JOURNALISM.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14886, 28 January 1914, Page 12

JOURNALISM.

TALK WITH PROFESSOR WILLIAMS. A WORLD MISSION. There must have been great excitement in Boston on a certain day in 1690, when the first issue of the "Boston News Letter' , appeared. For ono thing, it was the first newspaper of any kind to be printed in America. But there was another, and stronger, reason. "In our second issue." remarked tho editor, "we shall print tho names of all the liars in Boston"—or words to that effect, Needless to say, there was excitement. With this news-sheet in their midst., it was felt that no man was safe. But the second issue of that "Boston News Letter" never appeared. Whether it was a matter of poor circulation, or whether it was a matter of bribery and corruption, it is too lato in the day to say; but the fact is that tho paper died without further issue. One may soo a copy of that momentous No. 1 oF the "Boston News Letter" m the archives of tho Colonial Office- in London. Fourteen years after—in l<o4 — it oamo out again, but it was a new thing,- a more respectable thing. TELE PROFESSOR'S STORY. These facts wero told to a representative of tho "Sydney Morning Herald" at the Australia Hotel last week by an American journalist of the veracious type—a journalist who looks more of an Englishman than American—Professor Walter Williams, Dean of the Faculty of Journalism at the Missouri University, Columbia. Professor Williums may have written a doubtful story or two in New York, Kansas City, or St. Louis, where ho worked for years in journalism in other days, but ho is dealing in f acta now —and getting facts about journalism in all parts of the world. It is enough to say he's from It would be enough to say bo in the States, anyway, for a "man from Missouri" is a man who wants tq know things, and takes nothing for granted. Professor Williams left Columbia, Missouri, on June Ist last, on a twelve months' tour of the world. His mission is to study the world's newspapers, and ho is writing a series of letters for an American publishing syndicate on "Making To-morrow's World," telling in his own way of conditions as he finds them in the various countries he visits. Hβ has already visited Eugland, Scotland, Ireland, France,, Germany, Russia, Holland Greece, and other countries, making a study of general conditions, particularly the field of journalism. Now he has arrived in Austra-lia,-and from here will go on to China and Japan. THE RUSSIAN 'GAOL REPORTER." A little while ago this American jour"nalist stood outside the office of tho "Novoe Vremya," in St. Petersburg, talking to a Russian journalist. A man passed as they were talking. "That is our gaol reporter," said the Russian. "Have you a gaol reporter?" said Professor Williams. "Well, we .call him our gaol reporter. He's tho man we send to gaol whenever we get into trouble. Quite a useful , man here. Russian newspapers are always getting into trouble." Strange as it may seem, however, one of the finest newspaper offices in all the world is in Russia. "That is the office of the 'Moscow Word' —to give tho English translation," remarked Professor Williams. "I have met more journalists and seen more newspaper offices, I suppose, than any man in the world, and for having everything up-to-date, for comfort for the writers employed, for salaries, and indeed everything connected with the literary and news side of the paper, I have seen nothing finer than that Moscow newspaper office. Thirty years ago the proprietor told mc, he walked into Moscow with only a rouble in his. pocket, and to-day the paper he established has a circulation of the largest circulation of any paper in Russia. It is one of the world's great newspapers." WHAT MAKES A PAPER GREAT? "And which is the world's greatest newspaper, in your opinion?" "That is a question," he said, "which it is very difficult to answer. Most men would say tho 'Times, , of London, no doubt; but what do we mean by the greatness of a newspaper? You have to juflge a paper by the part it plays and tho influence it wields -in the affairs of the city, or country, in which it is published. The 'Times,' for instance, has but a limited circulation among a certain class. It has a powerful influence on that class, but on that class only. Recently I was talking to Lord Northcliffe, the proprietor, or one of the chief proprietors, of the 'Timcfe' and the 'Mail,' and he said he thought they had made a mistake in reducing the price of tho paper from 3d to 2d. I agreed with him. They had not brought the price down low enough to compete with the other papers, and if it was moro money they wanted they could have gol> it by increasing the price, oven to 6d, for the people who take the Times' would take it at any price. "Nor fire you to take it that the papers that aro most often quoted in other countries are necessarily the greatest in the countries in which they are published/ They ""may bo quoted simply because they make a feature of international politics. Th« 'Cologne Gazette' and the 'Neve Froie Presse," of Vienna, however, are two of the world's great papers. "What is journalism? Journalism in Russia is a different thing from what it is in Germany, different in Germany from what it ib in France, different in France from vhat it i≤. in England, different again in England from what it is in the States. German newspapers are not at all particular about the sort of matter they publish, nor do they care much whether their news is a day, a week or a month old. They are wanting in enterprise and energy. 1 like the French journalism. I like it for its cleverness, and for its lightness of touch. They have in Franco what is known as 'cafo journalism.' You see tho people devouring the Temps,' the 'Figaro,' and other papers in the cafes and n the streets, and discussing an article by this man and another by that man. F<v in France they have signed joumali-on. Wo have it, too, in the States, to a very large rxtent. They have it to some extent in Germany. They have it in Ruseia. SIGNED JOURNALISM. "I believe inVihe signed article. Signed journalism is coming. I do not say it should appjy to everything in a newspaper. To sign shipping news and market reports would be absurd. There may be objections to the signing of leading articles, though even these are signed in France. Signed journalism is not only a good thing for a good writer —and there will be no room for bad writers in the journalism of the future —but it has advantages from the standpoint of the owners of newspapers. It is good for the good writer, because he attracts attention, and there is a demand for his services; it is good for the newspaper, because the public wiil buy the paper to read the articles that the clever and expert men write. I discussed the subject with Lord North-

cliffe. and found him to ho in favour of it to a limited extent —that is to say. he does not mind it as Applied to .special i article*, criticisms of art, music, the j drama and literature, and things of ! that kind. When the proprietor of 'The Times' says that, it may bo taken as a sign of tho tim«s. "As for the fut\ire of journalism generally, I am of opinion that the best features of the ix?st newspapers, no matter in what part of the world they may bo published, will be included. j and the rest will bo discarded. It is an age of evolution in all things. Journalism has made great progress in tho ; world since the days of the News-lottery —though there was journalism before ; that. Tho oldest newspaper in the. ; world is said to be the 'King-Bao,' of China, which is hundreds of years old. I PUBLIC SERVICE. "It is astonishing what tho world owes tn journalism. There can bo no better training ground than it provides for public men. It is the profession which jouders the greatest public service, and it is not surprising that some of the greatest oi our public men should conn out of journalism. They get to know men; they get to know what is required.- You have seen it in England, where so many men prominent in the public life of the country have been, or still are, engaged in journalism. In France, it is more pronounced. Gam bet ta and Clemenceau wero working journalists. Thiers was a man of letters. Take the United States. Whitclaw Reid, tho late Ambassador to tho Court of St. James, first distinguished himself as a special correspondent in tho war between North and South, and ho became proprietor and editor of the New York 'Tribune. , On his death Sir Walter H. Page, editor of 'World's Work,' was appointed Ambassador in London. Mr Thomas Nelson Page, the author, has been appointed Ambassador in Italy. Mr W. J. Bryan has been for many years editor of 'The Commoner' at Lincoln, Nebraska. -Mr Roosevelt had no sooner left tho Presidency than ho took up journalism. Mr Taft began, life,on a newspaper. Mr Daniels, Secretary to the Nary, is a journalist. There* are many more." THE MISSOURI SCHOOL. Professor Williams went on to tell of the School of Journalism, of which he is the hoad, at the Missouri University. "Ours was the first," ho said, "and today there aro about twenty-fivo of them. About half of them are really doing serious work, endeavouring to turn out able working journalists. The late Mr Joseph Pulitzer, of the New York 'World,' left 3,000,000 dollars to found and maintain a school of journalism at Columbia. University, New York, and Mr Franklin Matthews, of the New /York 'Times,' who visited Australia with the American fleet, is now professoi- of journalism there. A similar school has also been established at tho free University of New York. Our teaching is also free. Wo have about 200 students, among them a number from other conntries, including one 'or two from China. There are 14 members of the faculty, of whom four are journalists of standing. Before we take a student to train him in journalism, ho must have had two years college training in special subjects, such ac sociology, psychology, economics, the science of Government, and at least one foreign language, usually German or French, though Spanish counts with us. Then he stays with us for three years. During the first year ho is not called upon to do much, beyond learning the run of the office." "The office?" "Yes, we have our own newspaper office. Wβ publish a daily newspaper, with news and advertisements, just the same as the other two papers in Columbia, with which we compete. And we make it pay. In his second year the student is sent out to gather news and write it up. under supervision. In his third year he is put on to interviews, special articles, and leader-writing. All the time he ie keeping ud his studies in the special subjects. It is a combination of the practical with tho theoretical —and at the end of his course he passes his-examination, and the .degree of Bachelor of Journalism is conferred upon him. The young men who leave us are immediately engaged, and all of them 'make good,' as we say in the States." Professor Williams himself has never taken a university degree, though several honorary degrees have been conferred upon him. "I never had the time for it," he said. "I began work at a very early age, and, like many another journalist, whose hours of work areeo irregular, I never got the opportunity of going to a university. But my experience is -that the man with a university education does not always make a good journalist. The qualities that make a journalist are not to be obtained at any university—-or, I should cay, were not to be obtained at one until schools of journalism were founded."