
as material that is sound in its logic
and philosophy and quite interesting
withal as information to the average
man on the street. 1 wish to add that
for a number Of years I have been a
constant reader of the Kennebec Jour-
nal, and generally speaking I am quite
an adn1irer of its policies and enter
prise.
James o. Pagan.
Waverley, Mass
July H. 1916