MR ROOSEVELT AS JOURNALIST.

Evening Star, Issue 14044, 27 April 1909, Page 6

MR ROOSEVELT AS JOURNALIST.

.DENOUNCES THE " SORDID EVTL" OF THE YELLOW PRESS. ' The New ' York ' Outlook' contains a a outspoken article by Mr Roosevelt, who, now that he is retired from the cares of the Presidency of the United States, joins the staff of that newspaper. The title cf the article is the somewhat cumbrous one " Why I Believe in the Kind of American Journalism for which the * Outlook' ■ Stands." But Mr Roosevelt's mode of oxpressing himself is terse and as vigorous as his speeches. Here are his views 0:1 journalists and journalism in general, and on the yellow variety in particular: " Every owner, editor, or reporter of a conscientiously and ably conducted newspaper or periodical is an asset of real value 'to the whole community. It would bo difficult to over-estimate the amount of good which can be done by the men responsible for such a publication—responsible for its editorial columns, responsible for its news columns, responsible for its general policy. We have many newspapers and periodicals, big and little, of this kind. But we also have many that are emphatically, not of this kind." » —No Temptation to Follow.— ~ " During the last few years it has become lamentably evident that cerLam daily newspapers, certain periodicals, are owned or controlled by men of vast wealth, who have gained their wealth in evil fashion, who desire to stifle or twist the honest expression of pnblic opinion, and who find an instrument fit for their purpose in the guided and purchased mendacity of those who edit and write for such papers and periodicals. This style of sordid evil does not even constitute* a temptation to ' The Outlook'; no influence of any kind could make the men who control 'The Outlook' so much as consider .the question of abandonment cf duty, *yjid they hold as their first duty inflexible ad-herence-to the elementary virtues of entire truth, entire courage, entire honesty. Moreover, they are as far removed n-s the pole 3 from the apostles cf that hideous • yellow journalism which deifies the cult of • the mendacious, the sensational, and the inane, and which, throughout its wide but vapid field, does as much to vulgarise and degrade the popular taste, to weaken the I popular character;, and to dnll the edge cf , the popular conscience as any influence I under which the country c«m suffer:" —The- Paper He Approves.— By way of affording a further contrast, to the kind of. journalism which he thus denounces with scorn and contempt, 51 r Roosevelt concfades as follows:—"I am glad to be associated wiQi Dr Abbott and the group of men and women he. las gathered around him, because they pjiictise what they preach, and because they" preach the things that are most ■ nesisssriry to the safeation of this people. It -s their earnest belief that every man m:;st tai 11 enough to support himself :*nd • thos-? dependent upon him, but that wnen orce this has been accomplished money immediately becomes secondary to mai'iv ether '.. "In this matter 'The ■ Outlook v puts its principles into practice. It .strives in proper -ways- to make money. If it did not make money it conid not be run at'all. But.making money is not the prim? ic.-i----son for its existence. The first-qn« lion asked when any matter of policy urtes so far as 'The Outlook.' is concerned, is whether or not a given course is rich t and should be followed because i* is in the reaLand lading interest «f tho Pa'i, l( ' If ita nation W answered in oe aifirnaindieatedjsTtfaaß the courage, earnestness, and aofljty ihafc are at its disposal.'"