Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-11-09
A Disgrace
to Journalism

Blacker discredit was yesterday
afternoon brought on American
newspapers. than by any event in
the memory of the oldest jour
nalist. 1t is all very fine to rush
out in ordinary times with sensa-
tional but unveritied dispatches, in
order to snatch a few more PEN
nies from credulous folk. But TO
deceive the public and purvey
false news in reference 30 one OF
the most momentous events in the
history of the world-this is moth
ing short of an offense against
public morals, as well as a viola
tion OF professional ethics, which
ought to be severely punished q.
And the reckless papers, which
famed with a report that they
should have Known to be tncred-
ible, and which was shown to be
untrustworthy on the slightest
inquiry, involved in their disgrace
other editors who strove to be
honest with themselves and with
their patrons. For the public is
little discriminating. 1t Jumps all
the newspapers together. and, at
ter yesterday. will give new edge
to the sneering question:: You
surely don't believe anything you
see in the papers?" It is for this
reason that the Evening Post
feels that yesterdays reckless i'm
position, and betrayal of public
confidence, by the United Press
ought seriously to be taken into
consideration by all newspaper
men who wish to keep their call
ing reputable.
We speak OF the gross offerse
of the United Press. but we should
speak just as strongly of the AS
sociated Press if it had been ca
pable of such criminal trifling with
the public Take the original
story and the later lame defense
of the United Press. on its face.
the Paris dispatch was inherently
improbable. 1t was inconsistent
with what we knew about the
journey of the German commits.
sioners to Marshal Foch. Even
before the later dispatches show
ed that the United Press telegram
was either a pure invention or
stupid misunderstanding. the evil
dence of its huge improbability
was before every news editor
The thing might be printed as an
unconfrmed rumor, but the whole
affair cried out for careful veri-
fication. This was instantly ua-
dertaken by the Associated Press,
and in no time enough was dis
covered to show that the United
Press dispatch was either fabri-
cation or the most idiotic blum
der. Yet with incredible levity
and in the biggest headlines the
dispatch, which every intelligent
newspaperman knew to be vio-
lently suspect, was flung to the
public without a hint that it was
not official, and not to be taken
for gospel truth. The limping
and shamefaced explanations could
not overtake the original lie. In
fact. the alleged explanations had
lying stamped all over them.
The press. as we say. has a duty
to perform respecting this outrage
but has not the public also? viii
our easy-going people simply pass
1t off as merely one more proof of
newspaper irreSponsibility, and
laugh at the next tale offered to
the gullible? All that we can say
is that If readers of the papers
who got this blow on the head are
not reused by II to protest, aud
to resolve to distinguish between
the journalism that strives to be
accurate. and that which does not
care a straw what IL prints, so
long as 1t sells. they will continue
to be cheated by unscrupuluus
newspapers. And. in our opinion.
they Will deserve to be cheated.
What ought to follow is some kind
of organized and visible public
protest. to bring 1t sharply home
to the pockets-we speak not of
their consciences-of dishonorab lie
papers that their impostures and
their frauds do not pay.-New
York Evening Post.