The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-05
THE NEWSPAPERS FUNCTION

There is much said in criticism of news papers, but the newspapers rarely under take to defend themselves. Perhaps the failure to reply in due both to the fact that the newspapers know that they are indis- pensable even to their critics, and to the fact that they realize that those who crit- else sometimes have a mistaken notion of what the newspapers purpose and function really are. daily newspaper is product that must be hurredy assembled and put upon the market. Its primary purpose is to lay the news of the day before the public as promptly and accurately possible. Ere quently, lack of time does not permit the confirmation of preliminary information Nevertheless, there is every effort made to present the facts as they are given to the reporters and correspondents. The wonder is, not that newspapers contain errors, bu: that they should be as accurate as they are
 In this connection, therefore, it is interest ing to present the views of Henry s. Nc Kee as set forth in his "The A B C's of Busi- nes." MT. McKee's discussion of news papers is merely by way of rounding out his conversational treatment of the general topic of business. Says Mir. Mckee:
 "We complain of and abuse our news
 papers largely because we misunder-
 stand and misapply them. At the cost
 of few pennies to us they furnish the
 news of the day from the entire world
 and the governing considerations are
 compelled to be brevity and speed. To
 expect thoroughness and reliability as
 well would be preposterous, and yet, in
 pure mental indolence, we make the
 newspaper our main source of knowl-
 edge, because it is so convenient inter-
 esting and cheap. The modern news
 paper is possibly the msot marvellous of
 our achievements, but do ourselves
 great injury by reading in a spirit of
 purpose for which it never was designed.
 The harm it does us seems in no way
 seriously chargeable to the paper, but to
 misunderstanding of it. The harm could
 be mainly avoided if we would read it,
 much as it is written, realizing that it
 is only the worlds gossip, probably no
 more reliable than what we hear and re-
 peat to one another by word of mouth.
 It is hurriedly gathered and we will not
 wait for it to be verified or corrected"
 Although grateful to MT. Mckee for his charitable exposition of their output and en- deavor undoubtedly most publishers would like to interpolate the statement that veri- fication of news is one of their important concerns, and that no editor prints news that doesn't emanate from source that he con- siders fairly reliable, or, if he does print it, lets it be known that the truth of facts has not been definitely established. An out standing illustration of this is the record of the Associated Press when the false rumor gained current on this side and in Europe that the armistice had been signed. In spite of almost certain dispatches supporting the rumor, the Associated Press held out firmly against giving it to the press, maintaining steadfastly that its agencies abroad had been unable to obtain verification of the report. Many newspapers refused to print the rumor, because it was unverified. Later it developed that the rumor was false, and the Associated Press saw it's policy of fidelity to truth vin- dicated. No newspaper or news-gathering agency can long subsist on major inaccura- cies and falsehoods.
 As an educational influence, also, the newspaper is not to be depreciated. It is true that the reading and study of an educated man are not confined to newspapers; but it is even more true that a man cannot in these modern days be properly termed educated if | he fails to read the newspapers. Even if one depends upon magazines for his knowledge of current events, he must not be oblivious to the fact that the magazines often but col late the data contained in the daily papers and merely present the same facts in more orderly and precise manner The newspaper is the journal of current events, which are surely as important an item in education as the events of the past which are called his tory. The newspaper depicts life as it is, and events as they occur. It has brought the ends of the world togteher, and is making the peoples of the earth more sympathetic with one another in thought and sentiment. If permanent peace comes to the world, who shall deny that the newspapers have per formed a great part in laying the foundation for that general enlightenment which has pierced the walls of prejudice and broken down the barriers of mental isolation?