The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1939-09-21
THE AVERAGE NEWSPAPER READ

/
THE AVERAGE NEWSPAPER READ
er and radio listener recognizes with some
disgust that what he reads and hears about
the war is what the censors for one SIDE or
the other want him to read and hear, plus
few slants that in the rush OF examining
copy or script, may have slipped BY.
Censorship is definitely obnoxious to
the American, accustomed to receiving the
details and being credited with the mental
talent for evaluating them and forming his
own opinion.
1t is particularly disturbing that our
former allies, toward whom the majority OF
Americans still lean, are not only far more
proficient at "purging" the news for our
benefit but through their great care often
delay it.
Just what does censorship profit ma
ton anyway? So far the predominance of
news from Berlin and the German side of
the conflict has led to the impression, how
ever just, that Germany alone is doing much
in the way of waging war. We get implica-
tons that the English navy has retaliated
for the sinking of her ships by puncturing
a few submarines, but facts as to numbers
and places are missing, leaving the impress
sion that the navy has been Ineffective.
Scant reports of English troops going to the
aid of the French and only slightly more de-
tailed accounts of French efforts leave the
same impression of ineffectiveness regard
ing their activities on land.
If there is pleasant side to the cen
sorship picture, it is that the apparent un-
willingness of the nations toward whom we
are more friendly to let us know the facts
as our observers see them tends to keep
alive the distrust of any European alliances,
and therefore serves to keep us where we
should remain-on our side of the water
INTENSELY INTERESTING is THE
Gallup poll of Stassen support throughout
Minnesota which shows 81 per cent of the
people approve his administration whereas
60 per cent saw fit to cast their ballots for
him last November.
1t is,.as Republicans are quick to point
out, fine personal tribute to his efforts for
good government and is the more surpris
ing since there have been sufficient disap-
pointments over patronage to warrant the
guess that some of the 10 per cent who now
disapprove were among the 60 per cent on
his bandwagon year ago.
Encouraging as the figures rightly are
to a young governor who has done his best,
there is in them certain ominous warning.
The fckleneSS of the average voter is clear
ly attested in the fact that 81 per cent have
shifted in few months. These are friends
who might be lost through one unpopular
decision, however just. Governor Benson
never had 81 per cent of the people with
him but he did have we'll above the major
ity, yet lost so much support in less than
two years between taking office and trying
for reelection that he actually ran a poor
second
The knowledge that he was losing
ground caused Benson to re"o~t to violent
attacks on persons and groug7 / m he
felt were undermining his standing with the
voters, and by his actions he lost more
ground. Stassen's problem is to maintain
the honesty of policy and wariness of sell
fish advisers through which he has added to
his strength.
DESPITE THE APPEARANCE OF
other advertising media, the newspaper re-
mains the most productive channel whereby
industry can reach the buying public-and
industry is fully aware of that fact.
A recent survey we'll illustrates the sus-
tanned popularity of newspapers among adj
vertisers. The survey was made by four
national associations serving chain stores,
and covered 1873 representative systems
operating more than $4,000 stores, coast-to-
coast, and having annual sales well in ex-
cess of $3,OOO,OOO,0OO
During the typical year covered by the
survey, these companies spent more than
$55,000,00O for advertising, an average of
$1,754 per store. Almost SO per cent of the
money was spent with newspapers. A little
less than 10 per cent was spent on hand
bills and similar printed matter, much of
which was produced in local newspaper
plants. Only 4.30 per cent was spent for
radio, with the balance made up of expendi-
lures on miscellaneous media
Breaking the figures down, it was found
that drug chains spent 1924 per cent of
their advertising dollar with newspapers,
grocery chains spent 1888 per cent and
general merchandise and variety chains
spent 51.35 per cent.
That is testimonial to the character
of the American nress No institution holds