The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1925-02-05
EXTOLS
AT
EDITORS MEETING

Washington.-The relationship be-
tween government and the press was
the subject of an address delivered re-
entity by Prsidnt Coolidge at a dinner
given at the Willard hotel by the Am
erican Society of Newspaper Editors.
In the course of his remarks, the
president said:
"News, properly presented, should
be a sort of cross-section of the char
acter of current human experience. 1t
should delineate character, quality,
tendencies and implications.
"Our American newspapers serve a
double purpose. They bring know
ledge and information to their read
ers, and at the same time they play
a most important part in connection
with the business interests of the COM
munity, both through their news and
advertising departments.
ct has always seemed to me that
American newspapers are peculiarly
representative of the practical ideal
ism of our country. Quite recently the
construction of a revenue statute re
ONADC0 III giving SO1lAC highly IAlClCob-
ing facts about incomes. 1t must have
been observed that nearly all the
newspapers published these interesting
facts in their news columns, while
very many of them protested in their
editorial columns that such publicity
was a bad policy. Yet this was not
inconsistent. The newspapers repre-
-1-+ H. --.-a+s-o1 sI1c1.-~, rE A,,nvfoo
As practical newsmen they printed
the facts. AS editorial idealists they
protested that there ought to be no
such facts available.
Some people feel concerned about
the commercialism Of the press. They
note that great newspapers are great
business enterprises earning large
profits and controlled by men Of
wealth. So they fear that in such
control the press may tend to support
the private interests Of those who
own the papers, rather than the gen
eral interests of the whole people.
1T seems to me. however, that the
real test is whether the newspapers
are sincerely trying to serve the pub
4AE 444LE4 E1tSs 4AAEIG VIII DC 44LA4C IL
casion for worry about who owns a
newspaper so long as its attitudes on
public questions are such as to pro
mote the general welfare. A press
which is actuated by the purpose of
genuine usefulness to the public in
terests can never be too strong finan-
cially, so long as its strength is used
for the support Of popular govern
ment.
"There does not seem to be cause
for alarm in the dual relationship of
the press to the public, whereby it is
on one side a purveyor of informa-
ton and on the other side a purely
business enterprise. Rather, it is
probable that a press which maintains
an intimate touch with the business
currents of the nation is likely to be
more reliable than it would if it were
a stranger to these influences.
american newspapers have seemed
to me to be particularly representative
of the practical idealism of our people.
Therefore l feel secure in saying that
they are the best newspapers in the
world. I believe that they print more
real news and more reliable and char
acteristic news than any other news
papers. 1 believe their editorial opin-
ions are less colored in influence by
mere ~partisanship or selfish interest
lean press is more independent, more
reliable and ISIS partisan today than
than are those of any other country
at any other time in it's history. I be-
1ieve this of our press precisely as I
do public affairs. Both are cleaner, fin
er, less influenced by improper con-
siderations than ever before"