The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09
Attack on the Integrity of Newspapers Is Like Two
 Edged Sword
QUOTES THE BIBLE ON UNRULY TONGUES
If the Public Loses Confidence in Newspapers It Will Also Lose
 Confidence in the
 Commissioners
By RICHARD F. LUssrER

In the criticisms of the Birmingham
 newspapers that emanate occasionally from the city commission, J. R. Hornady, a member of the board, foresees danger, in that if confidence in the press is under
 mined, the commissioners themselves
 might suffer, together with the city. We canont deny, if we are honest with ourselves, that the newspapers are the greatest factors in the shaping of public opinion today said Commissioner Hor- nady, and when we seek to ruthlessly tear down the fabric of public confidence, which they influence so largely with attacks on their integrity, we are not only harming the newspapers, but ourselves. If the public loses it's confidence in the newspapers it certainly will have little confidence in us, for it is the press that carries every day the details of every one of our public actions and it is from these reports that we are judged. Thus if we shout to the world that our newspapers are corrupt, subsidized and controlled, how are we to explain when these same newspapers support us when we launch movements for the general good, such as bond issues for schools, etc. No, as a newspaper man, cannot help but admit that the rashest action a public man can take, other than juggling with bottle of nitro-glycerin or attempting to stop a buzz saw with his bare hands, is to attack the integrity and purposes of a great daily newspaper"
 You know, of course" said the repor- ter, you were on the inside long enough?"
 HAS NO INSIDE
 My boy,'' said MT. Hornady, 'there is no inside to a great daily newspaper. Ev- erything is open and aboveboard. It can- rot be otherwise and operated as great , newspaper should be, unbiased and un- afraid. Of course, there is a political policy, and the man the paper opposes has difficult time.
 But that is expected by the public. They know that such and such a news raper is for prohibition or against it, and therefore when they see in the Ledger a long article boosting the cause of prohi- hition, why, the prohibtionists are pleased and the ants merely smile and say: Just wait My paper will answer them back tomorrow And then a wet newspaper comes out with an article lambasting the prohibitionists the people who favor the legal distribution Of intoxicants are joy ful, while the dry folks merely observe, Wait awhile, my paper will give you timminy cricky tomorrow And thus it goes on every important issue before the American public"
 Then it is your opinion," questioned the reporter, that with newspapers ar rayed against each other on great public questions, the public is bound to get at the status of affairs?'
 Most assuredly," replied MT. Hornady; lon any question of public policy, when two newspapes arc presenting different views the public has onl yto take the middle ground and it will be right.
 Now, while newspapers do what they will editorial!y, in all my years of exper- fence on a newspaper, I do not recall a case where the actual news of the day was meddled with. In fact, practically all of the news matter, local, state and general, is handled by trusted employees, who neither know nor care just how one particular item will affect the temper of either the advertising department or the editor or the owners of the paper, and as rule the members of the advertising department even the editor and owners of great newspaper read the news when it is printed and as 1t comes off of the press. I do not pretend to say that the powers that be- are always pleased with what appears within the news columns Os their newspaper, but nevertheless it is @ fact that. pleased or not the news goes
 in first class newspaper whether the editor, owner or the stockholders like it or not. In fact, if the general public knew just how a great new spaper was gotten out they would become enlightened
 with the extraordinary paInstaAing efforts that are made to keep them informed of what is actually going on. I know what newspaper is like"
 well there are some irresr onsible tongues" said the reporter, "who would malign anything and anybody that op-
 posed them'