The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-11-12
PUT PRESS ON
EDUCATION JOB
URGES DOCTOR
Power Lost on Prize Fights;
Public Not Morons,
Says Butler, Man.
BY WALLACE G. WEST

Newspapers must avoid writing
down" to the intelligence of their
readers if the press is to regain the
power 1t once had in nolding pub
lie opinion, according to Professor
Elijah Jordan, Phi. D., Butler Uni
versity.
IF newspapers are to re-capture
the prestige they once held under
such men as Horace Greedy and
Henry Watterson the publishers must
realize that at least a portion OF
their readers are as much interested
in the progress of science, medicine,
politics ard philosophy as they are
in who won the heavyweight box
ing championship, or whether Mutt
is the short one or the long one"
PROF. Jordan declared to the Unit
ed Press today.
- Public Not Morons
"since the rise OF so-called 'yel-
low journalism in the late nineties,' -
he continued, there has been a de-
cided tendency on the part of many
newspapermen to look upon the
reading public as being composed of
high-class morons. This attitude
brought Americas newspaper pres
tige to its lowest ebb before the
war, and it's effects still are being
felt all over the country.
Newspapers of the first rank have
begun the amazing discovery in re-
cent years that man is a thinking
animal, but there is still too much
tendency to play up a juicy muir
der, at the expense of things vital
ly important in the progress of hu-
mainly.
1.-THE time Is at hand when the
press must grow up and assume its
rightful place as an organ of public
opinion, or follow the lead of the
tabloid sheets.
Suggests Education Campaign
"There is little doubt in my mind,''
Professor Jordan said THAT if a
consistent and unceasing campaign
Of education were attempted by the
press, it might bear fruit-at the
end Of ten or fifteen years. This
should not be considered an excess
sively long period however, when
one stops to think of the years of
labor and the millions of dollars
spent in educating the public to
consume the numberless columns of
sports matter which are inflicted
upon it daily. ;
Consistent hammering through
the news columns finally will in
duce people to become interested in
anything.
eff newspapers are honest in their
desire to present the best thought of
the world to their readers they will
hire experts in medicine, sociology,
philosophy, music, art and other
lines of research, just as they now
employ experts to write up the
Dempsey-Tunney fight or the Hall
Mills murder"
Praises Indiana Papers
Professor Jordan complimented
the stand which Indiana newspapers
have taken in unearthing political
corruption in the State. Indiana
newspapers with but few exceptions
rallied to the standard of clean
government" he said, although it
must be admitted that some were
lamentably tardy in doing so.
eff publishers will continue this
policy and realize that in the long
run an open stand for honesty and
political sanity will be rewarded by
the respect of the people, although
temporarily it may lose them thou
sands of lines Of advertising we will
need to bold no post norton for
American liberty.
"In the last analysis" he con-
cluded, advertisers have to adver-
tise somewhere. A clean editorial
policy by all papers probably would
result in very little financial loss in
the long run"