The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-04-10
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! the newspapers contribute, the annual
outlay for that item would exceed the
whole cost of any one of it's depart
ments.
When cities reckon up the assets
they possess, says a bulletin issued by
Corn Exchange bank of Philadelphia,
they count their factories. railroads,
stores, banks. he mes, clubs, parks, the
aters, churches. gas plants, water
works and telephones, but usually
overlook the newspapers, which, if
properly measured. would come near
the top of the list.
There is never a single copy of any
! paper printed on any day of the year
which does not contain from one to
twenty iteRs, either so-called news or
editorial, that is a gratuity handed out
for the common welfare and from
which the paper, directly and indirectly
receives not a penny of profit.
A factory, flour mill, bank, store,
trolley road and telephone system is
not reckoned upon to give it's time,
service or capital for boosting any en-
| terprise excepting it's own.
But a newspaper has dozens of re-
! quests every day to print or to urge,
to commend or condemn, to beg or
promote, something out of which the
| owner of the paper can derive no
financial benefit. He is expected to
employ his capital in that way for the
common welfare
A newspaper has but two possible
sources of income One js franz tho
sale of the paper and the other from
the sale of advertising space. What
ever in a paper does not attract read
ers to buy is not profitable thing for
the owner financially. Whatever in a
paper takes up space where an adver-
tisement might be printed is direct
and immediate loss. Very little of
what is called "civic boosting" ever
brings to a newspaper a single reader.
Certainly no begging proposition does.
Armenians always require relief"
SO it seems, and the papers are ex-
pected to print columns of appeals.
But no person would ever think of
buying a newspaper just to read an
article asking him to contribute money
to some one 5000 miles away.
| An account of a prize fight, base
! ball game, murder, election, elope-
ment in high social circles, a horse
race a battle or hot debate in con-
gress, would sell papers. Readers
would buy to see that sort of thing.
Yet the papers give daily many col
umns of space on white paper that
kcosts them dearly to the boosting or
begging or promoting propositions
1t may be contended that it is a
| newspapers legitimate business to
more the function of newspaper than
of a magazine, and magazines thrive
by publishing only such articles as
their editors believe the public wishes
to read
The magazine tries and does secure
circulation by interesting its readers
and so gets advertisements. 1t pub
fishes no Belgian, no Polish. nor Ar
menian appeals. never urges better
street paving and cleaning; does
not coax people to contribute for the
support of hospitals and colleges;
makes no demonstration for saving
J babies, >swatting the fly or any of those
public things which daily newspapers
are constantly asked to help
Every newspaper publisher knows
that there is neither circulation nor
! financial gain in such a policy, yet
they all do it.
| There is another feature of journal
ism which is rarely thought of by
those not in the business of printing
papers. Every paper refuses to &C
cept certain classes of advertisements
which, if printed, would yield tens of
thousands of dollars in revenue
The public says, perhaps, a paper
has no right to publish questionable
ads. But do other businesses scruti-
nize SO closely?
Does any job printer refuse to print
nice stationery for so-called brokers
who are trying to gull the public ?
| Does an automobile firm refuse to &C
cept the perfectly good money of such
a fake concern altho the car is to be
used in furthering the CROOKS trade?
Even the United States government
sells postage stamps to carry millions
Of swindling letters to the victims OF
fraudulent games.
So the newspaper gives more of its
services free than almost any other
institution that is not an endowed
charity, while at the same time it vol
UNFAIRLY, for what it deems to be the
public good. refuses to accept profit
able advertising. Who can estimate
therefore, the sum total of such a
policy. day in and day out, adhered to
by newspapers?
The Democrat platform OF 1912 said