The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1946-02-28
YOUR NEWSPAPER IS AN
INSTITUTION

lNOllI u l1ON
(The following article written by
a member of The Western News
Staff is of so much worth and ex-
presses the guiding principles of the
present management so well that
we are giving it place in the col
umn reserved for the personal com
ment from the editor of the news
paper)
Your newspaper is an institution.
At least that is a pleasant way to
think of it. 1t is as difficult for a
community to thrive without a good,
active newspaper as it would be to
progress without churches. library,
active service clubs, etc.
Some communities may be res
ponsible for the building of strong
progressive newspapers. but in most
cases the welfare of the city and
the success of the newspaper are
more or less interdependent, each
helping the other to succeed.
Residents of a community and
readers of the newspaper are us
ually more responsible for the quail
ity of their newspaper than they
imagine This is especially so IN
smaller communities and with the
smaller newspapers. 1t is lmpos-
sible for the management of the
small country weekly to have re-
porting staff which can cover every
small item of interest; so for that
reason if news coVerage is to be
of the best, it is necessary that the
readers lend their assistance and
cooperate by sending in items for
publication Such news need not
of necessity be spectacular. All that
is needful is, that it be interesting
activities of your family, your
friends and neighbors or the various
groups with whom you meet. News
items should be tolerant tone,
written and published with malice
toward none and fairness for all
concerned.
The publisher and his staff keen
" feel their responsibility to the
community they serve, They know
it is their duty to promote any and
all activities beneficial for their
community They must cooperate
with the schools, the churches, IL
braries, the chamber Of commerce
and other service organizations. that
these institutions may accomplish
the most good for their community
The management must also publish
as interesting and attractive a news
paper as possible carrying a maxi
mum lineage of news for the read
erS.
Advertising is of vital importance
as a source of revenue necessary
for the newspapers existence, and
as a guide and help to its readers
in the best expenditure of their
money when shopping. 1t is the
duty of the publisher to give his
advertisers the best possible sales
medium, assisting the advertisers in
the preparation of their message to
the public so that their advertise
ments may have the best possible
response.
The owner and publisher of the
newspaper believes readers OF the
paper who are willing to invest
the price of subscription each year
attach a value to his publication
and he fully realizes his duty to
publish a newspaper which wall
merit this support.
With these obligations in mind,
the owner and publisher has in
vested a large amount of capital
has installed and maintains very
expensive outlay of printing equip
ment in order that the community
may have a newspaper it is willing
to support, which will return value
received both to its readers anc
to its advertisers.
To properly serve the com
munity's interests, the newspaper
has built up a staff of trained
craftsmen to assist in the publica
ton of the paper. These people
are establishing their homes, rails
ing families and supporting thu
communitys business firms from
their income derived from the news
paper.
In return for this confidence il
the community, 3nd investment o
capital all the publisher asks, is thu
cooperation Of Tie public good vii
and opportunity to serve the com
munty in every possible manner
Again we repeat a communlt
newspaper is an Institution. II need
cooperation aud in turn must co
operate with every worthwhile &c
.tipity-in- -communi.y,- not -alon
for the welfare of the community
but for its own as well.