The Word Is Tact

"There is no such thing as Freedom of the Press for the publisher of a country newspaper. . . . His readers do not want a free press. They want a tactful press. . . . In the past few weeks my newspaper has considered it wise to omit at least a half dozen top local news stories, although the facts were common gossip. To have printed these items would have cost me friends and money. . . . Stories which would cost me friends and money would in a short time put me out of business."

Thus wrote Publisher Robert E. Harlow of the Pinehurst, N.C. Outlook (circ. 1,250) in the weekly trade journal Publishers' Auxiliary (reprinted from Coronet). Up & down the land, country weekly reporter-editor-publishers took time off to search their souls and tell Pinehurst's Harlow where he got off, or on, as the case might be.

P: Publisher Woods Peters of the Concord, Calif. Transcript (circ. 1,134): "The guy is nuts. ... No matter what you do, you cannot please everyone. Therefore, we don't try to please anyone. . . . When people need kicking in the pants, they get it."

P: Publisher Roy A. Williams of the Aspen, Colo. Times (circ. 556): "I agree with the article. . . . The country newspaper is a business, a merchandising business, and anybody who thinks it is anything else is getting ready to lose some money. Tact is the word. ..."

P: Publisher Fred W. Gunstead of the Pilot Point, Tex. Post-Signal (circ. 850): "I have always felt that I had a perfect right to print the unvarnished truth about my fellow citizens. Of course, I haven't exercised that privilege yet, but I guess a fellow has a right to starve if he wants to."

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