OREGON EXCHANGES
January, 1922
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Oregon Exchanges
Published by the School of Journalism, University of Oregon.
Issued monthly. Entered as second~class matter at the postoffice at Eugene, Oregon.
occasionally and see whether we could
read our own paper with any degree of interest. What are other publishers doing for their readers? Is there not some lesson for us in their success? ~.
KEEPING UP THE RATE Contributions of articles and items of interest e0 editors, publishers and printers of the ltate are weleomed. Free
to
Oregon
Newspapermen; $1.00 a year.
to
all
others,
I. V. McAdoo, business manager of the Scio Tribune, notes “a lack of cohesive ness among the newspaper fratemity in
that they do not stick together in hold
Gannon S. Tuauaunn, Editor.
THINK OF THE READERS One of the pet fallacies of some coun
try editozs is, that the country reader is satisfied with almost anything that is of fered him in the way of reporting and newswriting.
The time has come when
many papers, some of them even in Ore gon, have sunk below the level of the average intelligence of their communities in their handling of the home news. It
can not be emphasized too strongly that more pride should be taken in the news
and its handling as well as in the volume and rate of advertising and the mechanics of getting out the paper. The writer has noticed that when two newspaper publishers get
together
the
talk usually is exclusively on the business and mechanical side to the neglect of news and editorial methods and policies.
ing a reasonable rate for their advertis ing.” “It seems to me,” Mr. McAdoo writes, “that if the publishers of the state would get together and make an adequate advertising rate and then stick to it, there
would be a better feeling among the fra ternity and a more reasonable profit to the trade.
Like Henry Ford, I believe
in good wages to a workman, and the only way to keep him satisfied is to pay him a wage by which he can provide for his
family and lay up a little for that day of adversity or old age. The present rate as made by publishers precludes a decent day’s wage to his workman if he should be employing one.” What has been done in this line in a neighboring state will be
told at the next Oregon Newspaper Con ference by Fred W. Kennedy of the University of Washington, and Herbert J. Campbell of the Vancouver (Wash.)
editorial opportunities, but in some others this is not the case. The reader of the paper is entitled to more consideration than some of us are
Columbia-n. One of the big attractions of the Conference. €_o_ The one-man shop is passing. Mr. Rob inson of the Aurora Observer, in his ar ticle in this issue of OREGON EXCHANGES, hits the nail on the head when he says to the man who has taken the role of facto tum for himself: “Hire a printer today.” No man can develop his field and stick in the back office setting type and feeding a press. No town big enough for a news
giving him.
paper is too small for two men.
It is natural that there should be stress
on such things as rates and mechanical equipment; but the matter of building
and keeping circulation is entitled to more consideration than it seems to be getting. In many cases these publishers are doing splendidly with their news and
It is trite to say that the
newspaper is published for the readers. But every editor should occasionally check up and see just what he is pub
lishing that will interest the people. Let’s try to put ourselves in the readers’ place
R--oi
Do you cover your news field properly
with regard to its principal industries? Read Mr. Cohen’s article in this issue, and do some thinking.
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