Evening star., 1925-01-18

tend to become easier victims for the
propagandists, and need to cultiya @
sedulously the habit of the open mind.
NO doubt every generation feels that
It's problems are the most intricate
and battling that have ever been pre-
sented for solution. But with all
recognition of the disposition to ex-
aggerate in this respect, | think we
can fairly say that our times in all
their social ana economic aspects are
more complex than any past period.
We need to keep our minds free from
prejudice and bias OF educat ation
and of real information we cannot get
too much But of propaganda, which
is tainted or perverted information,
we cannot have too little.
Discusses News.
Newspaper men, therefore. end
lessly discuss the question of what is
news. l judge that they will go on
discussing it as long as there are
newspapers. 1t has seemed to me
that quite obviously the news giving
function of a newspaper cannot pos
Sibly require that it give a photo
graphic presentation of everything
that happens in the community That
is an obvious impossibility. 1t seems
fair TO say that the proper presenta-
tion of the news bears about the same
relation to the whole field of happen
ings that a painting does to a photo
graph The photograph might give
the more accurate presentation of de-
tails, but in doing so it might sacri-
flee the opportunity the more clearly
to delineate character My college
professor was wont to tell us a good
many years ago that if painting of
a tree was only the exact representa-
ton of the original, so that it looked
just like the tree, there would be no
reason for making it; we might as
well look at the tree itself. But the
painting if it is of the right sort,
gives something that neither a photo
graph nor a view of the tree con-
veys. 1t emphasizes something of
character, quality, individuality. 9 We
are not lost in looking at thorns and
defects; we catch vision of the
grandeur and beauty of a king of the
forest.
And so I have conceived that the
news, properly presented, should be
a sort of cross section of the Charac
ter of current human experience. 1t
should delineate character, quality,
tendencies and implications. In this
way the reporter exercises his genius.
Out of the current events he does not
make a drab and sordid story. but
rather an informing and enlightened
epic. His work becomes no longer
initiative, but rises to an original art.
Serve Double Purpose.
Our American newspapers serve a
double purpose. They bring knowl
edge and information to their readers,
and at the same time they play
most important part in connection
with the business interests of the
community, both through their news
and advertising departments. Prob
ably there is no rule of your profess
sion to which you gentlemen are more
devoted than that which prescribes
that the editorial and the business
policies of the paper are to be con-
dScted by strictly separate compart-
maQts. Editorial policy and news
policy must not be Influenced by busi-
ness consideration; business policies
must not be affected by editorial pro-
grams. Such a dictum strikes The
outsider as involving a great deal Of
difficulty in the practical adjustments
of everyday management Yet in
fact, l doubt if those adjustments are
any more difficult than have to be
made in every other department of
human effort. Life is a long success
sion OF compromises and adjustments,
and it may be doubted whether the
press is compelled to make thIGt more
frequently than others do.
IdeaIism Reflected.
When l have contemplated these
adjustments of business and edi-
torial policy, it has always seemed to
me that American newspapers are
peculiarly rep1 p1esentative of the prac-
teal idealism of our country. Quite
re Gently the construction of a reve-
nue. statute resulted in giving pub
licity to some highly interesting facts
about incomes. 1t must have been
observed that nearly all the news
papers 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. l am referring 10 the
incident by way of illustrating what
Just said about the newspapers
representing the practical idealism OF
America As practical newsmen they
printed the facts. AS editorial ideal
lists 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
eraI interest of the whole people. 1t
seems to me, however, that the real
test is not whether the newspapers
are controlled by men of wealth, but
whether they are sincerely trying to
serve the public interests. There VIII
be little occasion for worry about
who owns a newspaper so long as It's
attitudes on public questions are
such as to promote the general well
fare. A press which is actuated by
the purpose of genuine usefulness to
the public interest can never be too
strong financially so long as its
strength is used for the support of
popular government.
Sees No Cause for Alarm.
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 opinion 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 be if it were stranger
to these influences. After all, the
chief business of the American peo-
pie is business. They are profoundly
concerned with producing, buying,
selling, investing and prospering in
the world. l am strongly of opinion
that the great majority OF people will
always find these are moving i'm
pulses of our life. The opposite view
was oracularly and POLITICALLY set
forth in those lines OF Goldsmith,
which everybody repeats, but few
really believe: