The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-12-27
Saturday, December 81. 1919.
CENsoRING THE NEWS
PAPERS

The ~IntolliEencer Is Ia receipt Of .
communication from q minister in this
vicinity who expresses the opinion that
q law should be passed to prevent news
paper editors from suppressinE news.
A great many things occur every day
which newspapers do not refer 70. OBJ
,vieusly, il would be impossible for any
newspaper to publish all Of the news
occurring in its territory. Anything
which interests Two or more people Is
news. Readable news items are often
made cut OF triaing events, n thous-
lands OF things occurring In cities Of any
size do not appear in print, either ee-
cause reporters 10 not hear Of them,
or because of tho physical impossible
>ity Of handling and describing them.
Tho ordinary newspaper Is organized
70 print approximately a certain amount
of news. and advertising matter each
week. Expansion is possible only with
IN well-denncd limits. Under those cir
.cumstarces. it becomes not q problem 10
get what might be called news, but 70
select from an immense amount OF mat.
. ter, the things which II is considered
desirable TO publish. and that work OF
reelection falls upon the responsible ed
Itors. It means censorins some news.
,ythe reduction In the amount Of space
.xlven to other news. and the expansion
Son the other hand OF other features.
The consoring, so TO speak, OF all news
napers Is necessary. II is a process
that Is going on continuously. 1t Is be-
ting carried on every hour Of the day In
every editorial room. and IL the news
IL 70 be censored. who should censor Il
II not the responsible editors. whose
positions depend upon the success with
which they serve the public. and who
give their time n attention to tho
making OF a newspaper which they
think will approximate. at least the
needs Of their constituents.
: The unworthy newspaper sooner or
, later fails. The newspaper that has no
purpose except TO serve an individual
or q special interest. soonc or later
= loses public confidence and disappears.
The greatest newspaper successes have
been obtained. and always will be, by
giving TO the people. a fair amount or
rews in a fair and Intelligent manner
No newspaper Is perfect. and no news
Taper vas ever printed. whose respon-
sIhle editor would have not changed II
in many things had he had tlme and
opportunity TO do so. The constant
aim OF the successful newspaper man.
ager IN to give TO his readers, the in
formation which he thinks they. want.
and 10 use his news columns and edi-
torial columns for the purpose. and in
support Of tho interests which nc thinks
are most helpful TO the public. II he
fails in this duty. sooner or later, the
loss fails upon him. II he succeeds.
he will find his reward in a growing
number OF readers and in Increased pub
lie confidence.
Between n censorship Of the press
maintained by the men who have TO
make their living through the oper-
atien OF the press and Il censorship
maintained by party politicians. The In
~telliSencer believes that the American
people viii not hesitate long in making
a choice. A free press, with all its
esknesse and errors. is infinitely bet
ter than a press shackled by official
DOM.