Illinois newspaper directory. History of the Illinois press association

Illinois \i \x spaper Directory and History"The practice of journalism is a quasi-public service. Its function is to tell thenews—truth, facts, and events; to interpret the news honestly and fairly; and to afforda means of communication for advertisers and such others as the public's interest mayrequire. Its duty requires that it shall constantly endeavor to publish nothing that iscontrary to the public good."The journalist must safeguard himself and his public from selfish interests seekinghis aid through propaganda or other biased or falsified publicity, paid or unpaid."No newspaper can print all the truth. It must endeavor so to select the newsit publishes as to express the many aspects of truth most accurately in fact, in proportionand in emphasis. News of crime, scandal and horror should be neither emphasizednor suppressed, but given attention proportionate to its importance in the daily life ofdecent men."The press must be free to tell and to discuss whatever is not expressly forbiddenby law. It must be free to emphasize and advocate through news and opinion suchprinciples and policies as it believes to be the best interest of societv without incurringblame for so doing. It must be fair and just; it can not be neutral."The press as a business should be conducted with the same honesty, integrity,and fair dealing as in editorials and news. Advertising columns must be as clean andhonest and trustworthy as news and editorial columns."Honest statements of circulation, equitable advertising and subscription rates, andscrupulous separation of the business from the professional departments of the paperare necessary to the best standards of journalism."An honest newspaper that serves its public adequately deserves in return a supportby that public commensurate with the service, and adequate to render it and those whomake it independent of other means of support."Press organizations were discussed by the following men: H. U. Bailey, BureauCounty Republican, Princeton, County Organization; Lewis L. Lindley, Granite CityPress-Record, Southern Illinois Editorial Association; Norris Goode, Yirden Recorder,Central Illinois Press Association.Discussion of the new postal law was led by Postmaster Orville Davis, Champaign,and Wright A. Patterson, editor-in-chief, Western Newspaper Union. The followingresolutions were passed:"Whereas, we realize the importance of postal legislation in its relation not aloneto the country daily and weekly newspapers of the nation, but to the communities servedby these newspapers, and whereas we realize the inter-relations of the various classes ofmail because of the question of postal revenue necessary to maintain the service as a whole,and whereas we realize that any movement for expressing to Congress the ideas of thecountry daily and weekly newspapers of the entire nation will receive attention, therefore,"Be it Resoll ed, that the Illinois Press Association petition the National EditorialAssociation to give careful consideration to this question of postal rates, a careful studyof the question of postal rates, a careful study of the question of cheap postage for theperiodicals and metropolitan newspapers, that possibly enables them to carry mail-orderadvertising at such rates as to make more easily possible competition for the merchantsof the smaller cities and towns; that they also investigate the question of postagerates on third-class mail, and the possible discrimination against the country merchant,and in favor of the city mail-order merchant provided for in the present law. Wewould ask that these subjects be studied by men who are publishers of newspaperspublished in typical small cities and towns."Resolved, that we condemn the action of certain editors in this state in referenceto the charges for legal publications through failure to charge the rate prescribed by225