Page:The Newspaper and the Historian.djvu/198



CHAPTER VI

THE GENERAL REPORTER “ This thing was not done in a corner.” “ See men's divers opinions! It is the printing of 'em makes ' em news to a great many who will indeed believe nothing but what' s in

print.” - Ben Jonson. “ L 'essentiel était

d'avoir des informations toutes fraîches et

d 'être le premier à les faire connaître. 'Ils donneraient tout ce que l'on voudrait pour avoir une nouvelle que personne ne sût encore.' ” —

Funck -Brentano. “ The same republican Hands who have so often since the Chevalier de St. George's Recovery killed him in our publick Prints, have now Weakness, and Death itself, that it is hard to conjecture what Method
 * reduced the young Dauphin of France to that desperate Condition of

they will take to bring him to Life again. Meantimewe are assured , by a very good Hand from Paris, That on the zoth Instant, this young Prince was as well as ever he was known to be since the Day of his

Birth .” — The Spectator, No. 384, May 21, 1712.

" I fancy ,” said I, “ that post brings news from Scotland. I shall long to see the next Gazette.” “ Sir,” says he, “ Imake it a rule never

to believe any of your printed news.” — The Freeholder, No. 22, March 5, 1716.

“ He (the reporter) is without the borrowed dignity of magnifi cent ecclesiastical vestments, without soldier's epaulets, the prestige of the lawyer's robe, the doctor's parchment and mystic language.

He is just a chiel takin ' notes.” — The Nation. “ I take all th ' pa-apers an ' read thim

fr’m end to end. I don't

believe a bad thing they print about anny iv me frinds but I believe

ivirything about anny body else .” — Mr. Dooley.

STUDENTS of history may be reasonably sure that they may accept at their face value the statements of the press that carry

with them the evident guarantee of accuracy and truthfulness.

These sections are first the part that is permanent as to the guarantee behind it but that can not properly be classed as news, and second the part that is strictly news and that has behind it the collective guarantee of a news-collecting organization. In addition to these somewhat definite guarantees, the newspaper