Article July 22, 1911 Issue

Libraries and schools are alike interested in protecting...

The Library Journal

Libraries and schools are alike interested in protecting the children from the demoralization of comic supplements and the sensationalism of saffron newspapers, and two movements for "clean journalism" should interest both. In New York a mass meeting of a number of welfare organizations was recently held to take concerted action against the silly, vulgar, and generally abominable comic supplement of some of the Sunday papers; and in New England simultaneous meetings were held on March 27, in ninety-seven cities and other centers, in favor of "clean journalism." These were under the auspices of the Christian Science congregations, but were not confined to that sect, and in fact leading clergymen and other public-spirited citizens were among the speakers. The central feature of each meeting was an address stating the ideals and accomplishments of The Christian Science Monitor, the remarkable daily newspaper originated and in large part organized by the Leader of that sect, two years before her death. This daily, published in Boston, but circulated throughout the country and to considerable extent in other countries, refuses alike demoralizing news and misleading advertisements. It replaces the news of crime by the news of welfare, as for instance in the librarians' column, so excellently cared for by the lamented Foss, though he was not himself a Christian Scientist. While it has the advantage of ardent and wide support throughout the membership of its own cult, the success of the paper nevertheless emphasizes the value and the possibilities of journalism of positive character, divorced from crime and gossip. Libraries and schools which subscribe to any daily paper may well add this to their list, since, despite its origin, it is practically non-sectarian, confining itself to one distinctively religious article each day; and they should support every endeavor, local and general, in behalf of journalism of the better sort, thus overcoming evil with good. At the same time no effort should be spared to keep the comic supplement and the yellow journals our of libraries and schools and homes, until they are driven out of existence in a journalistic millennium, which may be nearer at hand than we are willing to suppose.

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