Minneapolis spokesman., 1962-06-29
Newspapers And
Newspapers

What happens when great, enormously COM
plex and tremendously influential personality sud-
denly goes into state of suspended animation?
We have experienced it in Minneapolis but
still find it impossible to comprehend much
less, put it in words.
1t is many weeks now that the Minneapolis
Star and Tribune have been shut down. All studies
of the matter indicate that Mnneapoltans miss
their papers deeply. What is it that miss about
them? The local news, we get in other ways
through the radio by personal and telephone con-
tacts from the new, hastily organized Minneapolis
Herald, from specialized weekly publications. 1t is
not all the news might otherwise get and it Is
not served up as we might wish, but people here
not exactly in a state of total isolation. The
national and world news, of course, comes to in
great flow which, If it does not overwhelm U.s.
certainly does not leave famished.
What is missing is more complex than this
more complex than put into words. The
occasional documentaries, in Bradley Morison's
verse; upon foibles the daily gustatory intellec
tual and entertainment adventures of viii Jones the
usually witty and often courageous editorial pages
(what rarity in todays journalism! the excellent
y planned letters pages giving full play to all shades
of opinion and demonstrating that the papers
spect the views of readers including those who dis
agree with them,-what happens to all these things
and how does their suspension affect and
community? What the foibles Morrison is not
writing about? Are we missing Will Jones review
equal to the memorable one he wrote about La
Dolce Vita? And what irony, to have to try to
keep abreast of labor dispute without the help of
labor reporter Sam Romer!
There a time, to be sure, when Minneapolis
got along without this great collective personality
when the scene was dominated by the old Mime
apols Journal an intellectually monolithic uncom-
nil fed dailv 0f Uhic has
scarcely been missed.
What has happened in the years since the DOM
nation of the Journal has been good for
rnunity. We don't believe that it takes suspension
of the papers to call this to the attention of the
public. And certainly do not have to give
blanket endorsement to everything about the papers
to make this point But our community does, OBJ
vously, have the benefit Of greater maturity in
civic life in decision making processes in our
government, because Of the influence of a remark
ably mature newspaper organism.
The current shutdown has raised the possibility
that there will be competition in the newspaper
field here in the future The Minneapolis Herald has
announced that it intends to continue. And this too
may be all to the good Competition seems thorough
ly desirable, even though the history Of the past
many years suggests that economically it is not
feasible A demonstration that competition is econ
omically supportable would probably be most well
come to most newspaper readers. However we know
cities where there competing papers who do
render the public service the ownership Star
and Tribune do.
The Herald's performance demonstrates how
complicated the problem of publishing a newspaper
be. They have done a remarkable, almost unbe-
ievabe. job of putting together so quickly an or
ganization that has been able to distribute 100000
good-sized newspapers daily. This involves dozens Of
man-sized problems, any of which could be de-
feating: finance business organization, composing
room facilities, press capacity and newsprint sup
plies, circulation staff advertising staff editorial
staff editorial features, services, to mention
a few. When Time magazine allowed its local cor
respondent to write in its pages recently some snide
comments the Heralds efforts and accomplish
ments, it revealed more about the limited under
standing of its correspondent than it did about the
accomplishments Of the Herald.
The Herald, to be sure, has long, hard road
ahead of it before it develops the complex personan
ty which good newspaper ought to have. That Is
the point which have been trying to make.
We hope the Star and Tribune will again be
with U.s. and soon.