The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1916-09-23
M1DEAL.

dL liz 5ll bd2AhSi LII oiit tiiS $iDSA DS'i
In Bunker Hill and the Liberty Bell he sees relics
Of a fight Of his people for liberty, while in the
newspaper he sees a concrete example of one of
the fundamental principles of liberty, free speech.
So many sided has the usefulness of the neWspa-
per come to be that the people, and we think too
many publishers, sometimes lose sight OF the basis
of its very eXistence-its position in the modern
social and political life of a community. Every
newspaper reader, though all may not be able to
describe it, has a vague if not a clear conception
of what a newspaper is and why, and if the idea
of all these readers could be coined into one phrase
it would probably read like this, "The modern
American newspaper is the collective influence of
a community"
The newspaper as found in the days of the
Roman empire, which is as far back as any APP
proach to the modern newspaper can be traced,
was merely a record of current events, issued
under government supervision. The same was
true Of all newspapers down to the time of our
colonial days when the Boston Newsletter estab-
lished itself as the first American journal. But
the American newspaper of today is something
more than the name implies. It combines with
its function of dissemination news, the dissemin-
ating OF intelligence on matters of public concern,
performing g service in political as well as social
life that is essential to the development of a DEM
ocracy. 1t deals not only with events, but also
with causes leading up to them and with results
which may follow them, doing what most individ-
uals cannot do because of lack of time or oppor-
tunlty. 1t keeps watch on the men who serve
the public, guards the public purse and restraints
those that would infringe on public rights. It
tells of public improvements under way and sug-
gests others. Where it can, it tells what is going
to occur. 1t tells what the law makers, scientists,
educators and politicians are doing. Continually
it makes known what is useful and instructive
as we'll as what is entertaining. It contrasts the
present with the past. In short, it presents a pic
ture of the worlds progress and acts as an agent
of the American people, as an exponent of Amer
can ideals.
The newspaper, if it realizes the American
ideal OF public service, must be drastically indie
pendent of every influence save that of public opin-
ion. This, one may say, is more Of an ideal in
America today than a reality. But here ideas
differ. That it is an ideal which many newspa-
pers fail to attain, is true, but the great prepon-
derance of journalistic influence today we believe
to be devoted to public service, tempered by as
little selfshness as is possible with privately own
ed enterprise. But policies of papers differ, one
might argue, with regard to public duty. Yes,
policies differ, just as public opinions differ, for
public WILL find expression. Public opinion de-
mands policies, and newspapers frame and repre-
sent them. While they misrepresent, when they
betray the confidence of their following, when
they cannot give a satisfactory accounting of
positions, newspapers weaken their power for
public service and lose in public confidence, which
is one of the biggest assets of the press. It is,
in fact, it's stock Il in trade.
The press, what a power" is an expression
often heard and a thing often seen demonstrated.
This inanimate thing, what an influence it yields!
But why? From where it comes this thing that
sets itself up as sponsor for or critic of the high
est authority of the land, government. This
maker and breaker of men, this prepayment or o.
ponent whose power is so felt, surely it is bigger
than any individual? The answer suggests itself.
1t comes from the people. 1t is the collective in
f1uence OF a community, a state, a nation. 1t is a
power reposed by the people in the editor and
publisher and it carries with it a responsibility
equal, in its sphere, to that of any public official.
III.
There is a very plain statement of a very SIM
pie fact, which the most casual observer cannot
fail to recognize, after a little reflection, as the
result of the development of self-government.
AS the American people learned to express their
desire for legislation in the creation of political
parties, they have learned that through the press
they may exhort, direct or call halt on their public
oANAohp' W oihho Ill1HS CudI We nave SdlQ TO-DAY
exercising it's highest function as an implement of
government, as the collective influence Of a COM
munity, is to express the same thing in different
terms, the dynamic force of public opinion, strong
or weak according to the personality of the man or
set OF men who mould it into influence and at
times into action.
This editorial has taken particular pains to
emphasize the one manifest point, that the power
OF the press lies in the people, that it is collected
by the newspaper and moulded into a positive
force as a dynamo takes electricity from the air
and turns from it a powerful force into the little
arteries of wire that supply the physical force of
nation 9 industries. Let us be equally emphatic
in saying that there is more than one kind of
public opinion and that consequently every news
paper does not represent the undivided interests
OF a community. That newspaper is truest to the
interests of it's people which most faithfully repre-
sents their intelligence, industry and ideals, and
the great principle of the American Rotarian, that
he profits most who serves BEST" holds true with
it, for the power it may generate is proportionate
to the service it renders the public.
We congratulate our esteemed friend Tim