The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-10-09

Who talked great deal
about the freedom Of the
press and how little there
Was Of II. A. the gangling
youngster analyzed the term.
freedom of the press seemed
10 he only relative and not
= fundamental principle. IL
depended entirely on whose
on was being gored. And
It's about the same way
today.
There IS. holUeUer, this
much to be SAID:
In the more than halt
century OF newspaper eJ-
perience, from the Great
Lakes through the Middle
Vest to Puget Sound, there
hare been remarkably feio
instances lChen there loas a
request or eUen a sUgges-
ton that the essential facts
be Withheld. The case that
stands ont among them all
1cds that Of lchot Uds sup
posed to be a simon pure
roice Of the people-one of
those heiC : TO the-line-dnd-
let the = chips = faU-1Chere-
they-1ciA journals. / had
assumed that the policy a0as
inUiolable eUen when the
nelos adversely affected
the organization that con-
troled the paper, and be-
cause of that assumption /
lost my job as editor.
There is no use kidding our-
selves about the freedom of the
press. and those who talk about
II the most and loudly lament
the fact that there is no free
press in America would be
among the first to protest il
that theory ever affected them.
II the sporting editor critical
ly describes a football game. the
friends of the team on which the
criticism falls are daring him to
go out in the alley. If the music
editor is honestly and deserved
ly critical of the town orchestra,
some of the sponsors Immediate
ly stop their paper.
And public officials, II
they could, would promptly
suppress any paper which
promised 10 tell the truth.
the whole truth and nothing
hut the truth. just as the
Boston colonial council sup
pressed Benjamin Harris pa
per because he promised to
print the names of all the
liars and gossips In the COM
munity. That just won't do
because it might hit some Of
the high ae well as the low,
and one hollers as loudly as
the other.
Speaking seriously as this
American Newspaper Week
comes to q close, IN no other
country as the press as free
as it rs IN America. Because
newspapers are run By
Individuals n'ith conflicting
ideas and interests, those
ideas and interests WiU be
reflected on the printed
page. but no paper can be
prohibited by lar. procld-
nation or edict from print
ing the news as the facts
warrant.
True, there is kept press"
but IT isn't kept in the usual
meaning Of the term.
The press Is kept" BY men
and women who work tire
lessly and honestly to fulfill
an obligation to the readers.
Whether II Is the cub re-
porter writing his first po-
hce court case, or the chief
editorial writer discussing a
matter of great national or
International consequence, in
W cases out of q hundred
he IL trying 10 do an honest
job.
Derehetions in the profession
OF Journalism are no more FREE
quent than they are in other
professions where the human
element is the controlling factor.
not oven excluding the ministry.
A lot I" newspaper edi-
tors, publishers and business
executives sometimes are
awful dumb and make. ridi-
culous and costly biunders.
but their integrity and de-
sire 10 serve cannot be ouee-
toned. And when the roll 10
called Up yonder there will
he few professions with
larger representation than
the folk who run the news
papers
The longer on this earth 1cs
liUe
And lceigh the rariOus
qualities of men
The more ace feel the high,
stern-fedtUred beauty
OF plain deUotedHess TO
duty.
Steadfast and stu. nor
paid Scith mortal praise,
But finding amplsst recon-
peHse