Page:The Practice of the Kansas Code of Ethics for Newspapers.pdf/1

Rh of decency and good taste are not abrogated. It is just as well, however, that this rule is not capable of explicit statement; papers ought to continue to differ as to what "social policy" prohibits and as to what complete frankness demands.

Advertising and Circulation

Section VII, "Advertising and Cir- culation" (page 286), does not adopt the policy widely advertised by some Eastern publications of guaranteeing every statement made and every article offered in the advertising pages. Such a rule implies vast facilities for investigation. It does promise, how- ever, that all matter will be barred which the publisher believes harmful or intended to deceive.

A recent questionnaire sent out by the School of Journalism revealed that a considerable number of Oregon publishers are already excluding from their advertising pages considerable classes of copy. Some accept no oil or mining promotion schemes except where production is already established; some, nothing speculative; some bar all medicines to be taken internally; some exclude cigarettes and one or two, all forms of tobacco. Many stated that they took no advertising which they believed fraudulent or harmful — the rule since enacted into the code. These facts illustrate some of the difficulties that await the future author of a code which shall be explicit as to practices and which will not, like the Oregon Code, rest content with principles. There are mining and oil prospects which by reason of their location and management are good speculative in- vestments; there are some internal remedies which — while they may work evil by postponing the needed visit to the doctor — are useful and harmless; and many think tobacco is one of the blessings bestowed upon man by a kindly Providence.

But conscience is alive in the news- paper profession; the writer knows many, many newspapers which sacrifice and have sacrificed profits to principle; and the establishment of a code is a step in the already active mobilization of the constructive ethical forces in journalism.

The Practice of the Kansas Code of Ethics for

Newspapers

By Alfred G. Hill

Lawrence, Kansas, sometime reporter on certain Kansas daily papers and on the Public Ledger

of Philadelphia

THE "Code of Ethics for News- papers" was adopted by the Kan- sas Editorial Association March 8, 1910, thus making it one of the earliest, if not the earliest code of its kind adopted by a state association. The Code was largely the individual work of the late W. E. Miller, a country editor living at St. Marys, Kansas. It represented years of thought and much work on the part of Mr. Miller, whose interest continued until his death two years ago, and who followed closely the gradual advance made in newspaper standards.

An important contribution of the Kansas Code outside of the state has been the stimulating of other state associations and organizations to adopt codes which are beneficial, to say the