The Mankato free press., 1922-01-13
TRAIN new TYPE
NEWSPAPER men
This Task Seen For School
Of journalism
TEACHERS HEAR TALKS
Director Harrington of Joseph
Medill Institution At Mad
= ison Meeting
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatchl


Madison, Wis. December 3d.
Schools of journalism are being call
ed on to train new type of news
paper worker because of new type
of journalism found in the rising
community newspaper, ii. T. Harring
ton, director OF the Joseph Medille
School of Journalism OF Northwestern
University, told the American Asso.
citation of Teachers Of Journalism
here today.
''I'he community paper is concern.
ed with community upbuuding and
with advertising the local merchants
as against the department store own
said. Although the scope is cir
cumscribed, there is just as much Joy
in this field as in larger one. The
community newspaper is a good deal
more intimate, friendly and folksy
than the big papers.
For instance, there is group of
small towns around the hub of Chi
cago, and in these small towns are
people who are interested in their
local news as we'll as in the news the
city papers give them. The interests
Of these people are home interests
and they are personally concerned
with the news of their own town and
not with the news they get in the
city papers. ....-
Train Community Editors
I'm my own opinion we ought to
change the word country community
newspaper, because this paper is
sinking its roots into the very life of
the community and gathers its
strength from it.
For the community newspaper we
must train men in the social outlook
so that they recognize the community
have certain obligations toward it.
That means a collegiate background
or background of appreciation OF
books, a thorough knowledge of the
field and kind of love OF small
town institutions. 1t will also entail
some newspaper Craftsmanship in the
technique of the story and the edi-
This knowledge might weil come
from a school of journalism or from
some metropolitan newspaper office,
but the handling of community news
making both ends meet. Not only
business sense with experience In
making both ends meet. Not only
must the editor of a community paper
be good editor and reporter but he
must also be a good business mana
ger. These are all necessary achncts
in the equipment of a successful
community editor"
Here are some papers that Prof.
Harrington cited as outstanding ex-
amples of good community papers:
The Evanston News. Index, The
Glencoe News, The Lake Shore News,
The Bronx News, The Brooklyn Eagle
The Mountain Lake News, The Hast
ings ON the Hudson News, The North
field Minnesota News. and The Abil-
enc (Kan.) Reflector.
Watehword OF Course
Actual contact with business paper
problems is the watchword q the
course in trade Journalism at the Jo-
seph Medill School of Journalism,
Northwestern University, Prof. Frank
Thayer of the Joseph Medill School
of Journalism told the teachers Of
courses offered, the first business
Journalism, treat with the writing
problems affecting technical trade
and class journals" he said. Articles
are written and submitted to trade
paper editors after intensive study OF
usable rhetorical methods such as are
at the editors command.
"The second course, problems Of
industrial publishing, comes into
more definite contact with the bust
ness problems of trade and techni-
cal journals. For the second semes-
ter this year, three publications
will be brought to the service of the
class, presenting their administrative,
promotion, circulation and adWertis.
ing problems. In this way, each stu
dent in the class will have an oppor-
tunity to do constructive. piece OF
work for one Of the progressive jour
nails published in Chicago.
I'm considering circulation prob
lens each student will have an op-
portunity to write sales letter and
converse personally or by mail with
prospective subscribers for these
journals. The, business manager of
each journal will present through the
instructor an outline of his circula-
ton problems and of his desired gain
for certain period. After discus
sion of circulation problems in gener-
al. the students will be presented
with the specific problems Of the
cooperating publications. Preliminary
reports on their plans and exper-
iences in handling these problems
will be brought by the students to
School where these ideas will be
sounded out. The business manager
of each publication will be brought to
the conference accepting for his pub
locations use such ideas presented by
the students as the managers know
ledge and experience deem essential
and profitable ~
In a similar way the ADVERTISING
problems of these coonerati~g pTibli-
cations will be studied. Thus it is
hoped to train young executives for