In one important and conspicuous respect the development of journalism as a business has palpably improved its character. It has produced a greater degree of independence than ever distinguished it before. In the earlier days political and official advertising might be a large item in the income of a newspaper. Its monetary value gave it potency in con trolling editorial policy. But in the expansion of the business under modern conditions official patronage is unimportant compared with gen eral commercial advertising, and its relative de cline in value has greatly reduced its power of influencing newspaper expression. The favor of the public is far more advantageous than that of the party manager. It brings popular circulation and consequently business advertis ing, and there is less concern about the crumbs that fall from the official table. Even party journalism has greatly advanced in independ ence. While standing as the recognized ex ponents of party principles and policies the im portant party papers have become much more free in their judgment of men, methods and measures. A more critical standard is applied and a more rigorous public accountability is enforced under which there has been a visible improvement in general civic administration.
Under the same influences distinctive inde pendent journalism has increased. It professes to have no connection with any party and dis claims a representative party position. Its theory is that it addresses itself not to party sentiment but to independent public judgment, and its claim for support is based onits journalistic quality without regard to political association. It is the extraordinary advance of newspaper-making as a business that has ren dered independent journalism on a large scale possible. A quarter of a century ago it would have been difficult to name more than two or three important examples in the United States. Now there are many conspicuous and success ful papers which are thus classed, and even more significant of the change in journalism is the greater independence of the party jour nals already referred to. Indeed, in essential independence, which consists of free judgment and candid expression on public questions, the line of demarcation between the better class of party papers and the professedly independ ent papers is scarcely perceptible and it would be hard to distinguish between them: There has been a signal advance in other directions. Against the false and meretricious tendencies to sensationalism which have been indicated must be placed a higher and broader treatment of all the varied interests of life. In news collection the journalism of to-day is as much ahead of that of 1875 as the railroad express is ahead of •the stage coach. It spares no expense, reaches everywhere, sends its cor respondents to all parts of the world, employs the best experts and specialists, caters equally to the lover of literature and the lover of sports, keeps pace with scientific discovery and development, rivals the best periodicals in com manding the most famous writers and artists, makes its own special missions of public serv ice, reports all business, social, educational, philanthropic and religious movements, and, in short, treats whatever concerns mankind as within its boundless domain. Its range, enter
prise and comprehensiveness are a constant marvel. With all its faults the breadth, full ness and accuracy which are combined with so much celerity of action attest a thoroughness of organization and extent of resources never before equalled.
There are marked differences, however, in its development in different lands. Continental journalism in Europe is of a type quite dis tinct from English journalism, and that again is unlike American. In Paris the news is not the conspicuous feature of the newspapers. It holds a subordinate place and is limited in its quantity. Literary and dramatic criticism and political discussion command the first rank, and the feuilleton is a popular and important part. Literary excellence with a flavor of characteris tic French wit is the dominant trait. The Parisian type with variations, generally soberer and heavier, is the prevailing Continental model. English journalism is weightier and more en terprising in news. It covers the field of inter national politics and war with special thorough ness. It lacks the variety and vivacity of American newspapers, but within its chosen and more limited range it is more complete. Its reports of parliamentary proceedings and of important political, social and scientific meet ings are copious and intelligent, and its discus sions are distinguished by sobriety and infor mation.
In life, spirit, minuteness of news gleaning, emphasis of display and preponderance of per sonal flavor American journalism far outstrips all others. It does not surpass, oftentimes does not equal, British journalism in the presentation of great events, but in the multiplicity of its news of all sorts not only from its own country, but from all the world, there is no approach to it elsewhere. Its dominant tone is a light and airy freedom. There is a manifest tendency even on the part of the most respectable news papers to avoid being heavy. The general aim is to be breezy, pungent and picturesque, and this often leads to the flippancy which is re marked in American papers. Perhaps the pub lic taste which is thus indicated and cultivated will serve to explain in part why there are no serious and masterful weekly journals of liter ary and political discussion in the United States like the Spectator and the Saturday Re view, and why even the monthly periodicals run chiefly to fiction and light matter. There are excellent trade journals of a high grade, showing a demand for the searching and care ful treatment of special interests, but outside of these immediate representatives of the stupen dous material enterprises of the land, the trend is toward the lighter vein.