South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-03-20
COMICS, EDITORIALS
TAKEPUBLIC FANCY,
N. U. QUEST SHOWS
National News Also Popular
While Pathetic Stories
Are Not Liked.

CHICAGO, March 19.-Newspaper
cartoons, editorials. comics and hui
morous stories are more closely read
than murder and scandal stories and
humorous stories are more closely
read than the pathetic ones, accord
ing to a tabulation of questionnaires
submitted TO students at Northwest
ern university. it was made public
Saturday A total of 13S men and
women doing third and fourth year
university work in general subjects
and specializing in journalism were
asked to indicate the kind of articles
that they read from beginning to
end. those they never read, those
only scanned and those where only
headlines were read. Not all voted
on any Of the questions.
60 Read National News In Full.
Sixty-two said they read every
word Of national news: one said he
never read II: 63 scanned it and two
read only headlines. Messages by
the president were read thoroughly
by 40, never read by eight. scanned
by 63 and read in the headlines by
seven, the report showed 10 read
all state news. SO scanned il. IA read
it IN the headlines and seven never
read it, while local news was read
In its entirety by Ga; 90 scanned it,
four read the headlines and two
ID H. I
they read every word Of crime
stories. GO scanned such articles. 81
looked only as far as the headlines
and FIVE did not read it, while 10
said they read all scandal stories. so
, scanned them, IS "headlined them
and L never read them. 112 said
they read all the daily cartoons. IS
scanned them, one read their head
lines and no one would admit never
looking at them.
Murder stories, the replies showed
were read I'm their entirety by So;
II never read them, 50 scanned
them and % read the headlines. 5S
persons read all sports, IS never
read such stories. AZ scanned them
and six avoided them Editorials
were read In their entirety by 81,
scanned by a.. headlined by II and
read sometimes by all those reply
ing 81 said they read all foreign
news. % scanned such articles. y
read the headlines and three never
read them.
Humor More Popular Than PathOs.
Sixty-seven said they read the
humorous columns through. 6S said
they never read money markets. SO
said they never read grain and pro-
duce markets: 81 read every word
Of humorous stories. 40 read every
word Of pathetic stories. 80 read
every word including pictures and
text, and "a never read society or
club happenings.
Among suggestions offered TO i'm
prove newspapers We're:
Show that there are a few happy
sensible people left. play down
crime. think more Of the effect on
the public OF a newspaper story, re-
strict display advertising 20 thirty
percent Of the paper and increase
the rate accordingly. cater less 20
women and more 10 men, sign the
editorials. give more space TO inter
national affairs, omit the pathologic-
al aspects of murders and suicides
cut out cooking recipes. omit chill
dren and dogs Of the rich, print
more on business. art, music. feder-
al government activities. education
agriculture and science, print more
local news and fewer feature stories
play up good morals. use the pickaS
more and the muck rake less. There
was an almost unanimous return on
newspapeAaccuracy in the sense that
news happens at least accurately.