Imperial Valley press., 1928-10-03
BUNK

The layman, reading of huge campaign costs and
being urged to contribute to political parties, nvar
ably wonders where all the money goes, and for what
it is used.
Any newspaper man can tell him where goodly
portion of it goes, and might surprise him by declaring
that it is entirely wasted.
To be specific the political propaganda sent out
by the national committees OF the two major parties
represents enormous outlay Each mail brings to
the editors desk batch of articles that he Immediate
y dispatches to the wastebasket without troubling
look at them, for he we'll knows they nothing but
bunk, to common expression with which all are
familiar.
These articles range from the statement of an old
West Branch resident that Hoover youngster pre-
ferred butter on his bread rather than jam, to
lengthy dissertation explaining that Alfred E. Smith
knows nothing whatsoever about the manufacture OF
cough h-drops.
They do not make interesting reading and as far
benefitting the candidates is concerned they are like
all bunk-worthless. No paper about loading up
its columns with their contents matter how partizan
they may be toward candidate or the other.
The condition applies to pictures. Mats
from which newspaper cuts made sent out IN
batches depicting the candidates in all sorts of cir
cumsance also their friends relatives their favorlte
flowers they looked in the gay nineties posing with
this that celebrity and Heaven alone knows what
elSe
All newspapers have their own telegraph service
and their news feature service, for which they pay
good money. They not going to sidetrack these
in preference to the bunk of the politicians. Certain
of it be used but the maount sent out OF
all proportion to the needs.
Yet if the newspapers were to suggest that they
be paid for publishing polltlcal propaganda they
would be accused of party dsloyaty. The political
parties expect to pay for supplies, for halls in which
candidates to speak, transportation and other eX
penses incidental to campaign. But newspaper space
another thing agn. The newspaper has no recourse
but to scrap the bunk
Real political news - not propaganda = in which
their readers interested is of welcomed by
all newspapers and this they obtain through their
ordinary channels without depending upon the ma
tional committees.
What has been said about political propaganda,
lies TO
mobile manufacturers fraternal organizations in fact
establishments of all Sorts have highly paid publicity
bureaus and experts, who daily deuge the newspapers
of the country with bunk and it goes just where the
political bunk goes.
So strong has this propaganda fad become that
the newspaper publishers of Southern California have
organized against it. The publishers association
conducts its own publicity bureau. Through this,
projects having legitimate purpose, and satisfied
with obtaining normal amount Of publicity, are
granted space papers affiliated with the association
Most of the county fairs given publicity in this
way paying nominal charge to the association when
handles the publicity and sends it out to the news
papers Publicity received in this manner is welcomed
bv the editor for he knows is worthwhile. He can
put in his columns with the feeling that he is not
loading them up with-bunk.