The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-08-31
XVIII.

i XVIII.
A Blackfoot publisher used to keep
his newspaper for sale all the time
and his favorite method of dealing
with his man was to show him what
a big subscription list he had, show
him what lot of display advertising
there was, tell him what rate of pay
he was getting, but forget to mention
that the auction bills and big posters
printed in the newspaper were in
serted for nearly nothing. He would
thus be able to tell what a fine news
paper field it Is, how the people
would pay good subscription price
and be satisfied with the paper filled
almost full of advertising, and tell
the prospective purchaser that he
would give him a ten-day option on
the business for 800. If he put up
his money he would begin an investi-
cation as to title, Indebtedness, &C
tual subscription list, actual price
being received for advertising, actual
relation of the paper to it's patrons
about the business part of town, and
would soon leave in disgust, forfeit
ing his 500 or whatever he paid for
the option. The editor would then
| go on little spree or a visit till he
spent his easy money.
xxx.
When anything is lost or found in
the county and there is an attempt
to restore it to the owner by adver-
Using it in newspaper, it is neces-
sary to place the notice in two or
more papers to be sure of the right
parties getting in touch with each
other. It doubles the expense of
placing the notice, doubles the cost
of typesetting, printing and mailing
and makes it necessary for people to
read several newspapers to be sure
to see such notice. If the publishers
had succeeded in combining in one
tcentral organization to handle it all,
it would be easy for all concerned
and the expense would be reduced
for the more complete service.
xxx.
Newspapers have mistreated the
public so much and so long, by send
ing the publication after the patron
had asked to have it discontinued,
that people hesitate to subscribe for
paper at all. They feel as if they
were merely laying the foundation
for another period of annoyance in
getting the paper stopped when the
time expires. If newspaper does |
M foI111u hof I,,& /
promtly on request of the patron, so
long as the public do not know posi-
lively that it does so, it is under the
double disadvantage of losing bust
ness by reason of the bad treatment |
accorded to the public by it's competi-
tors, and also by not being able to
get hearing because people regard |
all newspapers as being ON a par
with the worst ones in this respect.
The practical result is that people re-
tain the worst literature in their
homes because they are unable to
get rid of it, and bar out the better
literature because they assume that
it is as bad as what they already
have. The children grow up accus-
toned to hearing their parents be-
rating the newspapers as lot of
robber institutions unworthy of trust
or belief, and accustomed to hearing
the parents say that the newspapers
always get news items wrong. They
forget that judgment is being passed
upon all of them by the standard of
the worst ones, and they forget to
state that one mistake in a news
column OCCASIONALLY does not condemn
Ill there is in it that is correct. They
forget to admit that newspapers will
always have mistaken reports in
hem SO long as the news has to be
gathered from an unreliable public
that is, lot of good people who
lave falsifiers and mischief makers
lmong them. When a reporter is
gathering news all day it is easy for !
he mischief-maker to slip his joker !
'ver on him, and if the reporter took
he time to verify each item of news
,efore publishing, it would be sor-
y looking newspaper that the public
would receive. a
XXI. y