The Dominion. MONDAY, JUNE 1, 1908. SIR ROBERT STOUT ON JOURNALISM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 212, 1 June 1908, Page 6

The Dominion. MONDAY, JUNE 1, 1908. SIR ROBERT STOUT ON JOURNALISM.

In his very interesting address at the capping ceremony at the Auckland University College last wcoKj ,' &/&, Bobejit StoDt revived an old andJliipre'stlfig idea. Realising the enormous inllufcncfe' of the Press upon .social life and jiiogfoss, he fears that the stress and sii-alin 6'f journalism are so' great that even " tfi'fe many able, well-read and \vell-traine ! s jouvnalist3 " 6h tfie daily "PrfeU nave not the time, " even if they do teEtliße' ihe -importance of their mission; or . leadership, to carefully and > impartially consider, without any personal, party, 'or political bias, tiie problems with wHich they are dealing." The journalist,' lie thinks,should dear with social problems as the cKemist deals witli tlie problems, ffiat' corrie t,o him for and he beliefs that the time is coming when, the training of journalists will- be considered as of greater importance thah : the trailing of any other class of professional men. Me hopes, moreover, that in future all o'ur young journalists will have S.t/nivfersity training. , Wliajtever t ( the public nfay think .of the Chancellor's .opiiilo'fls,' we are afraid that they . will not conStJiaiid the'complete approval of the nqwspaiJer profession. Two of his assumptions airo of very doubtful soundness. In tlie first place, there is rio fSffiQh to Stip'pUse that in-'ilie iievr cirdfer T?hith he describes the influence of the Press will either be increased, or become; more potent for good thiin it; is, at present. In the second .place, even if the new regime would make tho world a very much, better place than it is, it is doubtful whether the.University mien, woiild bring abo'iit that niore easily or iriore siircly thai! the" men -Hrh'ose equipment • has been gained from a thoughtful contact with life. The,.second of v thes'e .points, as it is subsidiary to the first, is nbt of much irripoftancd. The value , of. a University training as a prelude to journalism has been, so. often debated, that there is not rtiucli that cain b'fe usefully fidded to the discussion. A writer in, tho curr'fcnt '' North American Review " declares that most American editors' are opposed to schools of journalism and dislike University men. The general opinion, however, may be stated as a belief that a University training, if it does not spoil a journalist, at ariy rate does not make one. In any case it cannot be admitted that such a profound acquaintance w'ith sociology as would giiiri Uiiiveriity Honours for a man can be o£ much una tp tbe daily journalist'. The conditions d

newspaper work reduce the sociological expert and the thoughtful a.nd. practical , mnn the same level. Quickness of ! thought, and a capacity for threading his way rapidly to the root principle, that determines the correct attitude on the question to be discussed are the qualities necessary to the daily journalist. They may he qualities possessed also by the ' student of sociology," but the study of 1 sociology at a University is not necessary to produce them. And the trained journalist will put his case more forcibly and effectively in the morning's article than the trained sociologist-. It is a complete ■ mistake to suppose that a leading article is an off-hand opinion, arid therefore presumably an unsound one, because it has been written at short notice by a man whom a lecturer on sociology might 'plough" in an examination paper, - The daily journalist has got as near /truth by his own methods, by the practice of his craft, and his own study of practical problems,' as the Professor of Sociology. Truth is tis Well-served by the clash of ten thousand cdnflicting editorial opiriipris as sh'e i would be if she had to be disentangled, from the disputations of ten thousand sociological experts. Silt Robert's advice' is. really only it counsfil of .perfection. Life is not a dead' specimen, in Spirits for the leisurely examination of Professors. It is i rapidlymoving arid ever-chetrigfng whirl of conditions. It will'riot sit for the long- exposures of the. studio. H you w>ai-rit fo£eb any idea of it &t all yfcu'musi; dri'apsh6t it. The multitude of snapshots, likfe' the successive films of the kinematog.rj£f)hv will yield the complete picture of iw terafencM' Professor Munroe Smith, priSchirig ihfe' doctrine of .'-" journalistic i^o^riricy" in an American magazine solves the wtble problem in the-sentence: —" Editorial opinions are probably so'uncfer. flffd assuredly not less sound than' jrfh'er o'jjiri'ioris." . What Sir Robert Stout was thinking of, 1 perhaps, was the gradual growth' of a body of what th 3 Loridoil Sjieclaior has called . " judicial journalism,'' as distinct .frdrri' th'fe' ''journalism of Tlie Spectator thus defines th 6 judicial. jotfrMliSftf " ih&l. should have on 6 or iv/o' recognised mediums:—' . J . " must take, a firm line, it must never conceal the merits ,of th'e view which on the wliolo it considers lb' b'4 iiiiii'ttrtiiy of adoption. Again; it must not impute motives, or ondeavour to ; belittle unfairly those to whose views it is opposed. It will liever roly upon the arts of the flietorician to, prejudice a man or a cause, but .will deem all causes.'worthy of- an impartial, hearing and a just analysis. Not only will its columns, as far- as physical conditions .permit, be open to 'the other side,' but it-will in its cominorits make every endeavour to understand, overt . when, it most condemris. . . . It must remember so to ,be conservative as not to forget that an essential of true con-' servatisnr in, the. living organism is growth and chango." ■ . Such journalism would naturally serve a most valuable.purpose, and; as it wOuld not aim ait- 'giving immediate' judgments',' it would lend itself- to the ojieratiori of Sir Robert Stout's ideas. : In the.meantime, howefer, this function; is tilt/r----oughly, if indirectly; discharged by the, " journalism' of advocacy," in defence of - which we Cannot-do better' than'quote the Spectator again. This kind of jo.iirnalismy says'. ihe Spcctaldr, 'fills 'a rcitl want in Our public: life;"it is not only legitimate, - but actually useful: — Our wisest Judged have always held"tliiit the speeches ,of> c'ounsel are of imriieriso advantage to .thorn in understanding arid deciding a caso/ .and that-' without : such helj) they would often find .themselves in .consider;' able perplexity.. So the* public may feel that it gains a great deal by. soeirig ,the.best th'it can' bo said for each j side.urged daily .by tlie newspapers- of tfipVttfo'' parties, in the State?; If, indeed, prio. part}' is,not adequately rdpri-'" sorited in,tho l'res's;. there is' a real darigfcr of tho public verdict b'Sirig given ori insufficient grounds." . In conclusion; the best defence of' current' journalism' may bo derived from a ricw application; of Sir Robert's -'owii chemical simile. In, most cases a journalist is not' required by his duty to' give a complete quantitative analysis 6f any question. The public', good requires 6nly a qualitative analysis, a,rid generally a very partial one. . 1