The Neshoba Democrat. (Philadelphia, Miss.) 1881-current, 1921-09-29
THE HOME TOWN PAPER
BY R. I. PORTE

| IL Is q notable TACT that With all
the wonderful things that have been
written about the so-called "coun-
try newspaper very few OF them re-
alize all their'posslDilities, or what
an influence they are In the world.
1t is now up to the newspapers OF
the country. the home town papers,
to see the wonderful possibilities OF
such week where in every locality
readers will be asked to subscribe
for the local weekly. and in addi tion
to the home town paper where they
! were born-if they were not born
where they now live,
In this way, every home town
paper will help every other home
town paper, and by concentrating
the efforts to one week, or to three
weeks or four weeks, the home town
paper will receive the publicity it is
entitled to,
The home town paper is ever ready
to "boost" for the other fellow, to
print item after item about this or
that kind of day or week-the time
has. come for it to boost and blow
| it's bugle for itself and all home town
papers, to put on campaign of
publicity, and take advantage. OF
what other papers will do.
In other words throw it's hat into
the ring, and put up Il fight that
will get 1t some where instead OF sit
ing on the side lines and hollerin' for
the other fellow.
Here are some items that the coun-
| ty newspaper can use for the weeks
preceding November to IL, and on
the week itself, which as suggestions
will lend themselves toward writing
other items along the same line, or
making display advertisements, fold
ers or circulars.
| From the office of the National
Editorial Association will undoubtly
come other suggestions, and from
state press associations and other
sources. All these will be help-but
it issthe publisher OF the town news
tpaper that must ttle the mGst, must
/ devote some of his business space to
his own business and push over
the Subscribe for Your Home Town
Newspaper Week" in way that
will mean more subscribers, and
more renewals, and last but not
least, better unders standing Of the
home town paper itself,
| 1t is also a notable fact that few
of the readers OF those papers realize
what q loss 1t would be to them and
to the world If the country paper"
should cease to exist.
The large papers, with immense cir
culations tell of "World happenings
as they understand them, and dis,
play heads telling OF the latest scan
dals prize fights, aud misfortunes of
humanity.
But, it remains for the "local
paper" country weekly, the home
town paper" to really give the news
OF the world, or that of Mr.. Com.
mon People and his wife.
| 1t is time that the country news
paper should do something to place
itself on a higher plane, and, also
make some noise. Just one paper to
start something would not amount
to much, but If the $4,000 country
papers would join In the chorus, q
noise that would go around the
world would. be the result,
Sometime ago l was going thru
some trade paper, or bulletin of a
state press association, or something
OF that kind, aud noted that it might
be good idea to have Subscribe
for Your Home Town Paper Week. :"
smiled at the idea first, but some
way the idea stuck, and then start.
ed to find out who originated the
idea, but the paper was lost.
The publisher who thought OF the
idea just let 1t go at that, butt de-
cided that 1t was so good that it
should not die, SO at once asked all
the trade papers, printers maga-
zines and the great printers supply
houses what they thought OF the
idea.
The officers OF the National Edito-
rial Association were written to
and in fact some two hundred letters
were sent out.
The result was that everyone
wrote that-the idea was just the
thing. and by common consent 1t
was decidedsthat the week of Novem.
Der Z to II be adopted as "Subsribe
to Your Home Town Paper Week. T"