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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
"EDITORS MUST THINK"
Chester S. Lord Says Good Journalists Must Read and Study Incessantly
TELLS OF DANA'S METHODS
Former Sun Man Relates Incidents of His Great Chief's Work
Chester S. Lord, formerly managing editor of the New York Sun, spoke on "Journalism as a Profession" and praised his morning in part;
The profession of journalism in spires to intellectual effort. There is no limit to the flood of results that may follow thought. There is no climax to study—for though the study must continue to stabilize the intellect, it has always thought contined. The profession of journalism affords every opportunity for the sweep of the imagination, for the development of every intellectual eccentricity, for the practice of every intellectual perfection. You find your self aglow with the fascination of a new thought; with new things to think about, new things to study, new things to write about, new and new and new and new on every day—a daily intimacy with things that exclate and pulsate and inspire. You come to love the work because it is so interesting and because you appreciate its impulse to intellectual progress. There is to me an especial fascination about damp proof sheets whereon thought and information are first recorded in clear type. It is a delight to know how to add to and a refinement of literary expression to your original sentences. I have known the late Charles A. Dana to revise one of his editorial articles every day for a week and then express dissatisfaction with its literary finish.
EDITORS MUST STUDY
As a profession, journalism has taken subordinate rank chiefly because we have not studied. From four to eight years of study are required of the other great professions. He any man may start a newspaper. He may be ignorant, careless of conduct of unclearn morals, or will often take these imperfections—for the newspaper does not rise above its editor. It is easier to imitate than to originate, and the lazy way to make a newspaper is to steal some other fellow's ideas. The lazy editor better return the quill to the original goose. Until within a very few years there was no systematic instruction in newspaper making—what was so much more difficult to enter an office and absorb what he could by observation. He didn't know how to study or what to study and was no one who had time to teach him if he had known. In large offices in the big cities, editorial writers and leading reporters are expected to write one article only a day. They have time to study. But the offices rich enough to employ in them are too small for the hundreds of other offices where editors must produce three or four and reporters four or five columns a day. These men have no time to study or to teach.
COLLEGES TEACH MEN TO THINK
COLEMAN.
It is favorite saying in opposition to newspaper schools that a boy is better taught in the newspaper office. Now experience has attested that the best place to teach law is in a law school, medicine in a medical school, theology in a theological school and so on including the teaching even of bookkeeping, stenography and typewriting. You are dependent on general knowledge than the newspaper business—not anywhere is thought more useful. Our colleges teach general information and teach young men to think. Moreover, there is nothing like college life to take the greenness out of a boy; nothing equal to association with teachers; pushing, pushing, young fellows to sharpen the wits and make familiar with the ways of the world.
COLLEGE MEN MOST VALUABLE
Now, I am enthusiastically interested in this matter. For thirty-two years it devolved on me to hire the staff of a large newspaper, with the exception of the editorial writers, and I had the experience of seeing hundreds of young men start on their newspaper careers and of observing what became of them. We took on a job as a new employee, and the staff was recruited with young men just beginning, and we all consciously tried to teach them, believing that in that way we made the staff stronger and better. We gave the office boys a chance to become reporters. We tried out young men from business houses, schools and colleges, and from other countries, country newspaper offices. Almost every young fellow who gets ahead in the country has his eye on New York — wants to get going there. And in a way this is a wise ambition, for New York is the best newspaper town in the world—pays the biggest salaries, offers the more advantages for repurposed businesses, provides broader experience in general. Moreover, hundreds of magazines and periodicals are printed there offering opportunity to make extra money. But so great is the flood of applicants it
difficult for a stranger to get a place on a New York newspaper. For many years the average of applications to me was six a day. We started the beginners as reporters. The office boys, who had absorbed something of the spirit of the place, made fairly good gathers of routine news, but the rarely developed great ability, getting not far beyond the imitation, continued to be route reporters; more and more useful indeed, for routine news fills many a column and is of the utmost importance. The same may be said of the boys from the public schools. The men of some little experience in smaller towns did better, but many fell by the wayside when they began to compete in the higher grades of work; and many of them, be it said, were illiterate. I had had. Without question, and I say it without hesitation, the college graduates proved to be the most valuable members of the staff, and a much larger proportion of them succeeded from the start and passed upward to the responsible places. They had been taught to comprehend, to reason, to think, to be resourceful and when they came to higher grade work they learned to write letters to teachers and special correspondents they had the very great advantage of personal presence, ease of manner, ability to command the attention of business men or government officials instead of inviting evasion.
APPRECIATED MY IGNORANCE"
APPELATED MY TUSK.
I feel keenly the necessity for laborious research for my own experience. Unfortunately I did not finish my college course, but went into a daily newspaper office in a small city as associate editor. Three of us furnished all the copy. At the mature age of twenty years I wrote editorial articles on the conduct of war, and she imagined the conération with which I now read those articles. They were an outrageous imposition on the public, and I knew they were, and I may say in truth was recognition of their worthlessness that gave me my first serious thoughts about the newspaper business. I began to appreciate my ignorance and to understand that I could imagine the conération with which I now read these articles. They were an outrageous imposition on the public, and I knew they were, and I may say in truth was recognition of their worthlessness that gave me my first serious thoughts about the newspaper business. I began to appreciate my ignorance and to understand that I could imagine the contration with which I now read these articles. They were an outrageous imposition on the public, and I knew they were, and I may say in truth was recognition of their worthlessness that gave me my first serious thoughts about the newspaper business. I began to appreciate my ignorance and to understand that I could imagine the contration with which I now read these articles. They were an outrageous imposition on the public, and I knew they were, and I may say in truth was recognition of their worthlessness that gave me my first serious thoughts about the newspaper business. I began to appreciate my ignorance and to understand that I could imagine the contration with which I now read these articles. They were an outrageous imposition on the public, and I knew they were, and I may say in truth was recognition of their worthlessness that gave me my first serious thoughts about the newspaper business. I began to appreciate my ignorance and to understand that I could imagine the contration with which I now read these articles. They were an outrageous imposition on the public, and I knew they were, and I may say in truth was recognition of their worthlessness that gave me my first serious thoughts about the newspaper business. I began to appreciate my ignorance and to understand that I could imagine the contration with which I now read these articles. They were an outrageous imposition on the public, and I knew they were, and I may say in truth was recognition of their worthlessness that gave me my first serious thoughts about the newspaper business. I began to appreciate my ignorance and to understand that I could imagine the contration with which I now read these articles. They were an outrageous imposition on the public, and I knew they were, and I may say in truth was recognition of their worthlessness that gave me my first serious thoughts about the newspaper business. I began to appreciate my ignorance and to understand that I could imagine the contration with which I now read these articles. They were an outrageous imposition on the public, and I knew they were, and I may say in truth was recognition of their worthlessness that gave me my first serious thoughts about the newspaper business. I began to appreciate my ignorance and to understand that I could imagine the contration with which I now read these articles. They were an outrageous imposition on the public, and I knew they were, and I may say in truth was recognition of their worthlessness that gives me my first serious thoughts about the newspaper business. I began to appreciate my ignorance and to understand that I could imagine the contration with which I now read these articles. They were an outrageous imposition on the public, and I knew they were, and I may say in truth was recognition of their worthlessness that gives me my first serious thoughts about the newspaper business. I began to appreciate my ignorance and to understand that I could imagine the contraction with which I now read these articles. They were an outrageous imposition on the public, and I knew they were, and I may say in truth was recognition of their worthlessness that gives me my first serious thoughts about the newspaper business. I began to appreciate my ignorance and to understand that I could imagine the contraction with which I now read these articles. They were an outrageous imposition on the public, and I knew they were, and I may say in truth was recognition of their worthlessness that gives me my first serious thoughts about the newspaper business. I began to appreciate my ignorance and to understand that I could imagine the conTRACTION
Mr. Dana's editorial career furnishes a striking verification of the truth I am trying to impress, that constant study leads to success. He was in college a few months only—torely not much more facts than any person I ever met, he read a dozen languages and conversed easily in half of them. He had the office upset one afternoon in search for the correct spelling of the name of an uncommon plant. He wasted not an instant. If he had to wait seven minutes for a proofsheet he utilized the seven minutes in reading the Greek testament. Never was a question of fact raised but he joined the search for the truth of the most enthusiastic manner. His zeal and his interest were a source of tremendous inspiration to the entire staff. Horace Greeley made himself great by application and by study. And may I suggest that you study the presentation of truth; and by truth I do not mean the reverse of falsehood, for surely such admonition is needless to any editor in Kansas — with a clearness and a fairness that will insure its understanding. This is difficult for it involves not only a study of obscure truth with all its contradictory testimony as to fact and its perplexities of conclusion, but also how so to present it that the reader will understand it with the same clearness and the same conclusion as yourself after you have studied it. A high school graduate sits highly editional art. Easy to read and easy to understand should be a fundamental quality of the newspaper.
Recognizing, therefore, the difficulties of obtaining exact information, the editor should study to test for the truth. To men long accustomed to the handling of news for public it must answer the question very statement of fact made in news copy; and repeatedly news is withheld for verification. The public does not understand the painstaking care with which news is presented by well-regulated newspapers. Nor are the difficulties or the comings, the other which newspapers are made, at all appreciated by the people who read.
ALL NEWS VERIFIED
the first news of the assassination of Colonel Roosevelt in Milwaukee came the statement that he was dead—information not as yet verified. First death and loss of life in great disasters high are 100 per cent too high.
The first brief telegram announcing the San Francisco earthquake said that not a building remained standing. The cable flash telling of the blowing up of the Maine in Havana harbor reported that no a man escaped. With
We all must admit the very great difficulty of obtaining exact information and the very great importance of presenting it honestly. Sensational newspapers do no harm so long as they stick to the truth. You may ask, why would someone job type, with headings a foot high, if you like, without other offense that possibly to exaggerate the importance of your announcement. Real sensationalism consists in giving a wrong or false impression or one that leads to a wrong conclusion. Typographical eccentricity merely attracts the attention of those who pose as does the orator's violent gesture—or the so-called breathless anouncement of an excited message—excites curiosity, arouses interest
EXAGGERATION IS WARMPUL
The harmless exaggeration, even the hysteria of the sensational newspaper may not affect the young person who reads it causally. But suppose she acquires the habit of reading it every day. She may be a shop girl or a working girl, and because of her employment or her environment she is not able to read anything else. It becomes her mental nourishment. She comes to think and to talk in its inflamed, feverish, exaggerated language. Its typographical breathless announcements startle her—fill her with feverish emotions. She becomes a pessimist, for in the really sensual sheet novel there are ignored. The virtue go hang, vice is the thing that attracts attention" is the motto, and the maiden is fed on the abnormal, the unusual, on mental monstrosities, on exaggeration and on fancies—on cheap reading.
WIN CONFIDENCE BY SELF-CONFIDENCE
The editor should seek the confidence of his readers, and this may be best secured, perhaps, through reputation for scholarship, through accuracy of statement, through the maintenance of a record. He said that he knows what he is talking about; and let him have confidence in himself. I well remember when I was stammering and faltering over my first original oration, that my dear good professor of blessed memory interrupted by saying: "Lord, the assumption about his subject makes him about his audience. You should assume enough superiority to carry out the illusion—stand up and speak out." Bless his sainted heart! he never knew what a lesson in self-confidence he thus taught—not with reference to oratory, but to as almost every important action of my life. Self confidence requires understanding his subject through study and practice. It is said of President Woodrow Wilson that appreciating its very great usefulness he early in life became ambitious to excel in extemporaneous speaking. Hour after hour he practiced it. Alone in his room he carried on imaginary debates; on his walks he took part in debates at audiences; in the woods he out did William Tell in addressing the crags and peaks. Today, he is perhaps the most polished and entertaining
speaker we have in public life. He obtained the necessary funds for the expenditure of an important office.
STUDY! STUDY! STUDY!
Great newspaper results require extra newspaper effort, for it is a profession to be the law and theology and medicine are to be learned; and you cannot learn it in a month or a year any more than in ten seconds you can start a locomotive or an ocean steamship at full speed. There is not the quick result that followed the question put by him. In this case he climax to his misfortunes found himself compelled to go to work in an Italian gang. "Well, Pat," said the holy father, "How do you like working for a Dago boss?" Your rivence ought to know." answered Pat. Genius may sometimes do quick deeds that most part the work of the world is accomplished through patient laborious study, along lines of established conduct—and not anywhere more conspicuously so than in the newspaper business. You must make your newspaper talked about; you must make it interesting; you must make it elaborate; you must be the leader of thought in your community. Your intelligence must direct the intelligence of your readers. You must cram your memory with facts, for the mind feeds on facts. To do all this you must study to the limit of your resources; to the limit of your intelligence; you must strive to the limit of your endurance—then you have done your best and that marks the measure of your success.
And in any event, let us not forget the words of our old friend the poet:
There's an adage as ancient as Adam,
If not as old as the sun,
"The sun is the moon."
The early birds don't gather in herds, They get there one by one.
They get there one by one.
And the mortal of this is as certain
As the moral of that is true,
If you wish to crush you must take
you wish to succeed, you must take the lead
And the world will follow you.
THE APPEAL OF THE PICTURE Photo engraving, a wholly modern method of reproducing drawings and photographs for use with type in printing has made possible the growth of great modern business successes.
The printed pictures and drawn page borders and cunningly applied cartoon ideas and decorations have caused advertising pages to be read first and have filled the forms of modern periodicals with the business that has made possible their nationwide distribution.
Ninety per cent of all really successful advertising campaigns depend upon pictures which fill most of the eye. The boss will aid the publisher by adding the necessary appeal to the eye by which attention is arrested and held. The aim is to help the sale by making the images more attractive or more intelligible.
The use of good engraving creates and develops business. The Teach- enor-Bartberger Engraving Company of Kansas City, Missouri, offer designs for engravings or are designers of engravings in one or more colors and for all uses.—Adv.
Color is the Crown of Diamond Beauty
Billy Sunday and Preparedness
palm Church, Sunday, 7:45 p.m. by
Martha C.
The purer and brighter the color, the finer the quality.
Gustafson Diamonds are all of the rare and desirable pure white and blue-white — beautiful and of
The fineness of color is best determined by comparisons.
YE SHOP OF FINE QUALITY
Mr. Editor:-We will press or clean your suit and you can have it back the same day! You know what a time saver that is don't you? Just call
510 Bell or 464 Home
and we will give you the benefit of our thirty years' experience in the pressing and cleaning business.
F. A. Owen & Son 1024 Mass.
KANSAS HELPS SELF
BY HELPING EASTERNERS
mation to the eastern manufacturers; acting on that information the eastern manufacturers advertise finished products required by the Kansas trade, and the business of the news, and the local merchants is increased.
The claim is made for Kansas, and it is not likely to be disputed, that it is the only state in the American Union spending money to increase the business of eastern manufacturing concerns, and of its own local merchants and newspapers. This is to be done through the medium of a demand to the maintenance of which the business conditional upon the contribution of a similar amount by the newspaper proprietors. The bureau, it appears is to be operated by the school of journalism of the University of Kansas, its object being to furnish eastern manufacturers with information as to the needs of Kansas people, so those will give more advertising space, so these will give more newspapers and help to increase the business of local merchants. It will be seen that the plan is arranged in accordance with the endless chain idea. The bureau supported by the State, and the newspapers give valuable infor-
The point of greatest interest here however, regarded from the viewpoint of the other forty-seven states, is that Kansas in this matter is doing some work to out of the province of state government a short time ago. It simply makes plain for the millionth time or so, that whatever the people of a advancement country want to do in advancement they interests of their people, they can do.
We should not be surprised if, one of these days, Kansas would prohibit within its borders all forms of monopolistic imposition quite as effectively as it now prohibits the traffic through a major highway. Regarding all precedent, may be the state of the Union to fix the price of gasoline and other commodities.
Send the Daily Kansan Home
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