and sub-bureau ran its press agent divi sion. ‘When we couldn't get enough paper on which to print the vital news of the day together with the advertising needed to keep the paper financially solvent, thae federal bureaus and divi sions flooded us with a mas of undi gested, unprintable stuff that frequent ly was contradictory, always diffuse and extravagantly wasteful. If we ever get into another war, which pray God may never happen, we will win it quicker if government is contented with one cen tral bureau for publicity distribution and the newspapers otherwise are allowed to cover the story. Do not for a minute think that press agent publicity is confined to nationalized propaganda or international propaganda with which every editor is familiar. A long list of organizations dedicated to the public good hire press agents. The news stories distributed by the Oregon State Chamber of Commerce are press agent work. The Portland Cham ber of Commerce employs the full time of two publicity men and has on its secretarial staff at least two other men who were once very capable news writers. When the Red Cross wants to win funds for the “Greatest Mother in the World” a press agent gets a job. The Community Chest hires a man for the campaigns and for as much of the rest of the year as possible to write material for the news papers. Here is a more complete list of institutions that provide press-agent employment, or , if you don’t like that blunt phrase, pay for the preparation of publicity: Salvation Army. Boy Scout. Camp Fire Girls. Y.W.C.A. Y.M.C.A. Community Chest Oregon Tuberculosis Association. Oregon Social Workers Association. Oriental College campaign. Liv! Stock Exposition. Oregon Dairy Council. Portland Americaniaation Council. Junior League benefit projects. University of Oregon campaign. American Red Cross. Palestine Foundation Fund. Portland Buainua Woman‘: Club. Dancing teachers. Mah Jongg tmcbcrs. Ru] state agents. Churchq. Portland Grade Teachers Association. Roosevelt Memorial Fund. Candidate! for public office. Florists a. -o ciation. Waverly Baby Home. Albertina Kerr Nursery. Children’: Farm Home. Portland Chamber of Commerce. Telephone Company. Artists Musicians. Public Welfare Bureau. Catholic church money-making proloch. 'hen the building of the Bridge of the Gods in the Columbia was projected a press agent found work. The telephone company, the local tire corporation, food markets, the bond houses. large real es tate concerns and many others frequently approach the news columns by the press agent route. Most of the advance notices for theat rical performances are written by prom agents and run in news form. Wouldn't it be much better if these notices which largely occupy Sunday sections were put under a general head, such as, “ What the Press Agents Say"? The automobile sections of newspapers in practically all instances have been developed from the business offices. Few of the local automobile agencies have press agents, but nearly all the manufac turers and national distributors have. The “leads” in an automobile section are usually written in the office. A very great bulk of the remainder comes in from outside. The preparation of copy by the exe cutives of the sports is negligible. Oc casionally you will see a prizefightefls manager, a wrestling promoter or a base ball manager come in and write his own story. But as a rule the figures in the sports game, professional and amateur, bring the information to the office or give it over the telephone and it is writ ten by the sports writers whose peculiar vocabulary is necessarily the result of years of careful study of jazz and slang. Although the publishers send free [3]
