Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-15
A NpRE s1EoFR1Ep. the French

.avsrt,sinq and are bound to come
under the influence OF big business mas
heen answered by a number OF news
nauer publishers and editors whose
statements appear in the July issue Oh
the magazine Personality.
In a recent issue this magazine In
an editorial characterized NJ Stegfrled
statement as a SANDER. and later asSeo
the owners and editors OF NUMBER OF
newspapers to answer the Frencn
author. What he had written on TINS
point was this;
1.-THE great newspapers, as every one
knows. live entirely by their advertising.
Logically, therefore, they are bound to
fall sooner or later under the influence
of high finance and big business which
pays for publicity. Whenever an ed1-
torial contradicts their views, the cap
tains of industry can easily exercise a
little pressure. Your editorials are not
up to our Standards they write: and
the editor, realizing what he is up
against, gives in. Otherwise the paper
goes to the wall.
THE national interests thus possess
an effective means of molding the
public to their ends by Withholding
what they think 1t should not know and
presenting each subject from the de-
sired angle A rigid code Is soon built
up from which there Is no escape.
though people are soon unaware OF Its
existence"
These are the replies:
"Freest in World"
Adolph S. Ochs, Publisher. New York
Times:
have read the statement in which
M. Siegfried accuses the American press
od
unfortunate but true that this French
sociologist suffers from the same de-
fects which he enormously thinks he
finds in the American daily press-lack
of courage and yenality. He makes
general and sweeping charge against
the freest and most independent press
in the world today-an indictment
completely untrue and based upon the
widest assumptions of men who believe
only what they want to believe. II M.
Siegfried knows a single example of "a
great newspaper" which is subservient
to its advertisers and whose editorial
and news policy is at the beck and call
of interests" he should be courageous
enough to name that newspaper and
its owner, so that the quality OF his
statements may be tested in libel
action: for I am confident he will have
to make good his statement in court II
he mentions any representative leading
newspaper To those who have read
his book and believed this SANDER on
the American press he owes the presen-
tation of proof.
Standards Of Great Newspapers.
Charles H. Dennis. Editor, Chicago Daily
News:
I wish to compliment you on your edi-
torial In Personality Magazine, in which
you criticize a passage In M. Siegfried's
book. America Comes of Age" charg-
ing the great newspapers of the United
States with being the creatures of their
advertisers. What you say in your edi-
torial not only is true. but Is in refresh
| ing contrast to the persistent guerrilla
warfare carried on by some American
magazines against the newspapers. That
warfare consists mainly In the publica-
ton of articles bitterly attacking the
| ethics of the newspapers. their authors
! being mainly discredited newspaper men
| or others of no standing.
| The newspapers, so far as have OBJ
! served, are not in the habit of defend
| ing themselves against injurious charges
| similar to those of M. Siegfried. Ordi-
narily they merely invite specific criti-
! cisms which may be answered in detail.
I speak, of course, for single newspa-
per, the Chicago Daily News. with which
! have been connected in an editorial
capacity for many years. However.
have a wide acquaintance among the
editors of the principal newspapers of
| the United States, and wish to record
my belief that with only very few ex-
ceptions those men conduct their news
papers In accordance with ethical
standards as high as those to be found
among the best men in any other pro-
fesSion. bar none. And I know that
those men would not consider for a mo-
ment suppressing or warping the truth
In any manner-certainly not for any
consideration of Self-interest.
Papers Give Service.
II is false that the great newspapers
of the country live by the favor of an
advertiser or set of advertisers. News
papers furnish to their advertisers a
service Of great value, and that service
Is obtained on a fair commercial basis,
simply and solely because it Is valu-
able service. Any intelligent advertiser
knows that the value of newspaper as
an advertising medium would be enor-
mously injured II its intelligent readers
had any Just cause to suspect 1t OF be-
ing Sordid falsifier or a time-Server
newspaper becomes contemplate In
any manner 1t Is headed for ruin on
high gear,
It Is strange. indeed. that any reader
should fail to understand that a news
paper lives by service. II serves its
readers with the truth and with opin-
ions carefully based on truth and on
at least reasonable degree of under
standing The newspaper Of low ideals
will be tolerated only by people of low
ideals. Such people mainly live by their
wits or from hand to mouth and are OF
little value to legitimate advertisers.
Chicago has Just passed through
bitter political contest. In which I'M
faithful public servants in high places
appealed to the voters for renewal
and extension of their Official power.
The outcome of the political contest in
Chicago and Illinois was an overwhelm-
ing defeat for the vicious officials who
had made the city and State by
word the world around If the news
papers which fought those officials were
indeed faithlesS and venal they would
not have made the grueling fight which
they did make, inviting and receiving
unmitigated abuse.
I am sure that practically every great
newspaper In the United states well
comes any specific criticism which can
be answered by definite presentation
of the facts. The public ought To know
that responsible newspaper neces-
81 lily lives by service, and faithleSSnesS
to Its readers interests would be suicide.
Ads Make for Freedom"
G.. b Parker, Eoitor-in Chief, Scripps-
Howard Newspapers.
II would be impossible for me to
state more forcihly the practical answer
to the Slegfried charges than II was
stated recently by NJ +. Tracy, writer
of the Tracy column In the Scripps-
Howard newspapers. Accordingly, am
taking the liberty OF passing on to you
point at issue. In an address given
before the st. Louis Advertising Club,
"A serious indictment of advertising
,IAhx Nmfx xxAf es.