The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-10-08
SECOND PRIZE LETTER

county, the letter by Lon Gone re
ceived the second prize, SIS, ant
he shows that the same unhapp!
condition heretofore described al
existing in the newspaper service O
Bingham county exists in PRACTICAL!
every county in the new states where
the country is of any account
Granting that this is true it show!
the greater need of a remedy, anC
Mr.. Cone gives his views as to the
natural remedy.
Time and the Public Conscience viii
Remedy
| | have read with considerable in
terest your history of the newspaper
business in Bingham county. The
conditions which have prevailed are
not peculiar to this community but
have been a feature in the develop.
ment of almost every other commun.
ity which has attained the popula.
ton and property valuation which
this county shows. Neither has the
condition pertained only to the news.
paper business, for in practically
every new country we find, for a
time, the shyster lawyer, the quack
| doctor the crooked real estate man
and the tricky merchant, as we'll as
the unreliable newspaper man. They
are few 1t is true, compared to the
number of business and professional
men of honor and integrity, but they
invariably make their presence felt
during the early development of a
country which is new and which
promises much for the future.
The newspaper man in a new
country is perhaps particularly
tempted to become CRATER, owing
to the fact that he usually starts
a paper with but little capital and
the demands of the new community
are hardly extensive enough to make
the paper a financial success, SO he
works his friends or the county gov
eminent or anything else workable
which seems to promise revenue, un-
til his race is run, and he then
passes on to make room for a bet
ter man who possesses the stamina
necessary to make good in a legiti-
mate way.
I have noticed that many news
paper men seem to have the opinion
that the community in which they
engage in business owes them liv-
ing, that their paper is published
solely for the benefit of the commun-
ity, and the people should support
it literally regardless of the extent
or nature of the service the paper
may give to them. The viewpoint
is false one, for I have yet to meet
the editor or publisher who is not
primarily in the business for the
same purpose which actuates other
business enterprises, namely, "The
money he hopes to make out of it,"
Time alone can correct the condi-
ton in the newspaper business which
has prevailed in Bingham county.
The idea of a newspaper monopoly,
one paper or newspaper organization
attempting to furnish the news to
the whole county, does not appeal to
me. Each small city or village is en-
titled to, and should have, it's own
medium of news, if only for the pur-
pose of disseminating the news of
a local character, with one strong
aggressive and progressive publica-
ton at the county seat. The Idaho |
Republican shows strong promise of
becoming such factor as the last /
one mentioned, and in so far helps
to afford the needed correction.
That paper which eventually be-
comes power for good in a COM
nunity, and enjoys the success
which it earns, is that one which
acquires property interests, thus con-
1eying the idea of permanency; that
PAPER which is mighty close to being
IN independent in politics, support
ng the best men for public office
regardless of the party label they
nay carry; that paper which earn
'stly strives to publish all the news
which interests the community,
such matter as tends to stir
Up community strife and which from
is nature can interest but very
United number of people, (,
Such paper will surely acquire
subscription list which will be not
My gratifying to the publisher, but
viii attract the attention of the ad-
ertiser and thus bring the revenue !
Thlch will make the publication a
nancial success. Many a man. as ,
he community develops and the :
reat majority of it's citizens become :
will take a good news"
aper even tho he may not person
lily like its editor or agree with :.
is political or religious views.
The editor OF country newspaper !,
perhaps little more Of a factor q
the success of his business than =
the head of other business organ
atoms and needs to have some vir-
les which are not always vitality n
ecessary in other business lines. HI
lch an editor, in my opinion,
lould first of all thoroly understand II
le essentials of newspaper work:
I'VE a nose for news" and be some II
ing of an expert in the art of adj
rtising; he should be mentally and
orally big enough to as readily
virtue as he would cor II
ct a fault; he should be quick to |
g the future possibilities for pro- II
oting the good of the community II
lich he serves; have no enemies II
punish and no friends to reward. II
inding always for the best inter- II
is of the community even tho his II
ton sometimes tends to threaten
g income from his advertising de- II
rtment, or encroaches on the pri- II
eyes of personal friend.