Article April 19, 1913 Issue

"The press may be likened to a great moving-picture...

Chicago (Ill.) Post

"The press may be likened to a great moving-picture show, to which the world goes daily to see the current history flashed upon the screen."

This was the simile offered by George Shaw Cook, chairman of the Christian Science committee on publication for Illinois, in the course of a lecture delivered at the Press Club of Chicago before the regular meeting of the Illinois Woman's Press Association. The subject of Mr. Cook's address was Clean Journalism, and while he complimented the newspapers generally on their enterprise and public-spiritedness, he deplored the tendency in many directions toward featuring scandal and criminal news. Continuing after the quotation given above, Mr. Cook said:

"The show is generally interesting and sometimes instructive. The principal trouble is that too many 'yellow' films are used. I am aware that some publishers will tell you that it is their duty to expose crime, graft, public and private scandal, and the like. Possibly so, but is this sufficient justification for featuring such matter? I am inclined to believe that an exploitation of criminals and grafters by the press has tended to increase rather than diminish crime. Is there less crime today as a result of sensational newspaper exposure? The publishing of the evils that men do will not destroy evil. Publicity and legislation may serve in some degree to restrain the evil-doer, but only education of the right sort will really benefit him.

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