The Alaska daily empire., 1922-12-27
Day O-Dayness.'
editor & Publisher. J

tEdltOr d PuDl1Sner)
What will the critics demand of the newspapers
next They have been denounced liars, corrupt
tools of 'he interests, boolickers of their adver-
Using patrons. monsters of inaccuracy. They have
been condemned for printing too much news then by
the same critics for printing enough And now
comes Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler in his report to the
trustees of Columbia University, finding fault with the
newspapers because they deal with life in day to
day fashion
President Butler holds it against the press that
st is the enemy of constant and continuing interest
in any subject" and that i elevates supericality
to the plane of occupation They are neat
phrases Their general application to the newspapers
is at least doubtful They evidence that DR..
Butler shares with many others msconcep-
ton of the scope and possibilities of the daily
paper in our present civilization.
The president of Columbia University may,
though doubt it, live life in which day-to-
dayness plays part life in which every episode
Tngs Possibly he sees world and local affairs as a
unit with eye for the details that rise from day
to day and which present, though not distinctly
seen, when the complete picture is unfolded. He
may have that vision and he may apply it TO all his
words and acts but if he has, he is indeed rare
human being Newspapers cannot be edited with the
idea that they will be read only by Nicholas Murray
Butler and his omni competent fellows. Every other
type and class of readers must be considered.
There wouldn't be any newspapers, nor any need
for newspapers if life could be that way by all.
The Columbia University Quarterly would pre-
mier publication of the world seeing it steadily and
seeing it whole. But unfortunately for DR.. Buffers
argument, HE IS lived DAY 10 day Man doesn't KNOW
tonight what tomorrow holds for him, his family OF
his country, We take existence and its news as
We find it and can't do anything else.
If our newspapers give Fairly complete and
accurate report of what is going day to day
they are doing more than many critics within and
without the editorial circle believe they They
are doing Their best under present conditions which
are quite different from those which existed when
Dr. Buffers professor advised his students waste
time books less than a century old News
papers in days time give of developments of
civilization today that surpass the entire progress
the last 5000 They strive at all times through
agencies which millions of dollars have been
expended to link events and incidents with those
which happened yesterday 10 years ago. but
are finite and falble and may always reach the
goal they set.
But, with few exceptions, they try to present news
which unfods from day to day, keyed with what has
gone before and probable developments in the most
understandable way.
Some, it is true. have brought superfcality to the
plane of occupation, but they in the minority
in numbers. 1t is surprising that DR.. Butler is
familiar with their deeds and ignorant what
the that really speaks for the country saying
and doing Perhaps that explains why he is unable
to constant and continuing interest in the
serious subject of himself oftener than four
years and then only until the Republican National
Convention has cast it's first ballot Presidential
candidates.