The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1918-09-14
INFLUENCE OF THE NEWSPAPER.

meQLS OF the WflLeT, anu SuDulu uOI Oc Gull
strued as the views OF the Editors.)
INFLUENCE OF THE NEWSPAPER.
Editors Pleasantville Press
May I speak through your columns
in the expression of a few opinions
concerning the modern newspaper? !
fear that in the past |, as well as
others, have not sufficiently appreciate
ed the value of the newspaper,-one
of the most wonderful of modern in
ventions.
AS an illustration of the develop
ment of the publishing business, it has
been estimated that if Benjamin
Franklin should step up and take
charge of the Saturday Evening Post,
as it is now, bringing his facilities
with him, it would take him 10 years
to print a single weekly edition.
There would certainly be a lone
some and dissatisfied lot of people in
this country if all the newspapers
were discontinued a few weeks for
some reason. l cannot think of a
class of people, nor of individuals of
my acquaintance, who do not need
the newspaper.
There is hardly a person in the
country who can read who does not
read the newspaper these days and
feel that it is almost indispensable.
A few among the religious classes
have in times past criticized the news
paper quite severely. However, even
they are coming more and more to
realize that the newspaper is an i'm
portant help in Bible Study. How
can that be? Because it records the
many events of this time which the
Bible writer's predicted thousands of
years ago. Careful Bible students can
hardly read a single copy of any live
paper TO- without reading of happen
ings which are in direct fulfillment of
Bible prophecies.
Those who feel like criticising the
lOQC1A AtN opdPtl S1lOulu pei maps
realize that they are partly to blame
for the publication of so many fea-
lures which they consider objectiona-
BILE. There is probably nothing the
average editor desires more than to
publish the things which will be in
teresting and uplifting to the readers
of his paper, but if his readers de-
mand blood and thunder" stories and
all the details of every crime, and of
every demoralizing occurrence, the
editor must not be blamed too much
for publishing that class of reading.
If more good people would express to
editors and publishers their apprecia-
ton for the good and uplifting articles
which appear in their papers, the edi-
tors would doubtless find more room
for such articles and less for the other
kind.
But on the other hand, we should
not lay all the blame on the editors
and publishers, if we waste our time
reading things which are of no value
to us. The entire paper was not pre-
pared for our special benefit, and we
are expected to use our own wisdom
and judgment in reading only those
things which we find helpful to us.
1t is the aim of the editors and pub
fishers to print such a variety of mat
ter in every paper that every reader
will find something which more than
repays him for the price of the paper
and time spent in reading it.
In this day when "of the making of
books there is no end" and when
there are more than "a, 0 periodicals
published in this country, a knowl-
edge of what to read and how to read
it is of great value.
Let us train ourselves in the choice
of our reading instead of trying to get
the editors OF publish only that of
which we approve.
Very truly yours,
A READER.