Page:The Newspaper and the Historian.djvu/528

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apparent self-consciousness and a straining after effect that is, however, less noticeable than it would otherwise be since such writing is assimilated by the newspaper with other material. The old motto of Niles' Register, — The Past — the Present — for the Future, - must become that of the school of journalism if it is to make an enduring improvement in the authoritativeness of the press.

An explanation of this lack of complete success has been offered by a recent writer who protests against all schools of journalism on the ground that their professorships are filled with

“ out-dated newspaper men capable by the old standards and traditions, but more or less completely out of tune with the aggressive, resourceful methods which prevail in metropolitan

offices " and that they “ are recruited from the ranks of editorial wool- gatherers instead of reportorial news-gatherers.” 70 This generalization will not stand the test of an examination into its fidelity to fact, but even were it otherwise , it would be an in adequate explanation of the short- comings of the school of journalism as it has thus far been developed. Its imperfections are not superficial, but deep-seated, its range of vision has been

short, it has suffered from its incorporation into a scheme of education where education and information have been considered

synonymous, and the key to its short-comings is found in its appropriate name, - school of journalism . To the extent that it has brought together students and instructors actuated by a common desire to standardize and then to raise the ordinary

standards of journalism , it has made already a contribution to the authoritativeness of the press. Its usefulness will be still further

increased when it extends its boundaries and incorporates among its activities more serious investigation into the history of the

press , an application of methods of work used in other fields, considers more completely the press as the resultant product of its journalistic activities, and develops from its present immature curiosity the spirit of intellectual research .

The endowed newspaper has often been urged as a corrective of the defects found in the press , and such endowment would be

in harmony with the tendencies of the day. Endowments have 70 Dial, September 20, 1919, 67