The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-05-09
THE PUBLICITY MAN

Among the million-and-one things
of Importance that the war has
brought to notice is the undeniabIe
1act That every state, city and town,
/ as We'll as every commercial OrCani-
| zat1on and every large business con-
Germ IN America needs its own pub
I!clty man-not an advance agent,
| ike cIrcuSeS and dramatic companies
| harve, but dyed-in-the-wool news
| paper man who knows what news is.
| and one who knows the kind of news
he can get away with, either with his
| autographed copy or via the press
wires.
The Importance to the country
now OF the great amount of, the
| present-day publicity, from the men
toned sources, is beyond estimate.
Likewise is this available publicity of
| great value to the various states. CT
| ties and towns and commercial con-
Germs for it is putting on the map CT
ties and towns that were hardly
known before the war, and states are
being brought into the imeIight in a
manner that will be of much benefit
to them after the war.
The advertising man Or secretary
OF commercial organization will not
II the bill IN this important position
of publicity man. The ordinary adj
Vertising man or a secretary is minus
both the ideas and news pep to con-
ceive the sort of boost news that goes
these days.
Almost any of the larger newspa-
pers daily disclose the fact that sor
of the more progressive states and ci-
ties have clever publicity men who
are getting by with splendid stories
OF value to their respective states and
cities. While it is true that this is not
exactly the time to play for gain, it
cannot be disputed that much individ-
uat good is certain to result from a
well-placed hit when the bases are
full-when the whole country is in a
receptive mood.
1t is conceded that the news CORE
spondents have good nose for news
IN fact, they never allow a good state
news item to slip unnoticed, for they
know they vii get few lines of it in
to type, adding to their monthly
string. But it is different when it
comes to municipal and general COM
mercial boosting. That sort of pub
hcity IS the kind that requires a keen
publicity man-one who has been in
the harness for a long time and one
who has had the advantage of the
broad experience that both travel and
acquaintance of the various newspa-
'er styles and news requirements will
give him. To such a man, apparent
', there was never a greater oppor-
tunity, but the old adage that public
ity men are ''born not made" well ap-
plies to this important vocation, and
some who have been pressed into ser
vice have found the job quite diff
cult. because Of the vast amount of
study required to known how, when
nd where to place their stories.
Through the actions of governors
OF some of the leading states of the
Unuion some of this high-cIass pub
hcity matter is being developed. De-
spite the act that some may argue
that such actions are from selfish mo-
tive, it is publicity matter just the
same land with the proper engineer
ing by the publicity man it hits the
bull's-eye.
Cities have the best opportunity
they ever had to gain advantage of
the same kind of boosting, if the mu-
nlclpal news matters are judicialIy
handled and placed where it will do
the most good. Even the smaller
towns, regardless OF their size, can
gain just as important and favorable
mention If their news matters of state
and national interest are handled by
an adept publicity man.
While the field of the publicity
man at this tage of the nations pro