The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-05-19
BUILDING FLORIDA


Possibly no agency IN the upbullding of Florida
has been more potent and effective than the news
papers. In the commercial world, in the financial
world, IN The social realm, public thought turns
FIRST and always to the newspapers for what?-
publicity ard advertising. here is fine distnc-
tion between the tive; in a general sense all pub
licity is advertising but IN the true understanding
of the terms, there is a Wedehncd boundary which
places publicity en- Inc one hand as the giving of in
formation OF the extending Of education while ad-
vertising is that winch is used 10 bring reward of
some kind or other 10 the one seeking profit from
labor or brains.
hese two elements have OF course entered into
the beginning and The development of florida. In
the early days, with a sparse population widely
separated and with the southern portion OF the state
practically unknown, ii was difficult task On the
part of the newspapers to reach the outside world
with the story Of Florida But the few newspa-
pers then published, worked heroically, receiving
splendid cooperation from the railroad lines OPP
Grating into Inc State. here were no highways,
automobiles, no airpanes-nohing but the steel
IdlS dill tliC C& IdIl [hSA OOLOiCl AdiIlo
OF The Ocala Banner, dean Of the Fourth Estate
in Florida about those pioneer days? He will
reveal story of sacrifice OF personal comfort, OF
dIscouragng circumstances, OF uphill work that
would test he courage of TIE strongest of men.
While the problems of today may be weighty and
nerye-racking, ii MAY be questioned whether the
editors of the New Era have as much confronting
them as did the editors of the Eighties who did not
possess tie marvellous vision OF the Greater Flor-
ida. hen i. was a case of plodding along with
limited resources Of all kinds and with no very
definite program Of advancement except in the few
localities where progress had evidently taken root.
But in cur day there is scarcely community any
where in The State in which a newspaper Is pub
lishcd thai does not have its own program of
pansion, the goa! always in view being more popu-
laticn, better educational facilities and improve
ment along all lines of human endeayor Add 10
this local ard parochial survey the still more am
bilious Stale program and there surely IS incentive
enough and to spare fer every ambitious, patriotic
and loyal man and 'ycman engaged in he nevvspa-
per profession 10 strive and labor, moi for self
alone but fer de welfare of all the people
As general rule newspaper publishers are cred
tied with beng for the most part unselhsh. This
has been demonstrated thousands Of times in various
ways though naturally there must be some degree
of selhshness if enc car regard the reward which
comes 10 newspaper effort through seeing
muniy grow and prosper, its people become hap
pier and more conjented, as being open 10 all to
enjoy, share and share alike. In other words
there is mutual relationship between the news
paper and its constituency that must be under
stood and encouraged and strengthened if genuine
prosperity is TO be the result
Lakeland IS today honcred by again being the
meeting place of The members CT the South Flor
ida Press Association. This organization makes
no claim 10 distinction as 10 service rendered, to
loyalty 10 home and State, as to observance of the
recognized code of ethics governing the profession
these are characteristics CT every similar organiza
tion throughout this land. But it does say that
there are no editors and publishers anywhere who
are more favored as to natural surroundings, who
have greater vision of what the future holds and
who have more sympathetic and appreciatve con-
stituency than have the editors OF South Florida
This is proven by the excellence of the publications