SORDID JOURNALISM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 134, 29 February 1908, Page 11

SORDID JOURNALISM.

"It a bad thing for .a country.'' says tho "Academy," "when its ijrcatest tjewspapors become mero money-making machines, 'and when a given lined policy is oui/ptir.sued becauso it has been found to pav." It,is absolutely and' inevitably truo-that"honesty is tho;best policy m tho true senso of tho words,, but what is 'best' from a moral point of view ;is riot by .any. means hecessarilv best from tho.point of vioW-of business; Wo'mustf however, , keep up our hopes, and look to that reaction which 'must, surely .not-bo very far off. . "When every important paper in thip' country!belongs either to-Mr. Pearson or to Lord Northcliffc, perhaps, the mass "of tlio people will, begin to understand what is now only'apprehended by tho few.- After all, ho-' body is . obliged to buy a paper unless ho likes.'! '

','Even to-day it would, bo possible to coinpilo a respectable list of Liberal Ministers and politicians who might bo described as 'afraid of tho "Times," ' " says tho "Nation." Probably these half-superstitious emotions would bo dissipated by the sight of a cojlective photograph of; tho present leader-writers and. conductors of the 'Thunderer'—or of any iimvspaper .written, or believed to be written, by mortal hands. But wo aro qujtb suro they will'not survive the,notion that it has been assimilated tb tho genius of the 'Daily ExDresa.' !..