JOURNALISM AS A CAREER

THIS IS the first of a series of vocationalarticles to be published in these pagesduring the year. Others to follow insucceeding months will include religion, law, public life, and medicine tobe written by these prominent Dartmouth men: Dr. Boynton Merrill '15,George M. Morris 'll, Senator GeorgeH. Moses '90, Dr. William G. Morgan'90. The articles are designed to be ofgeneral interest as interpretations ofthe opportunities and rewards of avariety of careers followed by collegealumni. PAUL E. MOYER of the class of 1918, theauthor of this story of the colorful career of journalism as he finds it, isan editorial writer for the Providence Journal. He is one of more than a hundred Dartmouth men engaged in newspaper and editorial work.

COLLEGE MEN contemplating newspaper work as a career should understand the nature of the organization of the American press today. The individualist in journalism is now the exception rather than the rule. Editors as able as Dana, Bennett, Weed, Pulitzer, Greeley, Halstead, and others, wield their influence on current American life. But they work largely under the cloak of anonymity. Their personal identity is merged with the institution they serve.

Gone are the days when the reader thought of his favorite newspaper in terms of the renowned editor and publisher rather than of the paper itself. Time was when many subscribers were not so much interested in what the New York Tribune contained as news as they were in what Horace Greeley might have to say about some issue—or person—in editorial appreciation or denunciation. The same was true of the Sun and Dana, of the Herald and the elder Bennett, and of many others.

With the growth of the nation the press has become institutionalized. With all due respect for the personal age in journalism, the change has been beneficial. Editorial ideas are clarified and opinions molded in the daily conference of a highly trained staff of editors. They find their satisfaction in serving a more discriminating public through the medium of an institution that is greatly concerned with its reputation for intelligent and honest editorial treatment of public questions and not at all interested in the self-exploitation of an egotistic editor, however much his talents might otherwise excuse publicizing the individual.

News gathering likewise has gone through a process of evolution. Instead of relying upon its own resources and facilities for collection of news outside of its own territory, the newspaper today depends upon press associations for the bulk of the non-local stories which it prints. This transformation in itself tends to emphasize the institutional character of the modern daily.

I do not mean to convey the idea that all newspapers are alike. As a matter of fact, they are very often strikingly different. But I do wish to emphasize the truth that the altered method of gathering the news of the world in our generation promotes impartiality, non-partisanship, and absolute fairness in the presentation of the facts. Purveying the news is no longer an individual enterprise. It is largely a matter of cooperative action by newspapers whose editorial policies, partisan inclinations, and general objectives may be as far apart as the poles.

Naturally with the growth and development of editorial and news aims and policies has come a corresponding transformation in the business organization of newspapers. Publishing a modern daily requires an abundance of capital. The time has long since passed when an ambitious editor could pick up an old press and a few cases of type, hire a tramp compositor, enlist the services of a printer's devil and thus begin the dissemination of his personal opinions together with such news as he could find.

The modern newspaper even in cities that can by no stretch of the imagination be called large is a corporate affair. It has a business organization that rivals that of important commercial and manufacturing enterprises. In cities that are hardly out of a village status the successful operation of a daily paper demands capital resources running into many tens of thousands of dollars, in less than medium sized cities it necessitates capital that is reckoned in hundreds of thousands of dollars, and in urban centers that are far from the million population class the financial requirements of many dailies compel an investment of millions of dollars.

Incidentally, for the college man inclined to a business career and who at the same time would like to associate himself with journalism there are excellent opportunities in the business departments of newspaper organizations. The modern daily even of moderate size must have departments of purchasing, promotion, credit, business research, accountancy, circulation, and others. Advertising, of course, is the financial life blood of the paper inasmuch as subscriptions barely pay for the rolls of paper before a line of type is placed upon them. Hence the advertising organization of metropolitan dailies consists not of a single department but rather of a series of departments, including national advertising, local advertising, artgravure advertising, classified want advertising, and so forth. General managers and business managers occupy posts of exceptional responsibility with corresponding financial rewards.

BUT I ASSUME that the college man interested in journalism as a career desires primarily to know something about the necessary qualifications of the individuals who collect and edit the news and express opinions thereon. He presumably is concerned about preparation for such a career and particularly about the opportunities it offers for those who might choose it.

Certainly the requirements have become much greater and more exacting during the past generation just as they have in law, medicine, and other professions. A college training has become more than ever desirable for service on metropolitan papers as regards positions of genuine responsibility for collecting and interpreting the news. On papers of medium size and even on many papers published in cities that have barely earned the name the college man on the staff is the rule rather than the exception.

The college man who is seriously considering journalism as a career ought to take as many courses as possible in English, Economics, History, Political Science, Sociology, Psychology and Philosophy. Certainly he should not neglect modern languages. Obviously he cannot specialize in all of these subjects. But if he is majoring in one that is closely related to other subjects, as some of those cited above are, he should be able to delve rather deeply into those related fields of study.

The newspaperman should be able to write clear and forceful English. He ought to have a genuine acquaintance with American and English literature. He should have a comprehensive knowledge of all history and he ought to be a thorough student of American history. In these times particularly he should be well grounded in economics and he ought to have taken some advanced courses in political science. Training in psychology is invaluable.

Post-graduate work in any of these subjects will be found to be of distinct advantage, especially in later years when editorial responsibilities increase for the successful newspaperman. Real success in journalism, in fact, demands constant study. The man who habitually neglects his intellectual labor after he leaves college seldom rises to the heights of this vocation.

Doubtless the reader is aware that schools of journalism are maintained by several leading universities in this country. They are making important contributions to the progress of American journalism not only by their scientific training of men and women for this high calling but also through their processes of research and through their strong influence in the establishment of increasingly higher standards.

It must be remembered, however, that mere knowledge acquired either in undergraduate days or in post-graduate work will not make a successful newspaperman any more than it will make successful engineers, or educators, or clergymen, or attorneys, or whatnot. Practical experience is the final test in the field of journalism as in all other human activities. It may be said of newspaper work, however, that in few occupations, if any, will a man more quickly determine for himself whether he has made a mistake in his choice of a vocation.

IT is NOT an easy life. If one is looking for a soft career he would better give the newspaper field a wide berth. But if one relishes hard work and eventually discovers that journalism is for him a congenial task, he will find himself well rewarded. Probably no other vocation offers so many and so varied contacts. The journalist sees life at closer quarters, both in its sordid and in its heroic phases, than most men. The range of his experience is limited only by the confines of the activities of men in diverse situations. He is always in the midst of affairs. They may be trivial and unexciting events. But again they may be matters that profoundly affect the life of nations and of individuals. It is no mean condition to live behind the scenes when history is being made.

The newspaperman's opportunities for making enduring friendships are unexcelled. No one can come into touch with so many different groups of people, as the newsaperman does, without finding himself now and again in association with men whose interests he shares and whose personalities are mutually attractive. It is a matter of record that out of such friendships have come influences that have changed the destiny of men and of nations.

Unusual chances for travel are occasionally presented to successful newspapermen. Polar wastes and tropical jungles alike have been penetrated by correspondents carefully recording the experiences of explorers and scientists. Extraordinary events that sometimes occur off the beaten paths of the world are often covered by special correspondents sent perhaps half way round the globe. To travel hither and yon in one's own country is a frequent experience of some newspapermen, especially if they happen to be political correspondents.

While the tendency of editors to have their personality screened from public view has grown steadily with the years, an exactly opposite trend has developed in respect to reporters who have gained distinction. Readers of newspapers have become familiar with the names of foreign correspondents of metropolitan dailies either directly through the papers by which they are employed or through papers to which the metropolitan journals sell their foreign despatches for simultaneous publication. To be sent abroad to take charge of a papers news bureau in London, or Moscow, or Paris, or Rome, or some other world capital, with all of its opportunities for intimate contact with men who are making history in politics, science, industry and philosophy is no small mission.

Likewise the position of Washington correspondent is a coveted assignment. It offers opportunity for frequent association with Presidents, Cabinet officers, members of Congress, high ranking administrative officials, and members of the diplomatic corps. In many instances such association is not limited to the regular contacts necessary in the performance of the correspondent's reportorial duties but becomes a matter of warm personal friendships that endure through a lifetime. Names of Washington correspondents in charge of their paper's bureau in the national capital are generally carried at the head of their important stories.

The highly successful reporter, however, does not need to have either a foreign berth or a Washington assignment to get his name before the public, if he happens to crave that compensation. Important stories that originate in state capitals, or at the scene of some extraordinary event, or even in the home city of his paper if the circumstances are of unusual significance, oftentimes carry the name of the writer of the story. Thus his reputation grows. Outstanding reporters of sporting events—football, baseball, hockey, golf—are similarly personalized. The same is true of writers of general feature stories, of columnists, and of other special contributors.

Not all reporters become editors—many prefer reportorial work to an editor's duties—but few editors have attained distinction without having first proved their prowess as reporters. There are a variety of editors operating a modern daily. There is an editor-in-chief or other responsible person who is the supreme arbiter of editorial policies. He does not necessarily do any writing himself. He may leave that task to a chief editorial writer and his associates.

Every paper, of course, has a managing editor who has supervision over all the news that enters the paper. On the larger dailies there are one or more assistant managing editors. There are news editors who direct the detailed handling of both wire and local stories. Telegraph editors order the disposition of news coming over the wires. State editors watch the news of the state. City editors are responsible for local news. Suburban editors direct the coverage of such districts. Sports editors have charge of a staff of expert reporters in their special line.

Then there are the financial editors who sift the news of the business world and interpret its important features. It is an excellent position for college men who are proficient in economics and are willing to devote enough time to the subject in both undergraduate and graduate study to qualify as experts. The larger papers have literary editors and dramatic editors whose criticisms, interpretations and recommendations are constantly scanned by a section of the public that is discriminating in its tastes and exacting in its demands.

Few special characteristics distinguish the editor from the reporter. In fact, the editor has probably been a reporter before he became an editor. If he was a successful reporter, he had an intuitive sense of news values. He knew how to write well. He could sift important facts from trivial detail. He learned how to size up situations quickly and to apply calm judgment to exciting events. He mastered the art of gaining the confidence of all types of people and yet was cautious of accepting confidential information lest it compromise his faithful reporting of facts. He was able to write a story in direct, concise manner with a minimum waste of words and time. A good editor possesses all of these qualities, plus the ability to train and manage men and the capacity to discharge executive responsibilities.

THE QUESTION is often asked: "Do newspapermen 'burn out' from continual pressure?" The answer is: Probably not more often than men in other strenuous occupations. American life in most spheres of activity is noted for its feverishness and intensity. Many thoughtful people may regard it as an unfortunate fact—as indeed it often is—but it is nevertheless a fact. I can think, however, of several activities that are more destructive of human energy than newspaper work. I am inclined to believe that the popular notion of newspapermen "burning out," at least in this modern era of journalism, is a bit fantastic.

Naturally college men looking forward to any career are interested in its pecuniary rewards. It is impossible to give definite figures here because compensation varies not only as between small, medium and large papers but also as between the very considerable number of posts of varying demands and responsibilities on any given journal. One may start as a cub reporter at fifteen dollars a week and find himself eventually the employed publisher of a group of papers at a salary that compares favorably with those of the higher salaried executives of our major industrial, commercial, and financial enterprises.

Suffice it to say, however, that the income of the average newspaperman is on a par with that of the average doctor or lawyer or educator, reckoned over a long term of years. Journalism is distinctly not a money-making career. Any college man who enters it with a contrary thought in mind is almost sure to be disappointed. There are notable exceptions to the rule in this profession, as there are in all professions, but it is the rule that counts.

Some newspapermen have found journalism a stepping stone to other careers. The traditional deep interest of many newspapermen in the theatre has occasionally resulted in associations that have produced notable playrights from the field of journalism. Some of our better known novelists, both in this generation and in past generations, obtained their practical training and found their real inspiration in newspaper work. Scores of newspapermen have entered public life to fill positions of unusual trust and responsibility, largely by reason of contacts made during their journalistic experience.

THESE TRANSFERS to a more individualistic career have frequently been profitable to society as well as to the individual. Doubtless they will be made in the future as they have been in the past. But it is truer today than it has ever been before that newspaper work in itself offers boundless opportunities for the fullest expression of one's creative powers. It is not necessary to look beyond the borders of journalism for complete freedom of expression, for full exploitation of one's ideas, for absolute realization of one's aspirations and ideals in writing. Newspaper work today is not considered, as it may once have been, merely a preparatory step to some other pursuit. It is a life work in itself, vibrant with opportunity, surcharged with social responsibility, saturated with the spirit of service. It is surpassed by no other career in its possibilities for personal contribution to the welfare and happiness of mankind.

It is a vocation that, whether judged by its opportunities for genuine service to the race or by its possibilities for individual success of the highest type or by its material rewards, is becoming increasingly attractive to college men. There are pitfalls, to be sure. We still have "yellow" newspapers just as we have quack physicians and crooked lawyers. But we know that these enemies in every profession represent but a very small minority of the whole.

While President of the University of Minnesota, George Edward Vincent said: "The press is more than a business. It is a social service fundamental to the national life, exerting profound influence upon it. The men of the press must recognizee the social nature of their task. If the press be a corporation, it is a public service corporation with all of the social responsibility that this implies. The American press reflects the life of all of us, and it affects the life of all of us. We must all share the common task of raising slowly, steadily, courageously this life to a higher level of truth, of justice, of goodwill. We, the people, make the press what it is. The press can help us make it and all our national institutions more nearly what they should be."

Clear-visioned and noble-minded leaders are today serving journalism in this spirit. They are exerting a constant effort to improve its standards, to increase its intelligent service to the community, state and nation, to raise its ideals. Probably no other American institution in this generation commands greater power or wields profounder influence for good or evil in human affairs.

Keenly appreciative of this fact, those who now guide its destinies are, with few exceptions, men who wisely insist that the most profitable paper from every standpoint is the one whose character is unquestioned and whose rigorous standards of excellence in public service command the reasoned loyalty and the discriminating favor of a large company of thoughtful men and women.

These leaders know that the most powerful paper is that which subordinates narrow partisanship to high-principled independent thought and action. They realize that, while the idea of pecuniary profit cannot be thrust aside, that journal best serves itself which best serves the community. They recognize that a good reputation, with newspapers as with individuals, comes only through strict adherence to lofty standards of integrity and honor. This belief is so common in the finer circles of the newspaper world today that it is accepted as a matter of course. In this spirit American journalism is steadily going forward. Clearly no college man should consider entering the field without a strong sense of devotion to these purposes and ideals.

New York Times Financial News Department

Providence Journal Composing Room Showing theMake-up Bank

New York Times Wireless Room

New York Daily News Composing Room