Old and New Journalism — Provincial. 43 another ;£ 1,000. Lastly, the Provincial daily newspaper has to provide for the efficient reporting of local news over the area of its circulation, and the staff necessary for this in the shape of correspondents, reporters, and sub-editors is estimated it ;^4,ooo. All this expenditure may be taken to be peculiar to the country newspaper, with one exception, that of Parliamentary reporting, for which the London newspapers each maintain a staff of competent reporters. Of course it cannot be said that metropolitan managers have not special items of expenditure which are to some extent equivalent to those enumerated. Generally speaking they spend more for foreign correspondence transmitted by telegraph, including in some cases a special wire connecting the London and Paris offices. In the matter of special correspondents, the London papers at one time had a monopoly, but provincial daily newspapers either by their own representatives, or by means of a syndicate of proprietors, are showing as great a readiness to be re- presented in distant parts as the London newspapers. In point of size some of the great provincial dailies appear to advantage, giving more printed matter for a penny than the London papers. The comparison therefore between London and Provincial papers is in several respects in favor of the Provincial organ. One other comparison should be mentioned, namely, the character of their con- tents. The distinctive feature of the two in the eyes of many readers is the London Letter. But although this olla podrida of diplomacy, general information, metro- politan amusements, and the frivolities of society, is more attractive than the ablest political leader ever written, the London correspondent is also able to give publicity to some valuable, exclusive political information ; and, though the London morning newspapers would consider it " undigni- fied " to copy it, the evening metropolitan journals do not scruple to transfer such an item to their columns with due acknowledgment. In political matters the Provincial daily
