Evening star., 1936-05-03
Publicity and the
New Deal
By Otcen L. Scott.

product of newspaper men who syncli-
cate their personal opinion of events in
the Capital. He is understood to feel
that too great attention is attracted to
the private views of individual writer's
who may not have all of the facts and
yet who are able to place their views
before millions of readers every day in
the week.
Until recently this presidential aver
sion, except in one or two instances, took
the form of press conference quips made
at the expense of the writers. At least
one personal complaint is understood to
have been registered with the employer
of one newspaper man. The other day
the President aired his views on column
lists during an interview with newspaper
editors.
Mr. Roosevelt also has revealed two
other criticisms. One is that headline
writers often seem TO him to distort the
meaning Of things he says. The other
is that he believes editors sometimes
cause critical articles to be written for
which there Is little basis.
The Presidents evident preference is
for the straight news reporter, who con-
tents himself with telling of actual
events and reporting official utterances
without placing those events or utter
anceS in setting of background and
Interpretation. If there is to be critical
analysis, the President apparently feels
that it should be objective and not
merely a matter of personal opinion on
the part of the writer
The fact is that publicity is growing
problem for this administration, just rs
it proved a problem for other admins
trationS.
When Washington events became of
immediate daily importance to millions
of citizens, those citizens began to want
to know more about what makes the
official wheels 60 round in the National
Capital. The acts and opinions OF a
score or more high officials here might
directly touch their lives.
This situation led to a boom in the
writing business. Columnists who had
gone through the defiation with the rest
of the country suddenly found new mar
kets. Other writer's entered the picture.
The gossip column was born and de-
manded daily griSt of supposed in
side stuff" to keep alive in its highly
lucrative form.
Government itself recognized the
demand from the public for more and
more information of Washington hap
penings.
Out of that recognition came the
rapid building of press sections" in all
newly created agencies These sections
absorbed many of the better Washing
ton newspaper men. They assumed
large proportions and now employ hun
dreds of writers. not only in Washing
ton. but scattered throughout the Nation.
The job of these men is not only to
assemble facts. but to sell opinion as
well. just as the columnists do.
They write speeches to be delivered
by department heads. They write maga-
zine articles to be signed by heads of
departments. They determine publicity
strategy and design campaigns of propa-
ganda They cover trails that officials
try to conceal Their influence on policy
is considerable.
But one of the worries of high officials
is that the Government publicity de-
partments are not getting the results
that they once did
During the early days of the New
Deal. the Government press sections
were fountain of news and hive of
activity. Their output was prodigiOus
and most of it found a place on the
pages of newspapers. on radio programs.
or in magazines. Criticism or attack
was not a problem, and. when first it
began to appear, the Governments press
agents were amazed and chagrined.
Now that situation has changed. The
head of one of the Governments largest
press departments remarked this week:
The first thought that pops into my
mind every morning when wake up Is:
What line of attack is going to be made
on us today and what is going to be
the Best way to meet it?"
Another director of press section
remarked philosophically that. with all
of its effort, the Government wasn't able
to hold a candle to its opponents in
getting its story told.
Still third. speaking of radio, said
that in spite of charges that the Gov
eminent dominated the air outlet for
propaganda, actual checks being made
showed that opponents of the President
over the last year had been allotted more
radio time than had the defenders of the
President.
In an effort to gain back part of the
advantage that they believe they have
lost, the Governments press agents are
decentralizing their organizations. The
purpose is to try to generate more news
out in particular localities, working
through individual newspapers.
At least one of the Governments rep
resentatives recently went to the length
of preparing a letter to the editor"
series. which local agents for the Or
ganization signed and sent to newspa-
pers for publication, criticizing state
ments of columnist
But, it is asked, If the Government is
carrying on an active publicity cam
paign, why should the President object
to activities of individual newspaper
men?
The answer is that he seems to feel
that they often deal in misinformation
and impugn official motives in a free
and easy sort of way.
X
If Mr.. Roosevelt only knew it, however,
some of the writers to whom he objects
are concluding that the very fact of
their constant criticism of the Presi-
dent and his policies is lesSening their
effectiveness with newspaper readers.
Would mere fact reporting provide an
answer to the Washington news prob
lem?
The reader popularity of interpretive
dispatches and of gossip seems to prove
fhof tho Y,oo,,Io ,yopf cnn,o hiuO moro