To the Editor of the "Nonrn-Curva Day News Sin-—It is not, the intention to Blow "the trumpet of the Fourth Estate, but rather to defend its members and their qualifications. opinion, once thorough-aroused, docs constitute most fearful odds. It was the Pi Shanghai who first gave a hint as} to the necessity of wider publication of Municipal Council news, and it was public opinion, somewhat half. heartedly at first, but later more convincingly, that brought about the present state of affairs, when the Council is on the eve of making a definite decision whether or nos appoint a Publicity Officer, influence ed: thereto by the majority opinion of a specially appointed Commission that such an official would be able to do useful and necessary work. The Commission held the view that person of high journalistic quali-cations would be the ideal for such an office and surely, on. first thoughts, that would be the obvious suggestion of anybody.
'Then comes "T," in the corres pondence columns' of the "North-China Daily News," t" suggest that by no means is a' po leven of the highest journalistic qual ties necessarily the one who should selected; that mere news pa efficiency is not everything, and that there are other degrees of excellence to which the prospective Publicity Officer should attain. This will not be denied fora. minute, but "T" seems rather to suggest that such ities are rare in a journalist. "T" concedes, literary qualifications, but adds:—"Apart. from this, it would appear that knowledge of local conditions, a certain degree of mental culture, a natural aptitude for constructive work, and an unering instinct for sizing up delicate situations are qualifications far more necessary, for such an undertaking, than journalistic ability and the knack of presenting reports in a palatable form for the delectation of [Chinese ratepayers." And who is. more likely to possess such qualify jons than a journalist of substan tial experience? Surely "Twill concede some degree of mental culture in journalists, and surely, if jhe will consider the matter more deeply, he will see that the other two points he has named are amongst the principal qualifications that must' go with successful journalism, feature of the publicity move. ment must naturally be the task of enabling the Chinese to follow intelligently the progress of our municipal government and obviating any sources of misunderstanding in that and has only an indirect ing on the question of the qualifications it a side issu not one of the most important? What is the principal function of newspaper of any real standing it is not to assist to the limit of its power both in the establish: ment and appreciation of good government, national or municipal. Therefore, most certainly, a highly not wish to' labour the point, but anybody who takes a dispassionate view of the problem will agree with me in thinking that journalists are not the only men who can discern the thin fine of demarcation {ng information that ought forthwith to be made public and. reports that may tend to hamper the progress:
negotiations in respect of wil ich reticence may be essential for a time." "Agreed, mast heartily, but Journalists may be pardoned if they} insist that there should be no sug. gestion that they have less of such discernment than' other' people, liiist, as it is their life function to pat the results of such discernment into. writing, and in form which will be appreciated by. the masses, it must be a reasonable supposition that a journalist would be, rather more of a success: in that Gireetion than one who is not cons cerned with writing for a livelihood, Newspapers stand at the top of the list in regard to the applcafé y tions for employment by people whi have failed in other lines. Lawyers have become bankers, school-masters. have become engineers, retired sold have become successful as estate gents and auctioneers, but, as a general rule, the best in any trade or profession are the men who, have been. at their particular work interruptedly since they left school, ind that holds good with journalism with any other profession, Tp mow what to putin and what to Jeave out, and how to put it in leave it out, is a gift with a few—avery few-—but the result of long experience and learning with easily, the great majority, The Publicity, Officer's job will be to get items into the papers, and, as papers do not accept just everything that is thrown at them, a highly qualified journalist must be the best man to ensure the desired publicity.
Sha
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.