Imperial Valley press., 1923-01-16
MERCHANTS AND NEWSPAPERS

The Pacific Coast Merchant, trade paper for
merchants has article in the January number on
the relations existing between the merchant and the
publisher. While the discussion is from the point of
view of the merchant, the article is that it
carries a lesson for the publisher we'll
"The two greatest influences in the upbuiding of
any community, says the article "are its merchants
and its newspapers The pity OF it is that only in
instances do they cooperate Worse than that there
is far too often actual hostility between these two
great forces The newspaper for nothing except
murders divorces or something equally sensational
cries the merchant The merchant cares for nothing
except advertising and profits, retorts the editor.
Neither accusation is true The real trouble is
that neither man understands the other fellows point
of view. The blame for this misunderstanding must
be shoudered equally by both, but is with the atti
tude of the merchant that chiefly concerned
here. Let us start out with bald assertion which
we would like to print in big, capital letters: Get out
of your head once and for all that you entitled to
special consideration from newspaper editor because
you advertise in his paper.
THAT is rock on which million chances for a
good understanding have been wrecked, newspaper
editor is business just much as a merchant.
He is out in the market selling his goods exactly the
drygoodsman the grocer the butcher. He carries
different line of merchandise and that is all the differ
there is. You do not believe that because man
buys suit of clothes from you that that purchase en-
titles him to tell you how to run your store Ger
tanly not. And precisely in the way the news
paper editor does not believe that because you buy
page OF advertising you entitled to tell him how to
run his paper.
$50 much for that. Let US see what the news
paper editor has to about the second big complaint
that is made against him by the merchanttha he is
only interested in sensational The answer to
that divides itself into two parts. The first part
best be put in the words of the editor of great
politan daily, who called upon to answer this
He said:
"a newspaper succeeds lust in so far as it is in
terestng. We do not print things because they are
sensational but only because they interesting to
the normal human being When you chat with your
wife the breakfast table you do say see that
John Jones and his wife living happily together,
Cashier Brown paid off the men at the factory yes
terday' No. You discuss the fact that Bill Smith has
been divorced or that Cashier Robinson was held up
and robbed of his firms payroll money
'Of course, the editor right. A newspaper is
the most human thing that does wear clothes and
the of its is the measure in which it
reflects the things that you and interested in
The second part of our answer is closely con-
nected with the first The merchants and business men
of town get together and talk some plan thai
they believe will benefit their town and which
very important to them. The next morning they are
indignant because their plan does not carry big head
lines on the front page of the newspaper The big
headlines go to murder scandal and the re-
port of the business mems meeting is somewhere the
back pages with very modest title. But the indignant
business seldom stop to consider this: The front
page is the editors show window with which he at
tracts people to enter his store merchant does not
trim his window with the most useful things in his
store but with the things which will attract the great
est amount of attention An editor does exactly the
Once it is all question of seeing the other
fellows point of view.
ga big step forward will have been taken when
the merchants and editors of every community are
found Joined in single harness, pulling together with
a single purpose and frank understanding of others
problems.
There is no tremendous obstacle in the way Of
obtaining this cooperation You deeply interested
in the progress and improvement of your community
and your first step to realize that neghor the
newspaper editor is quite much Take that for
granted and the next time you and your fellow mer-
chants meet together TO discuss plan for the bet
terment of your town city make that you in
vite your newspaper editors to join you If the old
stupid hostility and disrust has existed in your town
there may be little friction at first but if you
frank and sincere you will find your neighbor will
respond in the manner If your editor has sus-
plcon that you trying to use him in way it is
up to you to that suspicion Honesty of pur-
pose with frank recognition of the other fellows
position creates an atmosphere where suspicion cannot
live"
A CHECK ON CHILD SALES