WHAT'SYELLOW JOURNALISM?
DEFINED BY BRISBANE, ITS GREAT EXPONENT.
It Has a Great Mission in Righting Wrongs and Guarding the Interests of the Public.
"What is yellow journalism?" The The prevalent opinion is that the publication of revolting, disgusting and offensive stories of crime which exerts a powerful immoral influence upon the public, of divorces and accounts of scandals constitutes the essence of yellow journalism.
Arthur Brisbane, one of the greatest editorial writers in America, in the Bookman magazine several years ago, said, "Yellow journalism is the power of public opinion, the mental force of thousands and millions of readers, utilized with more or less intelligence in the interest of those readers. Yellow journalism is the journalism of action—of responsibility—when it is the real and the right yellow journalism. Yellow journalism is simply real journalism."
Mr. Brisbane thinks each great newspaper is in its turn yellow, while it is in the ascendent, passing its competitors and setting up new standards of action and public spit. He admits that yellow journalism is perhaps yellower in Hearst's papers than elsewhere, partly because he is one of the latest of the active editors—the "doers of the word." He makes himself offensive to the "hearers only," because he started out with unusual energy to do things.
It was yellow journalism, according to Mr. Brisbane, when James Gordon Bennet sent Stanley into Africa to rescue the lost Livingston. Conservative journalism, he says, would have let Livingston rescue himself.
Some years ago a child was kidnapped in New York. Great excitement prevailed. Yellow journalism, represented by Hearst, offered and paid $5,000 for the recovery of the child, which was found by one of the thousands of posters with which yellow journalism plastered the country. Would-be-kidnappers learned that a yellow newspaper could set to work a million amateur detectives among its readers and that even amateur detectivesare to be dreaded when they number a million.
"Yellow journalism attracts attention largely through deeds of active energy such as detection of crimes, hiring of halls and the organization of meetings to protest against franchise steals, and the sending of relief trains as in the Galveston flood. To criticise Wall street gamblers, to bring criminal suits against trust extortions is all yellow journalism, which is important to the great public because it does frighten to sofe extent, at least, the big plunderers," says Mr. Brisbane.
"Yellow journalism is important to the peaceful stability of society because it acts as a safety valve for public indignation.
"Yellow journalism is war—war on hypocrisy, war on class privilege, especially against the foolishness of the crowd that will not think and which will not use the weapon that it holds—the invincible ballot. War and yellow journalism will not die out until all the wrongs shall have been righted, all questions settled and all men filled with respect for justice and the rights of others."
KICK COLUMN.
To the Editor of the Kansan :
Sir—The University is in grave danger from the slang peril. A few days ago I was talking to a prominent girl. She prided herself upon being quite refined, and it was surprising to me, when I learned that half of the phrases that this young women uttered were of a slang character. For example, "Nix on the comedy" was one of her pet retorts, and three times in the course of a five-minute conversation, she used it. A single instance of a student being overdeveloped in his slang vocabulary, would not provoke me to this kick, but when I find that on every hand one hears this slang, I call attention to it in the hope that the evil may be corrected, at least in part.
Editor Kansan:
PURITY.
Among the many sanitary and health-protective measures which have been engaging the public attention and occupying the time of our state and national legislators, I have seen no notice given to the unhealthful conditions that exist in the telephone booth. However, all who have made frequent use of these booths, located in public buildings can testify to the foul air generally contained in them.
I have found these conditions existing to a noticeable degree in the booths at K. U. Many times the air in them was so unendurable from the odor of bad breaths, onions and tobacco that it was necessary to fan it out with the door before entering.
The size and construction of these booths are responsible for this condition. Being only large enough for one person, having a low ceiling and double windows to make them as non-conductive of sound as possible, there is no chance for the air within to escape or fresh air from without except through the door. This method of ventilation might be sufficient if each occupant, upon his exit, would remember to leave the door open. However, this is not often done, with the result that the same disease-laden air is breathed over and over again by successive users of the booth.
Hence, it will not require a statement from a physician or scientist to enable a thoughtful person to realize the danger to health of such a practice. This danger could be easily eliminated by providing proper ventilation in both the lower side walls and ceiling or constructing the doors so that they would remain open except when fastened on the inside by the occupant.
Dr. Ida Hyde talked to the girls of the Topeka high school last Friday on the subject of "Personal Hygiene," and Friday night she lectured to the working girls of the town on "Methods of Caring for the Body Under Unsanitary Working Conditions." The lecture was given under the auspices of the Y. W. C. A. and was well attended by all of the girls of the town.
STUDENT.
Dr. Hyde at Topeka
Wisconsin has installed a medical adviser who is to give medical treatment and advice to the students. An incidental fee of one dollar per semester is charged for maintenance of this department.
The California Dramatic club will soon give "Rosie, the Girl From Paris."
WALTER WILLIAMS
---ON--rate faculty of journalism, as of the other faculties of the University of Missouri.
ORGANIZATION OF A SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM
Assuming the teaching of journalism or the training in courses preparatory to journalism the problem of organization for such training or teaching presents itself.
The organization, moreover, will depend upon the extent of courses in journalism and the general purpose of such courses. An organization which would be sufficient where only an occasional lecture on journalism is given where courses are offered in connection with an already existing department of instruction, would manifestly be insufficient where more extended courses were offered and independently of any other department of instruction Courses in journalism more or less extensive and varying widely in character and content are offered at a dozen or more universities in the United States. Believing as I do that separate grouping of journalism studies lends interest, coherency, strength, and high value, I favor such organization of the professional school as will best bring about such separate grouping. This may be attained, in some degree, at least, under practically any form of organization. It is best obtained, in my own opinion, where the courses in journalism are grouped specifically and formally in a separate and distinct professional school.
Such organization necessarily differs at different schools. The complete standardization of universities and colleges is impossible if desirable. Various conditions necessitate various forms of organization.
It is not with the intention of presenting as a model the form of organization of the School of Journalism of the University of Missouri that I describe its organization here. Excellent work is done in training for journalism at Kansas, Iowa, Washington, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and elsewhere, and the condition of organization the most efficient for their present needs. I have thought it might be worth while, however, if I may do so without inviting the charge of immodesty, to place for your consideration the form of organization of the professional school at the University of Missouri. I assume that at a conference as helpful as this promises to be, it is the desire of each one present to consider the problems of journalistic training from all view points.
The School of Journalism of the University of Missouri resembles in form of organization the other professional schools at that university. The Schools of Law, Engineering, Medicine, Agriculture, and particularly the School of Education, have afforded model for the organization of the present School of Journalism. The fact that the School of Journalism was organized equal in rank, coordinate, and upon the same general plan as the schools in which training for other professions was given, gave the School of Journalism at once dignity and rank. Its faculty consists of members selected from the College of Arts and Science, and so-called professional faculty, composed of teachers who give courses in theoretical and practical journalism. The president of the University, Dr. Albert Ross Hill, is by virtue of his office, chairman of this separate faculty of journalism, as of the other faculties of the University of Missouri.
While all knowledge is helpful to the journalist, the grouping of those subjects most directly bearing upon his work has been sought in the selection of the courses offered and hence of the members of the faculty under whose direction these courses are given.
Courses are offered in the history and principles of journalism, in news gathering, newspaper making, and reporting, in comparative journalism, in copy reading and correspondence, in magazine making and professional terminology, in newspaper jurisprudence or the libel law, and in illustrative art in the School of Journalism, giving the course in cartooning. From the College of Arts are taken, as members of the faculty of the School of Journalism, the professors of history, English, political science and public law, sociology, economics, and psychology, who, with the others named constitute the entire faculty of the school thus organized. This does not confine the courses in journalism to courses offered in these particular subjects, but it groups and emphasizes those subjects which are required, while others are elective. The faculty thus constituted passes upon candidates for graduation, the University of Missouri conferring upon the graduates of the School of Journalism the degree of Bachelor of Science in Journalism. It may be added that after the close of the session of 1910-1911, two years of college work or its equivalent will be necessary for enrollment in the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri. This action taken by the faculty of the school gives a five-years course leading to both degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Journalism, and places the requirements for graduation in journalism as high as the requirements for graduation in any other professional school.
The value of this form of organization for the professional school has been demonstrated, it seems to me, in the schools of the other professions, notably the Schools of Law and Medicine. It dignifies the professional train. It concentrates the attention of the students upon the subjects best adapted for this professional training. It gives to the students in the professional school a professional spirit. It lends interest, emphasis, and strength to the courses thus grouped. It places the stamp of organization upon the profession and upon training for the profession.
While journalism may be and is successfully taught without this form of organization, as engineering and law may be successfully taught where courses are ungrouped and separate faculties are unorganized yet the more effective plan, in my opinion, for teaching journalism, as for teaching law and engineering, is by the organization of the separate professional school and the grouping of studies therein under the direction of a responsible faculty.
Coach Williams of Minnesota says that McGovern is the first man from that university to be placed on Walter Camp's All-American eleven.
WHY NOT TRY FOR A PRIZE?
STUDENTS MAY ENTER ESSAY WRITING CONTESTS.
The Subjects for the Present Year Deal Mostly With Problems of Politics.
Many prizes are offered every year by private individuals and societies in the United States, for the best essay on subjects which are of national importance and interest. These prizes are nearly all open to undergraduate students of any American college or university. The greater number of subjects this year seem to deal with economic principles.
In order to arouse interest in the study of topics relating to commerce and industry and also to stimulate those who have a college education to consider problems of a business career, Hart, Schaffner and Marx of Chicago, have offered prizes for the best essays on subjects to be selected from the general subject of economics. The prizes this year, offered by Hart, Schaffner and Marx, are under two general heads. The first prize under class A is $600; the second $400. Any American can enter in this class. Under class B, the first prize is $300, the second $200.
To enter this class a person must be an undergraduate of some American college or university at the time when the paper is sent in.
The Mohonk Conference of International Arbitration has offered a prize on he subject, "International Arbitration." This prize is $100, and the contest may be entered by an undergraduate student of any American college or university. The contest closes March 15, 1910.
Another prize, called "The William H. Baldwin Prize," has been offered by the National Municipal League, to the author of the best essay on a subject connected with municipal government. The subject is "City Government by Commission," and is open to undergraduate students in the regular course of any American college.
The Bryan prize essay for the 1910 subject is also on the commission for mof government, the subject being, "Government of Cities by Commission, With Particular Reference to Kansas." These essays must be accompanied by the outline and bibliography of subject, and handed to the Chancellor by May 1, 1910. The prize this year is the income on the fund for two years.
The total registration figures of the leading American unniversities places Columbia at the head with 6,123 students, Pennsylvania second, with 5,235, and Michigan and Harvard third and fourth with 5,200 and 3,994 respectively. Cornell ranks fifth, with 3,903,and Yale sixth, with 3,624.
For the first time in the history of the German universities the total enrollment of full or matriculated students has passed the 50,000 line, the total during the present semester being 51,700 as compared with 48,730 last semester and 47,799 the one before.
Freshmen women at Washington University, situated at St. Louis, entertained the men of the class recently to an afternoon tea.