The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-08-16

brings forward for discussion the SUBJECT
of the Hush System" of newspaper pub
fishing. The Index-JOurnal explains the
system as follows:
Every newspaper at some time other has to
go through the painful experience of being lee
tured on the advantages of the Hush system. Il
may be mild epidemic of some Contagious dis
ease, spell of hot weather, or any old thing that
overzealous ones think it best to keep mum about
but whatever it is the newspaper takes the blame
or the credit as the may be Of pleasing one
group and displeasing another group
IAN example of the common experience is that
of the New York newspapers last week and the
week before during the excessive heat wave in that
city. Many people died from the heat These were
aged and weak individuals or those handicapped
by some malady which lowered their vitality 81
that oppression from the heat and humidity was
more than they could stand. The newspapers were
rouudly censured for publishing the facts"
Answering the criticism of the New
York newspapers in the foregoing connee-
ton, The New York Times said:
Censorship never really suppresses news. It
only terrorizes people into whispering and diStort-
ing things If the New York papers had kept silent
about the heat wave, it would soon have been ru-
mored that 10000 people were dying of heat every
day in New York
ct is hard to be convinced of the truth of the
open and frank statement of facts but experience
is all in favor of the publication of the situation
whatever it is the safest and surest way to
combat rumOr."
This discussion so far relates to the
Hush System" for conducting the news
columns of a newspaper. The system is
also in high favor with some people for
control of the editorial policies of news
papers.
Now, as a matter of fact, bad conditions
are always made worse in matters of any
Importance affecting the public by efforts
to suppress the news. The most satisfac-
tory way in every case is to print the truth.
Rumors get into circulation, and they
grow as they circulate, and are distorted
and magnifed as they are repeated, until
fare. RumOrs can usually be .annihilated
by printing the truth in the newspapers.
AS,to the editorial policies of newspapers
there is great difference of opinion in the
public mind. Some people believe that Il
newspapers editorial policy should be Oh
the fre-eating type. That the newspapers
editorial policy should be radical, red-hot,
snarling and scrapping in every issue
Other people think that the Hush System
should be applied to the editorial page !;
that newspaper should not have opinions
and Should not be allowed to express its
views. Many of the advocates of the Hush
System" however, desire to have it APP
pliedi in their own way. They would have
the newspapers keep quiet about some
things and speak out on other subjects. 1t
all depends on their point of view and
their personal interests. They applaud
when the, newspaper happens to get on
their side of an issue and criticise and
"cuss@ it when it happens to oppose their
views or interests. 1t is in the latter case
that they want the Hush System applied.
The middle ground, which is adopted as
the policy of a majority of newspapers, is
the most reasonable policy. 1t is the policy
of printing all the news that is fit to print
in a conservative way, without sensational.
ism and radicalism; and at all times max.
ing the aim to print nothing but facts and
truth the paramount consideration. On the
editorial side it means that a newspaper
has an honest, fair, reasonable, fearles