The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-04-15
WHAT THE SMALL PAPER
MEANS TO IT'S COMMUNITY

ARENAS Ward, one of the great
students Of the psychology Of public
| ity, once made the following address
before the merchants Of a small town
in New York State:
A country weekly newspaper doing
a business of FIVE thousand dollars a
year is worth fifty thousand dollars to
the business and professional men Of
the community, and can be made
worth hundred thousand dollars q
year to them. II you don't believe
that statement, try to get along with
out your paper.
To talk about supporting" your
newspaper is about as damphoolish as
to talk about supporting store, a
bank, or manufacturing enterprises.
You wouldn't be much in the world if
i you didn't trade in a store, have a
bank account, and have some outlet
for the energy Of the citizens.
Too many business men look upon
the local newspaper as an incubus,
sort Of charity. Yet the local paper
is as much public institution as the
public library, the churches, the hos
pitfalls, or even the commercial club
with the difference that it gives more
direct returns in dollars and cents to
the individual and to the community
at large.
When business man advertises in
his local newspaper, it is with avowed
intention of building up his business;
but he really also helps to build up the
town and everything in it. The pro-
fessional man does more, because his
advertising helps the town more than
it does him-directly. The man, bus
mess or professional, who does not
pay for his share of the towns pub
licity, is a parasite, taking advantage
of his fellow men.
Can't you tell what sort of town a
place is from the looks of It's newspa-
per? If the paper is of the boosting
sort, and is backed up by the business
and professional men, doesn't the town
get a reputation for being progress
sive?
The newspapers stock in trade is
publicity. You would not go into a
store and ask the proprietor to give
you pair of shoes, for instance; yet
too often the publisher is asked to
give away his stock in trade.-adver-
Using for the individual or the city
or sell it for less than cost. II you
could keep count of the demands Of
this sort made on your publisher ev-
cry week, you would laugh.
If a business or professional man
were to appear before this club and
ask for more business, you would ask
him why he did not sell something
worth buying, and why he did not adj
vertise.
In proportion to the benefits, indi-
vidual and general, advertising is one
of the cheapest things in the world.
There are men who will tell you they
do not believe in advertising. Do you
know why? They are content to
gather up the crumbs that fall from
the table of the progressive merchant
who advertises his business and his
town. Every time one of your stores
advertises sale it brings people into
this town; their buying instinct is
aroused, and they visit other stores
The advertiser gets direct returns, but
the others take advantage of his ex-
penditure without cent of cost.
You expect your publisher to boost
your town as one of the best on Gods
green earth. He is asked to do things
for which nobody will father the re-
sponsibility. Every time there is a
civic opportunity you call on him for
help. You know the functions and
value of your newspaper as well as |
do; so why elaborate?
Let me tell you, positively, that ev-
en- mediocre newspaper is great
factor in the growth and advancement
of a community. There is never a
time when advertising will not pay.
If you do not owe debt of obligation
to your newspaper, you owe it to your
community. The community has a
right to expect your cooperation in
making the newspaper representative
Of your community.
Every time your name is published
in list of contributors to some char
ity, that is advertising-free adver-
Using that the publisher gives cheer
fully, because it boosts the town.
Every bit of publicity produces di-
rect and indirect results for the man
who pays for it; it produces results
for every other business and profess
tional man of the town, whether or
not he evades his responsibility. 1t
produces results for every man, wo-
man and child of the community:
Tho scountrv editor 10 NOT 81 nifp-