Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-05-03
rrRLlaHlNG TmR NRWs

Al there has been no recent Incl
dent which gives any personal applica
ton ID the matter. ii Is d good time 70
dIscuss the proper attitude 81 news
PAPER on publishing the news Of the
community great many people.
both iii the business and out of Il, fail
10 grasp the obligations of q newspa-
per 10 publish ali real news impair
tally, as well as the possibilities Of
Influence for good which Is thereby
exercised.
newspaper has two functions.
sharply divided from each other. Edi-
torIally. 1t Is proper for II 10 discuss
Ill questions Of public interest, and
the responsible head of the paper has
i right 10 express bis views fairly and
slecentIy. Whatever they may be. There
is general agreement among high
toned newspaper men that the beat IN
tereats 0f tie public are served and
the greatest influence for good exer-
c.sed BY making the news sections q
fair and complete representation Of
the real doinga of the community,
Without attempting 10 niierepreaent
the actual news BY leaving out what
sholsld be printed or devoting more
than the proper amount Of space and
display where II ii not justified BY
news values
Every newspaper that has principle
and seif-reapect has q settled policy
Of treating events Of certain charae-
Ter al news and Of publishing oil such
things impartiaIly whether they hurt
or help friend or enemy IN doing
this, ii exerts the highest possible in
fisaence. and In many phases Il II one
ID strong as the courts Or the pulpit
frequently, those who DO not paTtic-
sllarly fear i moderate punishment BY
judicial tribunal, are in mortal hor
ror of what they have done appearing
lii the public print Upon this - found
ed one Of the newspapers greatest op-
portunities Tor exerting good infiu-
anoe In the community.
IL newspaper allows Itself 70 be
diverted from this policy. 1t not only
does thing which is Inherently wrong
and unfair. hus Il prevents any possi-
Diiily Of II being regarded In the way
Journal should be held Every news
paper man knows that instances occur
where persons have been connected
with acts which are disgraceful and
have been punished IN the courts for
them They and their friends At once
begin d campaign to keep the affair
outsog the newspaper. ana BY petitions.
threats and tnIsstAtenienfs try to keep
the newspaper from doing It's duty to
the public
These attempts 10 influence newspa-
pers IRE actually insulting 10 those
conducting them Only debased and
nnprinclpled paper would consider for
moment leaving out of the paper
what should be printed II Is Of
81 course natural that those who
disgrace themselves do not want
to have the incident given publicity.
but they should remember this before
they commit the acts that bring them
into unpleasant notorietY This, after
ali. Is the only sure way TO keep It out
of the papers 1t IL just as reason
able to ask the officials not 10 enforce
the law where IL should be enforced
as 10 ask that news be suppressed and
It would be Just as vicious for news
paper to fail to do its duty as for q
court.
The newspaper which pursRes the
policy OF snppressing news as mat
ter OF favor or self-interest, Is desery.
edly without influence Or respect n
the community Such an editor Is
properly to be compared with scoun-
drel on the bench or charlatan IN
the pulpit The control Of 4 newspa-
per places one Of the highest respon-
slbllitiea pessible upon the owner and
editor, and one who fails to measure
up 10 Il, ought to seek some other oc-
cupasion.