Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-23

Fifty years ago The Star was printing
four pages daily, occasionally six, and
on days Of heavy ad-
Newspapers OF vertising pressure an
the Future. eight-page issue was
regarded as q large
paper. In view Of this fact it Is inter-
esting to note the following editorial in
The Star Of June II, 1879. on the news
papers Of the future:
The recent address Of Mr.. whitelaw
Reid before the New York Press Asso-
interest not to journalists alone but
to all whom the daily papers visit. The
views Of the successful managing editor
Of q great New York daily upon the
future Of journalism would be worthy
OF thoughtful consideration even II the
speaker had not, like Mr.. Reid, won
peculiar distinction in his profession,
or II the journal which he controlled
were not, like the Tribune, in many
respects the leading paper of the
country. Mr.. Reid argues strongly
against the belief that the ability and
power Of the press are declining. He
holds that there Is more good young
blood tending toward Journalism than
toward any other profession. There Is
more movement In it than in any Of the
so-called learned professions, more
growth, o larger opportunity, q greater
future. Three pressing necessities Of
the time are suggested In respect to
which newspapers, independent of DO
litical Affiliations or tendencies, may
unite to accomplish results of value.
These are, first. n constant systematic
supervision of local government in all
things affecting taxes and the increase
Of local debt; second, the examination
of the subject of charities; third, the
waging Of a war against abuses affecting
the public morals. A passage In the
address Of special interest is that in
which the speakers idea of the future
newspaper Is summed up:
1--WE shall not have more news. The
world is ransacked for 1t now. Earth,
sea and air carry 1t to us from every
capital, from every people, from every
continent and from every island. We
shall not have bigger newspapers; they
are bigger now than q busy people can
read. We shall have better newspapers:
the story better told, better brains en-
ployed In the telling; briefer papers;
papers dealing with the more important
Of current matters In such style and
with such fascination that they viii
command the widest interest. There
will be more care and ability In select
ing, out OF the myriad or things YOU
might tell, the things that the better
people want to be told or ought to be
told. There will be greater skill In put
ting these things before them In the
most convenient and attractive shape.
Judgment In selecting the news, genius
for telling it--that is the goal for the
highest journalistic effort Of the future.
In making a newspaper the heaviest
item of expense used to be the white
paper Now it is the news. BY and by,
let us hope, It will be the brains
THE movement in journalism Is
steadily toward the ideal which Mr..
Reid suggests. Men no longer, II they
ever did, become editors because they
are At for nothing else. Even general
intelligence Is no longer q suficient
Natural capacity,
special training and the skill which
comes from prolonged experience are
to the attainment Of any
prominence In the profession. As the
requisites of success In journalism be-
come more numerous and more dificult
Of requirement the newspapers them
selves improve in respect to all those
qualities which are to characterize the
ideal paper Of the future"