Show what hai to print col 13 hofer editor oi of the manufacturer recently spoke very print bringing out points of importance interestingly on the s subject what to to country newspapers his arguments are clear and his line of thought covers the grounds thoroughly his ideas are 0 ho o much like our own that we really are proud of the fact that the reaper is edi edited ted on principals approved by such in an authority as col hofer is the question what to print is discussed col hol hofer ler says by a present day writer in tho the saturday evening post sept 17 1921 without ans answering verIng the question without intimating what to print or what not to print he is a product of modern metropolitan journalism where individual personality responsibility and character have so largely been displaced by a mere moneymaking money lioney making struggle for circulation he virtually admits that the more details of sin vice and crime private calumny and defamation you can cram into your newspaper the more copies will be sold that is the first rule of metropolitan journalism and explains why so few big newspapers have any influence he admits that sensationalism exploiting fights war and exaggeration not to mention falsehood do not seem quite to harmonize with usual precepts nor do they inspire confidence in the editors influence that explains why the average big city daily has no influence proportionate to its circulation the country weekly and small town daily representing clean american family life and community standards keep the confidence of the people not so much because of what they print but on account of what they dont print he asks on what lines of policy have our great newspapers reached success he admits their lines are bad and declining influence proves it the theory that the readers make the newspapers does not absolve the editor or manager from all responsibility it is a cowardly pinhead attitude the people really reala demand editorial leadership in all public affairs as much as an army demands generals and a well thought out plan of campaign with good leadership the people will do what is right with bad leadership they will go wrong aith with no leadership they will alund blunder er along and go wrong as often as they go right leadership is in the I 1 individual not in the leaderless s multitude the editor of the country paper or small ton town n daily is the real community leader today as never before he is closer in touch with the community consciousness than any other and mostly molds it aright admitting that thal tile the supreme interest of today is business that we live in a material age iceie moneymaking money making money accumulation a and iia business e expansion are predominant what shall the editor print what shall be his strong lines of policy what shall be his bis editorial program many editors tail in making money as well as in ili political influence as do many preachers pi eachers and school teachers by not closely and personally identifying themselves with the problems of existence tile the bread and butter side of the community nine families out of ten must still work for a living employment wages industries payrolls improvements mean more to them than jio lilich cb feielin af falls fiction or controversies what to print involves consideration of the primary elemental needs of huni humanity anity what aro are they waiving religion which is not within the field of journalism the first and greatest need of humanity is the social need the home paper cannot print too much social news the social efte of the community should be reflected in all its details it is far more important th thru ii sports it opens the door of newspapers influence ce to women omen young people and children great of popular sentiment in ili a democratic government the next greatest and really more important need is what we may term the industrial need the need of steady employment it underlies prosperous homes and vell established community life without well managed industries well supported support led payrolls tile the newspaper itself will starve to death A successful newspaper must inest give more space to payroll enterprises than to politics expansion of political functions promoting political activities only increase taxes that must be paid out of industries and the earnings of the farmer the business man and home owners the money goes out to a privileged class to pay interest on bonds and never comes back into general circulation what to print can be summed up in expand payrolls minimize politics encourage investments that maintain payrolls and dinner pails and make better markets for the farmer |