New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-22

| There are q good many people, including
| editors themselves, who think that IT doesh
matter much one way or the other, this DuSl-
moss of being a small-town editor. They don
take il seriously at all Most small-town ed
itors with brains pass on and become some.
thing else. They don't sec the importance OIL
! being a small-town editor.
But from my point of view it is very I'M
portant thing-one Of the most important
things in the world. SO important, indeed
that |. for instance, don't look forward 70
doing anything more important. If ! am free
| 70 have my own choice, ] shall never be any
thing else than a small-town journalist
probablv right here in the town Of Greenwich.
And if | can manage by dint Of great effort
to come just half way up to being what
think small-town editor should be, if can
make "Our Town" one-half as good paper
, as | think a small-town paper should be,
shall feel quite contented and happy with
what my lifework has been.
CRYING Need of Good Papers
think that good small-town publications
are the most crying need of the country to-
day. II seems a. if there were none. There
are very, few really good city papers, even. ]
know of only two-perhaps three-in the
United States. For the most part the big
newspapers represent only an intense and
fervent desire to make money and AN edi-
torial serviity and paucity Of real, vital
ideas that is truly pitiable and disgusting
And the average small-town journal - but
replica on small scale of the big city
papers.
The small-town journalist in his more linn
tied field should be able to do better. lie has
a chance for intensive rather than extensive
work And he can do wonderful work If he
! understands his job and goes at it in the
right way
The country editor is usually the subject
of humorous consideration. But he ought
not to be. lie ought to be the Intellectual
peer OF any man in his community. He ought
at least to be able to thoroughly understand
the ideas of the very biggest men of his town.
And he ought not to be above trying to un-
derstand the ideas and lives of the smallest
men in his town Only thus can his paper be
truly representative of his community.
That seems to me to be the principal pur-
pose of a newspaper-to thoroughly and well
represent its community To do that it must
understand the community from all points of
view.
Orce upon time was one of those archaic
individuals who believed that a newspaper
business was to mould public opinion" To-
day ] believe that to do such thing-even If
it were possible which it isn't-wOuld be per-
nicious. As pcrnicious Tor instance, as IT IS
to try to mould" child's character And
that is about the most damnable thing | can
conceive Of. A child's character wants not
to be moulded but to be encouraged to de-
4 velop, to enlarge, to express itself in myriad
beneficial ways.
1t is the same with public opinion and the
newspaper The newspaper should express it,
should interpret it, should strive to under
stand and portray the forces that are at work
producing it.
One of the chief purposes OF newspaper
should be TO understand the community and
explain it 70 itself and to the outside world.