words are not necessary. When in doubt, think of a twelve-year-old girl reading what you are writing.
Do not look on newspaper work as a "game" of pitilessly printing that on which you are only half informed, for the mere sake of beating some other paper, but take it rather as a serious, constructive work in which you are to use all the energy and diligence needed to get all the worth while information for your readers at the earliest possible moment at which you can do so and have it reliable.
GIVE FULL CREDIT
Nothing should ever be taken from another publication without giving full credit. Merely crediting a piece of writing to "Exchange" is not fair.
Elections coming on Tuesday, no candidate or party should be permitted to print new charges or statements later than the Friday before election. No paper should print anything about anybody without allowing ample time for an answer.
This is not intended as a set of rules. Rules kill individuality, and nothing is so valuable on a newspaper as good, strong individuality. This is intended as an expression of what The News and The News-Tribune should be, leaving it to each to enter into the spirit of the work, shaping his mental attitude so as to help bring about the results desired.
The foregoing statement of policy Mr. Pipp prepared could well be adopted by any editor.
The late E. L. Tomlinson, president of the National Editorial Association in 1917, edited The New London Telegraph. He published the following statement of editorial policy which gives the ethical platform of the newspaper that stands for the best in journalism:
The Telegraph herewith lays its policy before its readers and the people of New London and vicinity:
This policy is to contribute, so far as lies within its power, to a true understanding of the conditions of life in New London, in Connecticut and in America; to aid as largely as it can in the betterment of those conditions; to foster the theory that individuals are dependent one upon the other for their happiness and that man cannot successfully live for himself alone; to extend and encourage charity toward error—and relentless opposition toward meanness and injustice; to render to the American nation the ultimate of service and to the honor and prosperity of this community the last ounce of honest effort; to treat local, as well as national and world events, from the standpoint of the many rather than of the few; to refrain from permitting its columns to be exploited by special interests big or little; to support in politics, absolutely without partisan bias, such men and measures as seem to it to hold the greatest promise for the good of all the people; to establish and maintain a reputation for authenticity; to subordinate the trivial and unimportant in the events of the day to the important and consequential; to tell the truth when the truth can be told without detriment to the general welfare—and to keep silent when it cannot; to play no favorites and seek no favors, and to make as few mistakes as possible.
Upon this policy the Telegraph pro poses to stand. With this policy it hopes to grow in strength, in merit, in the knowledge and respect of the people of this section and in influence for the good of New London and America.
The newspaper, if it is to perform its service, must be truthful, aggres-228
