Phoenix tribune., 1922-11-04


of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People.
"The Negro Press in the United
States,' by Frederick G. Detweiler
Published by the University of Chi
cago Press, Chicago, Ill. Price $780,
Postage 15c extra
Early in his book, Mr.. Detweiler
quotes Arthur Brisbane as saying that
'the newspaper reflecting the public
is mirror more or less defective, but
still a mirror is mirror, and that
the paper that the individual holds in
his hand reflects that individual more
or less accurately. He ends with this
paragraph: Instead of merely re-
flecting life, the newspaper, in setting
themes for discussion and suggesting
the foci of attention, helps powerfully
to create that life. No part of the
Negro race in America is quite stag
nant. 1t may be that those who are on
the frontiere of their world, chiefly in
the cities and the ranks Of the edu-
Gated, are most sensitive to the new
forces and new standards. But back
in quiet rural areas, Others are read
ing their news and arguments, and
the whole mass is responding to the
printed suggestion. A young Negro is
sent to Annapolis; through the press
he becomes a symbol for all. The
Anti-lynching Bill passes the House
and publicity engraves it in Magma
Charta Even a street fight, If the
racial issue enters in, stiffens the
whole line of conflict and sounds the
call to a holy resistance. The adver-
tising pages play their part in influ-
encing the standard of living. And so
the press, ephemeral as it is, keeps
moving on the main current of inter-
est, and helps to bring into being the
life that its pages report"
The book from cover to cover shows
US not only the value but the absolute
necessity of a Negro press. Any ra-
cial group in America, and especially
an oppressed group, must have it's
medium for expression, for its own
education and also as a safety valve
for the utterance of its many wrongs.
We see this as we go through the
pages filled with excerpts from promi-
nent colored papers voicing the races
wrongs or telling of its triumphs.
Here is summary of the material
the average colored paper carries:
"a statistical study of the Negro news
] papers shows that the amount of
: space devoted to news and opinion
D seems to average go per cent. For
: the most part, the advertising repre-
5 sents local business, generally busi-
. ness carried on by Negroes. To the
+ white reader advertisements of cos
3 metics appear rather prominent. The
! casual reader of the Negro paper is
q impressed by the large proportion OF
opinion as over against news, but
: this is due largely to the tone of the
y news-writing. The editorials as such
i take an average of four percent OF
s the space. About one-seventh of all
G goes into out-of-town news. Events
S of general interest having nothing to
s do with race matters scarcely appear
n AS for special pages dealing with
s sports or the theatre, these belong
only to the newspapers in larger cities
t Such are the results of an analysis
i of forty typical periodicals"
n There are "a periodicals whose
t. names have been preserved as rpere
S sentative of the journalism engaged
o in by Negroes before the Civil War
|. Many had a brief existence. This
n Freedman's Journal started in 1872
o by Samuel Cornish and John B. Russ
worm, lasted for some time. Ther
0 there was the North Star, which late
y became the Frederick Douglas Paper
t. Others were the mirror of Liberty
y the Elevator" the Clarion" These
e papers were, of course, published II
Q the North. One of the finest stories
Of mutual help is that Of James For
It tune, colored, sending Garrison thu
IS first money he ever received for thu
It 'rLiberator," and encouraging him t.
h go on with his work. Evidently ther'
g are few copies to be found Of thes'
d old publications. They contained
/ small amount of news and grea
deal of agitation. The anti-slaver!
struggle gave them their readers.
Mr.. Detweiler is very lenient il
his book upon the shortcomings o
:, the press. He predicts for it future