Page:The Practice of the Kansas Code of Ethics for Newspapers.pdf/9

Rh rule the Kansas editor has made favorable progress along the lines outlined by the Code. The whole matter of editorial views simmers down to the personal responsibility of the editor in charge to be the spokes- man of public interest. The require- ment of the Code that editors keep free from financial influence is logical. Especially is this true of a few of the Kansas newspaper publishers and edi- tors, as Mr. Miller was undoubtedly aware. Scores of Kansas newspapers have been financed by banks, some- times to the embarrassment of the editors, and some cities have been fortunate enough to see two newspapers as spokesmen for two opposing bank factions. It is the natural desire of every editor to become free from such influence and this freedom is gradually being achieved. Likewise, the better class of bankers are realizing more and more that their financial interest in the newspaper does not carry with it the right of editorial influence unless the banker himself is the editor.

The statement of the Code that a man's name and portrait are his pri- vate property must meet limitations from the newspaper man's standpoint. The Kansas State Editorial Associa- tion has not taken upon itself to define the point at which the rights of the private individual to prevent publica- tion of facts concerning him, extends. Every individual has the right of the protection of the law of libel against injustice by a newspaper, but it is a commentary either on the high stand- ard of Kansas newspapers or the inadequacy of the law that libel suits are very rarely successful.

Individual planks of the Code from the standpoint of the editor are un- doubtedly violated; for example, re- porters, to the personal knowledge of the writer, are not immune from

special courtesies given by interested persons with selfish interests. Part of this is the fault of the publisher who winks at such practices or pays a low wage.

It is difficult to judge the influence of the Kansas Code of Ethics except in a very general way. It has had its influence in the profession; it has turned the thoughts of its practitioners in the direction of the ethics to be adopted in the conducting of their business. On the other hand, the Code, as a code, is not studied with any frequency by individual editors and publishers. Miss Armstrong, in con- ducting her investigation, received letters from scores of editors over the country in answer to her queries. Six of the most prominent leaders in the Kansas editorial profession discussed the ethical phase of their business without mentioning specifically the code which their editorial association had adopted. However, the answers stating the individual opinions of the editors, lived up to, in every respect, the requirements specified by the Code.

The statement by William Allen White, publisher of the Emporia Gazette, to Miss Armstrong is particularly illuminating:

Generally speaking, I do not print any advertising in the Gazette which I could not personally guarantee. That means that I won't use any patent medicine, travelling doctors, unregistered oil stock, or any unregistered stock, travelling fire sales, slaughter sales, and any sort of travelling merchandisers, and I refuse to print any advertisement to lure girls to the city for employment. We also refuse matrimonial agencies, and all that sort of thing. In the news end we have just one rule; the sub- scriber runs the paper and the advertisers have no right the subscriber is bound to respect, and in that way the subscriptions are kept up and the advertiser, in the long run, profits.