The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-10-10
GLEANINGS
SCREENINGS
BY Andrew r. Kelley

eftrontery or theatrical press
agents who gloat over the fact
that they are occasionally able
to abuse newspaper confidence
and prostitute truth to slip over
fake stories.
Reference was to an uneth-
ical minority of publicists who
thrive on bogus engagements
for Broadway actresses, manu-
featured attempts at suicide,
cleverly disguised propaganda
and other exploitation devices.
designed to deceive journalistic
executives, frequently too busy
and trusting to scrutinize care
fully the product of the Munich
ausenS.
/ suggested that the new
Association of Theatrical Agents
and Managers might remove
the newspaper suspicion fire.
quently encountered by these
legitimate ENJOYS of the amuse-
ment business, if the bar was
put up on the too imaginative
fellows or some summary pun
ishn1ent melted out to the of
tenders, assuming, of course,
they were on the membership
roster.
It is gratifying to note that
what was a kindly attempt at
constructive criticism and adj
vice has been accepted in the
spirit for which it was in
tended.
Theodore Mitchell, chairman
of the Association of Theatrical
Agents and Managers, and
known from coast to coast as
a square-shooting genius at the
business of selling attractions,
forwards to this desk the re-
Spouse to the suggestion.
"The advice you give about
taking an interpretive inven-
tory is sound and just, one of
the things we are going to fight
tooth and nail to bring about"
he writes. "There is no reason
why our relationship with the
newspapers cannot be welded
closer and, standing as body
sworn to this cause, a real
friend will be serving double
purpose by keeping us posted
as to any infractions of the
ethics by which we hope to build
up and maintain this better
entente"
''The first individual on our
prohibited list is the fellow who
is an avowed faker but who
compounds his dereliction by
selling fake stories to magazines
and periodicals as to how they
put over some dog" story on
the press. That sort of bunk
has been allowed to drift along
unchallenged by any of the
forces that should be vitally in
terested, but, with compact
and working organization our
men have taken on dual re-
sponsibility in that first of all
they must serve their employers
Loyalty and faithfully and they
must also realize that they are
answerable to the great body of
their fellow workers who will
not countenance anything that
reflects discredit upon the or
ganization."
This sounds genuine and
honest enough and is a platform
upon which new era of mutual
confidence could properly be
born which might include city
editors and news editors. These
latter busy bees of the editorial
force are, after all, the inno-
cent victims of most of the
publicity malpractice. They
pass upon the spot news and
frequently their judgment of
value must be immediate and
permits of no time devouring
investigation. Under such con-
ditions gold brick item once
in while slips into type.
Some assurance that what
Eea~s the label of the accred-
tied agents association can be
accepted by editors as being as
near 100 per cent truth as pos
sible is step toward the COM
plete understanding and con-
fidence which both deem de-
sirable,