The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-10-01
NEWS REPORTS

IN tlme of strife and controversy
newspapers are never satisfactory
to either side. Each party thinks
that his is the right side and that the
newspaper should help him to win his
case. This is wrong view
Newspapers of standing do not in
tend to take sides in their news
columns. The reporter, if he's true
to his calling, tries to present the
facts WITHOUT bias so that readers
may know what has actually hap
pened. The reader can then Judge
for himself
The st. Adams Messenger discusses
this subject in a recent editorial in
opposition to news writer's becoming
affiliated with any labor organization.
THE Messengers article is as follows
1t is as bad for the newspaper writ
ers to become affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor as it is
for the police, or as it would be for
the soldiers or sailors of the country.
to do so. The movement to union
ize members of the Fourth Estate is,
in the opinion of The, Messenger, I'M
American
Why? Because the news writer
should have catholieity of interest
and no special axe to grind. The pub
lie should make a marked distinction
between the editorial and the news
writer. The editorial writer comments
and presents his views on controver-
sial matters He argues pro and con
and is supposed to have ideas on the
subjects which he handles His work
is more often than not argumentative
He takes sides 4,
The news writer Is supposed to do
none of these things. His is the duty
to present facts as he finds them
clear and uncolored 1t would be UNI
just to the readers of paper il that
paper should seek in it's news columns
to influence their opinions. The news
coumns are for news as it happens.
and If editorial comment appears in a
news column; then someone has slip
4 ped up insliis work.
| But If news writer's are uniohized
there win be a certain universal ten
Idency to color news in such way as
| to present capital and industry to the
worst advantage, While the union side
of every dispute will be dressed in its
Irosiest colors. And if this happens,
unless one believes that the unions
are always right and car do no wrong.
the well of public information will be
poisoned, and the public will not be
in position to draw sound conclu- |
sion because the information which is
given them will be biased.
No newspaper man deludes himself
into thinking that he personally !
Yields any great power But no
newspaper man, on the other hand, |
can be ignorant OF the fact that the |
newspapers in the aggregate WELD |
the greatest power in the country. be-
cause they present those facts which !
shape public opinion. 1t is the facts. |
not the reporters of those facts, that |
hold the power
Now, then, the organization that
can prevent the publishing of the |
facts in a favorable light, stands in /
the way of being the ultimate ruler of (
this country. II has been a strange /
thing that the unions have not at |
tempted this before. Perhaps it has |
been impossible to reach the news
paperman until now, when he, in COM
mon with so many others, is reveal
ing tendency to give way to the gen
eral unrest
The Messenger hopes that the news
writer's of the country viii take
second thought before going further
on the road of unionism. This is one
profession which the public good de-
mands shall remain free and untram-
meled. If the newspapers come under
the sway of any one movement then
Will we hit upon sorry days and lay
ourselves open to the menace Of a
type of propaganda that will make
the German system look like 80 cents.