The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-06-17
.HEAR5T GIVES
NEWSPAPER
POLICIES
Publisher Discusses Vital
Questions on Modern
journalism
(Continued from First Page.l

matters, but endeavor to carry out
the desires OF the community In all
community matters.
I'm addition I generally have q
local advisory board Of leading citi-
zens to help the local publisher to
obtain accurate information in re-
gard to local requirements and gen.
timents.
1.-THE whole purpose Of our papers
iS TO serve loyalty the communities
In which they are respectively pub
lished; and the papers are united
into one large organization only to
make that service more effective"
"a when you bug q MetCSpGper,
tchGt do VOW pay fort Mr.. MWnsev
says he does not pay for circulation,
but character"
s'I pay for opportunity. The char.
acter and circulation Of a paper are
what you make them. This, op,oor-
tunity is determined by the field
and relative excellence of the com.
peting newspapers"
CD What must newspaper vieid,
| from its business and from Its edit
tOfjGI departments, to meet y0tsr mini
mum redWirememtsi
II have no minimum or maxi.
mum requirements. expect q
newspaper to make as much profit
as Is compatible with giving the
public a good newspaper, and max.
ing subscribers and advertisers feel
that they are getting full return
for their money in excellence and
service.
II spend a lot Of money in max.
ing my newspapers. AS a matter
OF fact, i put back into the making
Of my newspapers over 80 per cent
Of the money these newspapers
take in from subscribers and ad-
vertisers. This, / think, I ought
to do in order to give adequate
service"
Co What Is the capital valMe Of a
regular s1bscriber"
II do not know. I do not think
you can estimate the value of a
satisfied subscribed merely in terms
Of money"
| ca "HotO do you define the potcer
Of 'setospdper tohick reaches from
ttcentv-ttUe to ffty per cent Of the
population Of q first-cIGss American
city, and to tokGt eEtent haze Me,os-
paper editors and advertisers exercised
this potoer9'
1.-THE power of a newspaper de.
ponds not merely upon the number
of its readers, but upon the con.
fidence it's readers repose in It..
That confidence IL earned by in.
telligent and unselfish service-by
q long record of effort for the
public good as the editor sees 1t.
The power of a newspaper which
has deserved and won the conf.
dence of its readers is considerable:
but the American people do not
follow blindly the lead Of any news.
paper, even though they may en-.
tirely respect its motives"
(8) ais the political Influence Of the
American press, in general, declining
or Increasing, and tohyi"
II rather think that the influence
Of the American press is on the
whole declining. This, I believe, is
because so many newspapers are
owned or influenced by reactionary
interests and predatory corporations
and are used selfishly, to promote
the welfare of these reactionary in.
terests. rather than the welfare of
the public.
"This tends to weaken the con.
fidence Of the public in all news.
papers more or less.
Furthermore there are other
agencies Of publicity which divide
the field with the newspapers nova.
days. There are the moving PIC.
lures. and the radio for example,"
| go "Why do yOW Oive so much time
to motion piotWreSf"
IT give so much time to motion
pictures because I think they are
as important as publications as
agencies cf publicity, both for In.
formation and entertainment"
| (1O) care you interested in rodio
and tchGt does IL pr0Nsiseg"
"I am very much interested in
radio, but do not know how much
1t promises for independent enter
| prise.
1T looks at present as If Radio
were likely, to be controlled by a
few large corporations and employed
In great part for their propaganda.
However, there. may develop a
great field for radio in connection
with newspapers and news serv.
ices"
(1D "Do you care to discuss the
sale Of stocks of newspaper corpora
tons IN the open marEet-Gnd tUhv do
voW sell bonds1"
II sold bonds because 1 want TO
borrow some money, and 1 preferred
to borrow 1t from the public rather
than from Wall Street."
(12l as circulation the test Of
meritl"
ITO degree circulation IL a test
Of merit If any manufactured
article sold more and at a higher
price than another similar article.
you would naturally infer that the
one which sold the greater amount
at the higher price was the better
--or at least that it pleased the
public better; and that is the main
standard of comparison"
(13) when are advertising rotcs
too l0tOw ,|t
Advertising rates are too low
when they give the advertiser a
great profit and the newspaper little
or no profit as is often the case.
Advertising rates are seldom too
high, IL an advertiser knows how
to employ advantageously the pub.
licity of widely distributed and
well established newspaper.
d4> "WiH, toe haze live-cemt ne.Cs-
pGpers IN AmertcG, and phyI"