Glass L&m& Book ."R+ PRESENTED BY NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY for the PUBLIC SCHOOLS ROLLO GEORGE REYNOLDS Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Philosophy Columbia University NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BY ROLLO GEORGE REYNOLDS, Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Philosophy Columbia University NEW YORK, N. Y. 1922 Copyright, 1922 by Rollo George Reynolds All Rights Reserved ^4- Gifx Ivsrsi SMS 2} I92« CAPITAL CITY PRESS, MONTPELtER, VT. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Newspaper editors and school superintendents furnished the facts which have made this study possible. Dr. N. L. Engelhardt, Dr. Milo B. Hillegas, Dr. E. S. Evenden and Dr. George D. Strayer of the Teachers College Faculty have brought to this study wise counsel and careful criticism. I realize the debt I owe to the many who have contributed. I wish to express my gratitude to them all. R. G. R. CONTENTS Page CHAPTER I. THE SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF THE STUDY 9 CHAPTER II. THE AMOUNT AND CHARACTER OF SCHOOL NEWS FOUND IN THE DAILY NEWSPAPER 15 General Statement of Conclusions 1 S The Material Collected and Method Used 1 S Detailed Facts and Conclusions 17 CHAPTER III. SCHOOL NEWS FROM THE EDITOR'S VIEWPOINT 25 General Statement of Conclusions 2 S The Material Collected and Method Used 26 Detailed Facts and Conclusions -7 CHAPTER IV. SCHOOL NEWS FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT'S VIEWPOINT.. . 43 General Statement of Conclusions 43 Material Collected and Method Used 44 Detailed Facts and Conclusions 45 CHAPTER V. SCHOOL NEWS FROM THE NEWSPAPER READER'S VIEWPOINT 77 General Statement of Conclusions 77 Material Collected and Method Used 77 A Scale of Newspaper Articles 79 CHAPTER VI. A PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL INFORMATION SERVICE IN THE DAILY NEWSPAPER 96 Two Kinds of Publicity 96 The Organization 96 The Financing of School News Service 99 The Collection of School News 99 The Delivery of School News I0 3 Relations with the Newspaper Organization 103 What School News Shall Be Presented? 107 Conclusion ll 9 APPENDIX A. List of Newspapers from which the Counts and Measurements were secured 120 APPENDIX B. List of Daily Newspapers Cooperating in this Study 121 APPENDIX C. List of Cities in which the Superintendents of Public Schools Cooperated in this Study i 2 3 ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page i A Scale of Newspaper Articles ' 79 2 Newspaper Article G 83 3 Newspaper Article F 84 4 Newspaper Article 1 85 5 Newspaper Article B 86 6 Newspaper Article C 87 7 Newspaper Article H 88 8 Newspaper Article E 89 • 9 Newspaper Article J 90 10 Newspaper Article A 91 1 1 Newspaper Article D 92 12 A Special Purpose Display Advertisement 98 13 A School Page Dealing with One Subject 100 14 The School Column 102 15 Special Continuous Campaign Publicity 104 16 Departments Contributed by School Children 106 17 The Sunday Magazine — An Opportunity 108 18 School News in the Rotogravure Section 110 19 School News in the Special "Column" 112 20 Cartoons Adapted to School Publicity 114 21 Charts and Graphs in the Newspaper 116 22 Public School Display Advertisements 118 23 School News of Front Page Importance 11 24 A School Page Dealing with Various Activities 14 25 School Matters Discussed in the Editorial Column 24 26 A High School Number of a Daily Newspaper 42 27 Special Feature Articles 76 . 28 Sample School Page 95 Form 1 Tabulating Sheet for the Number Count 20 2 Tabulating Sheet for Column-inch Measurement 22 3 Question Sheet Sent to Newspaper Editors 37 4 Question Sheet Sent to Superintendents of Schools 62-65 5 Broadside Containing Ten Newspaper Articles 82 TABLES Table Page I A Number Count of School News in the Daily Newspaper 21 II School News Compared with Other Types of News 23 III How Newspapers Collect School News 38 IV Types of School News Found in Daily Newspapers 39 V The Proper Position of School News in the Newspaper 40 VI The Value of Illustrations to School News 40 VII The Value of Charts and Graphs to School News 41 VIII The Demand for School News by Daily Newspapers 41 IX Financing Public School Information Service 66 X Percent of Budget for Public School Information Service 66 XI Organization of School Information Service 66 XII How Public School Systems Collect School News 67 XIII The Centralized Editing and Approving of School News 68 XIV How School News is Edited and Approved 69 XV Relation of School System with Newspapers 7° XVI Newspapers Having an Educational Editor 7 1 XVII Departments in Newspapers Devoted to School News 7 2 XVIII The Attitude of Newspapers toward School Systems 73 XIX Editorial Discussion of School Matters 73 XX Continuous Campaigns Carried on in the Newspapers 74 XXI The Best Edition for Carrying School News 75 XXII Median Ranking Given to Ten Newspaper Articles 93 XXIII The Number of "Better" Judgments in Ranking Ten Articles 93 XXIV The Number of "Better" Judgments Reduced to Percents 94 XXV The Differences Between Ten Newspaper Articles in Terms of the Unit of the Scale. 94 CHAPTER I THE SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF THE STUDY NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS The daily newspaper is one of the means of informing the public about the public schools. A large number of articles have been written on this subject but they have all been general in content and based merely upon opinion. One study on the subject 1 includes an opinion of the value of the daily newspaper for carrying school news as collected from in superintendents of schools; another 2 includes a classification and analysis of educational news found in a single newspaper over a period of one year. The purpose of the following study is to present a body of fact relative to the use of the daily newspaper for carrying school news throughout the United States and to draw such conclusions as seem warranted. The scope of the inquiry is indicated by the following headings : The Amount and Character of School News Found in the Daily Newspaper. School News From the Editor's Viewpoint. School News From the Superintendent's Viewpoint. School News From the Reader's Viewpoint. A Program for School Information Service. THE AMOUNT AND CHARACTER OF SCHOOL NEWS FOUND IN THE DAILY NEWSPAPER To furnish the facts for this part of the study, 25 cities were chosen at random, representing various sections of the country. They were selected from the following population groups: Group I. Cities, 100,000 in population and over. Group II. Cities, 30,000 to 100,000 in population. Group III. Cities, less than 30,000 in population. These cities were distributed over seventeen states, representing five of the geographical divisions of the country. In each city the largest daily newspaper was subscribed to for a period of three •Neale, Mervin G. — School Reports in American Cities, p. 60. 'Garlin, R. E. and Pittenger, E. F. — Educational Publicity in Daily Newspapers. School Board Journal, December 1921; p. 41. 10 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS months — January, February, and March. The "size" of the news- Scope and paper was determined on the basis of the circulation figures in Ayer's Purpose of American Newspaper Annual and Directory for 1921. A number the Study. count was then made of the news articles dealing with local public school matters. In addition, a column-inch measurement was made of the school news found in six of the above newspapers, two from each of the population groups mentioned. It is believed that the newspapers studied represent a fair sampling of school news in the daily paper. The facts thus collected, analyzed, and tabulated, are presented as evidence of the amount and character of school news found in the daily paper. SCHOOL NEWS FROM THE EDITOR'S VIEWPOINT School news is of two kinds; that which is secured and pub- lished independently of school systems, and that which is prepared especially for the newspaper by school systems. In either case it must be passed upon by the newspaper organization. It is therefore necessary to study the practice and opinion of newspaper editors in connection with school news. To secure this information, a question sheet was sent to 200 editors of representative newspapers. Replies were received from 98 editors in cities representing each of the popu- lation groups and located in 40 different states. This point of view is most important to those who are responsible for educational pub- licity. The facts collected from these question sheets will be set forth as representing the practice and viewpoint of newspaper organi- zations relative to school news in the daily paper. SCHOOL NEWS FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS Information for newspaper publication is often collected and prepared within the school system itself. Therefore, the policies, prac- tices, and opinions of school superintendents relative to the publicity activities of school systems have an important place in this study. A question sheet was sent to 500 superintendents of representative school systems. Replies were received from 250 superintendents in cities representing each of the population groups and located in 45 different states. The facts collected from these question sheets will be set forth as representing the practice and viewpoint of superin- tendents of schools in relation to the collection, preparation, and pub- TUCSON MUST HAVE MODERN HIGH SCHOOL OR LOSE HER RANK AMONG INSTITUTIONS qr nrc c in j||ctc : cooperation of cattlemen [ENROLLMENT GROWS TOPOINT THAT ?nr nrrr T n .,1 AND PACKERS URGED AS ATWUALU^gggg ^ mm £ JO FUNCTION HIEJEFEIIIEDJ1 cms «««, » opHf N 7 Wed space now provided BITTER DEBUTE IN STATE SENATE BOARD AND COUNCIL AGREE ON $300 ,000 SCHOOL BOND ISSUE THE DAILY REPORTER Published in the Interest of the City of White Plains '°«*'S CONDITIONS AMONG HIGH SCHOOL BOYS AND GIRLS DISCUSSED AT BIG MEETING OF PAREN TS-TEACHERS Principal Houseman's Talk on "Social Activities in High School," During Wliich He Condemned Fra- ternities, Saying They Are Detriment to School, Followed by Heated Debate Regarding A lleged Hap- penings at Dances of Younger Folk; Critics and Defenders Both Are Heard: Principal Stands by Ma- jority of Students; Meeting Votes Confidence in Faculty. ALLEGED LAXITY OF MORALS ON THE PART OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF THE CITY, WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION PAD) iTO TJJJB BMg AND GIRLS OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, WAS THE CHIEF TOPIC OF DISCUSSION AT L\ST NIGHT'S MEETING 01 I II F. P Mil- N I -1 I AC ERs ASSOCIATION OF THE HIGH SCHOOL. PRINCIPAL HOUSEMAN. INVITED TO THE MEETING TO GIVE AN ADDRESS ON ACTIVITIES IN THE s( I < OU CONDEMNED FRATERNI- TIES, SAYING THEY NEITHER Mil: good FOR THE SCHOOL, NOR ARE THEY THEY DEMOCRATIC. THE ONLY REASON HE I DOES NOT _PULL THEM UP B\ THE ROOTS AND BANISH THEM FROM THE SCHOOL ALTOGETHER IS THAT HE IS AFRAID IT WOULD BETOO DHAS'IK \ MEASURE. THE DANCES HELD BY THE HIGH SCHOOL UNDERGRADUATES CAME IN FOR MOST OF THE DISCUSSION. THE "FRATS" BEING INCLUDED HERE .ALSO AS THE LARGER DANCES ARE UNDER FRATERNITY AUSPICES. STORIES OF ALLEGED DRUNKENNESS OF THE PART OK AT LEAST ONE FRATERMT\ MEMBEIt, DEMEI. ON THE FLOOR BY A MEMBER OF THAT FRATERNITY'. OF THE LATE HOURS KEPT BY THE YOUNG BOYS AND GIRLS OF THE SCHOOL WHILE AT THESE DANCES, OF AT LEAST ONE ANONYMOUS LETTER REGARDING ALLEGED ( liNDH IONS. ITS REFUTAI ION. AND A HOST OF OTHER TOPICS WENT _TO MAKE UP ONE OF THE MOST HEATED MEETINGS OF THE KIND EVER HELD IN' WHITE PLAINS. IT WAS BROUGHT OI T. AS STATED IN THE REPORTER YESTERDAY BY SECRETARY REDDING OF THE Y. M. C. A., THAT THERE IS A TENDENCY ON THE PART OF PEOI".-'. GEN I li LL1 TO JSE ' HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS" AS A STANDARD EXPRESSION TO SPEAK OF THE YOUNGER GIRLS OF THE CITY. WHICH STORY. BY THE U O , \ -AS TAKEN BY SOME AT THE MELTING AS A REFLECTION ON THE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS AND GIRLS. PRINCIPAL HOUSEMAN DEFENDED THE GREAT MAJORITY OF HIS PUPILS, SAY- INC. ALSO THAT SOME OF THE BF.S f MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BELONG TO THE FRATERNITIES. OTHERS DEFENDED TIE Y OUNG PEOPLE FROM THE CRITICISM THAT WAS OFFERED. THE MEETING SEEMED TO BE DEALING A GREAT DEAL IN GENERALITIES. MOUNTAINS BEING BO LDED UP ; OR AN EFFORT BEING MADE TO BUILD THEM OUT OF MOLEHILLS. THE WHOLE STUDENT BODY CRITICISED BECAUSE Or THE ALLEGED ACTION OF ONE MEMBER OF THAT BODY. AFTER THE DISCUSSION DAD ENDED THE ASSOCIATION TENDERED A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE TO THE HIGH SCHOOL FACUL- TY. NO VOTE WASTAKEN ON THE CONFIDENCE IN THE UNDERGRADUATES . Aubcialed Prist News Is the Most Reliable News the World *A I \ fl te* 1 li Exclusive Associated Press I /£- ; . I ▼ 1 im W --: ; "'--V BANDITS ROB OHIO TREASURER .^-i^.:-i-!":--:-:-V' M t frOMM 8»0 tO» »»»»t»»00» $1,000,000 FOR NEW SCHOOLS SCHOOL NEWS OF FRONT PAGE IMPORTANCE 12 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Scope and lishing of school news in the daily newspaper. It is of interest to Purpose of note, in the case of both editors and superintendents, that a large per the Study. cent, approximately 50% took pains to fill out the question sheets. SCHOOL NEWS FROM THE NEWSPAPER READER'S VIEWPOINT The "consumer" of school news, the newspaper reading public, is after all the final judge of school news in the daily news- paper. The purpose of all school news is that it shall be read. To complete the study, therefore, an indication of the viewpoint of the newspaper reader is presented. Through a statistical process of se- lection, 10 newspaper articles, each having to do with the health of school children, were chosen for the judgment of newspaper readers. These articles were reproduced on a broadside. The readers were asked to rank them, beginning with that article which gave the great- est interest in the health of school children and ending with that which gave the least interest. Judgments were received from 369 individuals, 128 women and 241 men, representing 8 occupational groups and residing in 35 different states. In addition, the judg- ments of 34 expert women advertisers holding important advertising positions in the city of New York were secured. From these judg- ments, a scale of the articles has been constructed and is presented as an indication of the relative value which the newspaper reader gives to certain school news articles in the daily newspaper. A PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL NEWS SERVICE IN THE DAILY PAPER The last chapter of the study consists of two parts. First, the presentation of various types of school publicity as clipped from a large number of newspapers and contributed by superintendents of schools; these are presented for the purpose of serving as examples to school organizations desiring to inform the public through the daily newspaper. Second, suggestions for an organized school news service program in the daily newspaper. HOW THE FACTS WILL BE PRESENTED Each chapter will have the following organization: First, a general statement of the conclusions drawn from the material pre- sented in the entire chapter; this will be presented first for the benefit of those who do not care to go into the details. Second, a discussion of the material collected and the methods used in preparing it for presentation. Third, the specific conclusions drawn NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 13 from each sub-topic taken up in each chapter. Fourth, the tabula- Scope and tion of the facts upon which the conclusions, both general and Purpose of specific, are based. the Study - THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The public schools of America belong to the American people and are supported by them. Their interest and support will depend to a large extent upon the information which they possess as to the activities and needs of the public schools. If this study brings to the administrators of American school systems and to the editors of American daily newspapers a conception of the importance of the daily press to the public schools and the conditions which control the use of the newspaper as a means of giving school information to the public, it will have served its purpose. TIjEWICHlTA'J.iGLK, SUNDAY MOJtKWG. FEBM1ARY 20, 1S1I See} ng Wichi ta's Schools In Stories and Pict ares DECORATION OF INTERIORS FOR' WICHITA PUPILS rzz-xzzxz- ;.;:.;( WICHITA PUPILS GET EXPERIENCE AS JOURNALISTS tf££iSSrz ssr"~*" '^^j A.H.ANiH)UNCEDifSS Mexican Pupils In Wichita Are '!-.,_ _ ^^ „, . ^ Thirty Sera lolcrrowiiaLi Eager To Be Catfea Americans Pupll 4^^ e sJ^ far WRITING LETTERS 5 F«-ifp t Tlier A« Fro 3 And Want Playmate* FORMARTCLUB :NEGATMW1S ATHKHSCHOOL WH.S.DEBATE R LOWELL SCHOQV^ S PLAYGROUftD5 Jadiei Rale Court.! jH^pl" UNIQUE MAKE-UPS —^ !RK ANNUAL-XOPVIS ALMOSTPREPARED OF TAR AND FEATHERS Id .Your Purse, Under the Mattress, Under Chair Uphol- stery, orSAF&ina Savings Bank? jjr™SiS™..»w..»»--p u t Your-Money WHerevs?-'.'"^"" ^Z,^\ti7,^^, You Know .It's Safe ffiiH^«" Let the- Kg Fourth Keep It For You nit . No 1ar«a' »um » required to etart > Sitinri Account at the Fourth National Bank | There ir M> "red tape" L^mnaetod with tL Once 700 begin Ihit u-»-4»OCDt>-t^l^00 HCN-* MW« i-ii-ltN (NOJOlOJt^lM^COr-l :~ a 8 s ■*05tDONH-*OCO ^> OS fsjl O^iOOOCONOiOO ONOOONOHO c 2 a - § qj a> -3 a> a> =5 — ^ S * =3 =3 C«Ot~0CCS a M m .2 c°i - 3 © ° „ 3 "S a O Ph ^ © ^o . iraCNfOJ^COOOiOlOOSlO lO^IN lO IN CO ■* CO CO IN ccot-^eMcMweooocoto t^»-*iQ©(Nt~00Ci <*W(DCC*NiOlOiO«m ...•CPCiHl^.(N CO— ii-.rilNCN-H/'CM'-'lNCM HOHOCIOOOHOM ■*OMH(N ■H^^CO CO NNIO* 00 TJ-00CO00WD co oo tic aiaJbC^^ aoo p 3 oocuo .CCC^ g J2 _C W ^ .g c§ "£"£"£ fc-8>t!"S £ "£ t«o OOOW^OOOjOOoJ ©HCMCO'H*»O-H •* IO CD OS "0 00 CD ir?t^ ic 00 ©COCN ~00 i-H r-l CO —I i-l 0>-h OO O ©t~T)< oh cor- CO *C CO 3 3 „ V o3 c3.S co co ~3 : ■-1 CN COrfin IN IN CN CN CM a© © S 3© _o j 3 o«>S© o a .to 0-0 b »na Saturday night an. of aU net., dispatches credited to It or not otherwise credited in this B«t» a- whisker in the final and also the local news published herein. B 3 I ! — — the Marlon five. 1 nly lost first hono >t the championship „ Q UR CHILDREN SUPPORT THE HIGH SCHOOL ,„ Wnlte Plain. Daily Record and White Plains Dally Arj CUPT. C. T. ROSE of the Tucson schools, in today's Citi- „ u , Official city and County Newspaper zen, states definitely just what his views are as to the con-"' 11 struction and uses of the proposed new high school for Tucson. co In promising the readers of The Citizen on Thursday that such a statement would be submitted to them today, thiough The Citizen by Mr. Rose, we said: "Wc prophesy Ills state of mind in advance of Sun- day far enough to assort that we expect it to be such n MUST NOT LO THEIR HER1L! Published Every Business Day By — THE — White Plains Publishing Co. (INCORPORATED) Marlon Bldg., 148-150-152 Martlne Ave. Telephon Entered as second-class matter May 9, 1918, at the F Office at White Plains, N. Y n under the Act of March 3, 1879. N c MAH, SOBSCBIPTIOM BATM- Erenln. Wwi 1 SCHOOLMASTERS AND ASHMEN The council has lost no time in tak lug full advantage of the decision ol the Court of Appeals in the Buffalo $ a not school case It went so far at yes- lhttc neeting, when the budget was adopted, as to fix the salaries of employes of the department of edu- cation, lhi» despite the objection of Commissioner Craves. I Salary increases were proposed fo tc.eral worker? in the public srhoQ tn recognition of long and faithfi' service The high ground of th . commissioners' endeavor was pel]. Wich ita Daily Eagle |:: Ajgojnjr to be spent TO SPEAK WELL. Educational devices, like almost j everything else, are a matter ofj development. They do not come into being full-grown; nor do they| attain a state of perfection over- 1 night There are devices that can be rejected at once because they meet the demands, and others which with a little TO CONSIDERATION Oi omy can or will jnst drastic curtailment of t ioo&l appropriations being upon the state Legislators. THE SCHOOLS RE-I kins' inrs a plea for vigorous and d< al Instruction in the school. 3 of right and wrong, says the cor- tnndent, should be brought home as a,;™"rr«1u.^"hich"r.'and girls of White Plains receiving their- educa- i principle, chalk downright maxima tion in a haphazard sort of .way, due to the fact ttat blackboard for memorliing, and -j — a. *j - - -«- "- '-- - ■ ""** hen children rome forward with honest QJJ^ SCHOOL EXPENSES LAST! ,„. ma meet thorn openly C regarded as moralistic i d m the siMiflcation of our morn - retreilcDment program advocated before the l>uritang may have heen dour ■ Fi nish i t The Roosevelt Intermediate .school, largest and handsomest of Wichita's public school buildings, is about half finished, and work unon it has been abaodoned fc T-be bulidtuE Is Mql« state House yesterday by Speaker E. H. Gule— :r bnt demands that this I retrenchment shall not be at . the expense of the school children of Washington. ) Cut, by all means, and in every possible direction! I The public demands vigorous action. The noces- I si ties of the taxpayers of Washington command It. As Mr Quie significantly declared: "If this Re- publican Legislature falls to curb the useless increas- ing slate Indebtedness and the consequent tax burden, it would be well had we never convened.'* There Is only one inference to ho drawn from h«o Intelle T.HE chief defect • excess of instruc in in, but we do no' . may take them or leave • ■they .are useless in the >**■ SCHOOL MATTERS DISCUSSED IN THE EDITORIAL COLUMN CHAPTER III SCHOOL NEWS FROM THE EDITOR'S VIEWPOINT GENERAL STATEMENTS From a study of the material contained in Chapter III, the fol- lowing conclusions have been drawn. School items have real news value to the daily press. School systems are cooperating to some extent with newspapers in the collection of school news. A large amount of school news is being collected by newspapers independently of the school organization. To a considerable extent, school reporters are furnishing school news to the newspapers. The type of school news published in the daily newspaper is to some extent determined by the size of the city. School pages and school columns are not common types of school news. Special feature ^articles, high school notes, elementary school notes, and Parent-Teacher Association notes are the most common types of school news. Public school athletic news is given undue emphasis in the daily press. The best type of school news is that which has news value in itself. School news should not in general be placed in departments. It should take "the run of the paper" and compete with other news for position. In general, newspaper editors do not approve of charts and graphs in school news. The use of illustrations in connection with school news is influ- enced in large newspapers by the amount of space available, and in small newspapers by the expense entailed. Newspaper editors evidently desire the cooperation of school officials in the publication of school news. They believe in it and are willing to print more school news of the right sort. In general, school people have not learned the technique of news- paper writing. They do not recognize the elements which make for news interest. Their writing style is not suited to the newspaper. They do not know how to prepare copy properly. They do not col- 26 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS lect news systematically nor deliver it promptly. There is a very definite body of rules and suggestions for the proper preparation of newspaper copy. The person responsible for preparing school news for the daily newspaper should adopt a friendly, cooperative, working basis with the newspaper organization. He should make himself familiar with the style and practices of the particular newspaper for which he is writing. He should perfect himself in the elements of news prepara- tion as listed in the paragraph above. Newspaper editors in general are without question interested in school news. They are sympathetic toward public school systems. They are willing to meet the school people more than half way in putting before the public information relative to the public schools. The general summary and conclusions given above are based on the information submitted by 98 editors representing 40 different states. MATERIAL COLLECTED AND METHOD USED H ow t h e A question sheet was sent out to the editors of 200 daily news- Editor's papers. These newspapers represented every state in the Union, and Viewpoint were proportionately distributed among the three population groups Was Secured. mentioned in the previous chapter. Replies were received from 98 editors, approximately 50%. The editors replying were located in 40 different states, and fairly represent all three population groups. A list of the newspapers cooperating is given in the Appendix, Table B. A large number of personal letters was received in connection with the returned question sheets. In practically every case the in- formation given was signed by the editor himself. A conscientious attempt has been made to report the opinions of the editors exactly as they were given. Wherever possible, their very words have been quoted. The cooperation and keen interest which the editors of these representative newspapers have shown in the subject of the study, have made it possible to present an authori- tative body of fact and opinion, representing the thought of those who are responsible for the conduct of the daily paper. The question sheet sent to the editors is reproduced as Form 3, page 37. From it the exact wording of the questions can be determined. Note: All tables are numbered or lettered in such a way as to refer to that portion of the question sheet upon which they are based. For example, in Table III, the Roman numeral I at the left side of the table and the Arabic numerals 1-2-3-4-5-6, at the head of the columns, indicate that this table is based on the Question Sheet sent to the Editors, questions I, 1, 2,8,4 5, 6. This method of designation will enable the reader, in the case of all tables, to identify the exact words in which the information tabulated was requested. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 27 DETAILED FACTS AND CONCLUSIONS Specific Conclusions Based on the Reports of 98 Editors I. The most common method used by newspapers in collect- How Newspapers ing school news is the assigning of a reporter to cover Collect the school system. Table III, page 38 shows that School News. 39% of the newspapers use this service daily, and that 19% use it irregularly. A larger percentage of news- papers in Group II use this method. 2. The second common method used by newspapers in col- lecting school news is the employing of paid student reporters. Table III shows that 17% of the news- papers use this service daily and that 32% use it ir- regularly or at intervals which were not specified. It is used most commonly by newspapers in cities of Group II. 3. The superintendent of schools is the third most important source of school news to the newspapers. Table III shows that 49% of the newspapers are furnished news by the superintendent of schools. In most cases this news is furnished irregularly. Newspapers in cities of Groups II and III more commonly receive news from the superintendent than those in cities of Group I. 4. Paid teacher reporters are very little used by newspapers. Table III shows that only 2% of the newspapers use this service. 5. Few newspapers employ an educational editor. Table III shows that only 10% of all newspapers employ one. Most educational editors are found with newspapers in cities of Group I. 6. About half of all newspapers receive news from individual schools. Table III shows that 46% of the newspapers reporting get school news from this source. Practi- cally all of it is furnished irregularly. 7. In most cases the newspaper depends upon definite re- porters and paid student reporters for daily news ser- vice. Table III shows that only 3% of the newspapers get school news daily from the superintendent. 8. Newspapers evidently do not believe in collecting school news weekly or monthly. Table III plainly indicates this fact. 28 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 9. Newspapers collect a large part of their school news irreg- ularly. Table III shows that 19% of the newspapers assign reporters to school news irregularly and that 31% of the newspapers get school news from the super- intendent irregularly. The figures in Table III under the heading "Service Unspecified" should probably be included under "Irregularly". 10. About one half of the school systems are making little or no effort to furnish school news to the newspaper. Table III shows that 45% of the superintendents and that 46% of the individual schools furnish no school news to the newspaper. 11. The size of the city evidently has little effect upon the method of collecting school news, with the following exceptions: Newspapers in cities of Group I use the least number of student reporters. Newspapers in cities of Group I employ most of the educational editors. Specific Conclusions Based on the Reports of 98 Editors The Types I. The school page is not a common type of school news. 0} School News Table IV, page 39 shows that only 12% of the news- Found in Daily papers use this type. Newspapers in cities of Group I Newspapers. use it most commonly. 2. The school column is not a common type of school news. Table IV shows that only 14% of the newspapers pub- lish this type. The daily publication of the school col- umn is most common in newspapers of cities in Group I. It is published in only 4% of all newspapers. 3. Special feature articles are used by about one half of the newspapers as a type of school news. This type is reported about equally often by newspapers in cities of all three groups. The most common practice is to pub- lish these articles irregularly. 4. More newspapers report the use of high school notes than any other type of school news. Table IV shows that 70% of all newspapers publish this type of school news. The most common practice is to publish it daily or ir- regularly. Newspapers in cities of Group II lead in the daily publication of school notes. Newspapers in cities of Group III lead in the irregular publication of school notes. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 29 5. Elementary school notes are reported by about one half of the newspapers as a type of school news used. Table IV shows that the largest percentage of all newspapers publish this type irregularly. Newspapers in cities of Group II lead in the daily publication of elementary school notes. Newspapers in cities of Group III lead in the irregular publication of elementary school notes. 6. Public school athletic news is featured as a department by about one half of the newspapers. Table IV shows that newspapers in cities of the three groups vary little in the number of times which they report this type used 7. Parent-Teacher Association notes are used by about one half of the newspapers as a type of school news. Table IV shows that newspapers in cities of the three groups vary little in the number of times they report this type of school news. The most common practice is to publish Parent- Teacher Association notes daily or irregularly. 8. On the whole school news appears in the daily newspaper either daily or irregularly. Table IV shows that very little school news is published weekly with the excep- tion of the school page and high school notes, that prac- tically no school news is published monthly, and that there is practically an equal division between daily pub- lications and publication irregularly. Specific Conclusions Based on the Reports of 98 Editors 1. The proper position of school news in the daily newspaper The Proper is wherever its news value warrants. In newspaper Position of parlance, it should take "the run of the paper". School News in the Daily 2. In the opinion of newspaper editors, departments in the ^ ews p a p er _ daily newspaper are undesirable and are fast going out of use. From the replies received in answer to the question "What is the proper position of school news in the daily newspaper?" there is no doubt but that the majority of newspaper editors are unfavorable to special departments. Their arguments against such special de- partments are these: They are expensive to maintain; they in- terfere with the make up of the paper; and, last, they are not effective. So far as school news is concerned, the editors expressed the opinion that no one reads a school department in the newspaper unless he is already interested in the schools. As one editor expressed it: "You don't want to fish for those that you've already hooked". 30 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS The Value of Illustrations to School News in the Daily Newspaper. The editors were nearly unanimous in the opinion that school news should compete with all other news for space and position. If it is of first page news value, then it should go on the first page. On the other hand, to quote again, "If it is of no value, as is so often the case, it should go into the waste basket". The position of school news is presented in Table V, page 40. Specific Conclusions Based on the Reports of 98 Editors 1. Many editors believe that illustrations are of no value to school news. About one third ot the editors of news- papers in cities of Groups I and II and about onehalf of the editors in Group III assign no value to illustrations. 2. The item of expense enters into the matter of illustrations. From the letters received it is evident that in the smaller cities of Group III the item of expense influences the opinion expressed as to the value of illustrations. 3. Some editors are of the opinion that the school system should furnish the cuts for illustrations. 4. The editors frequently stated that illustrations of persons or of action are much more valuable than illustrations of buildings, grounds, etc. 5. Probably the keen competition for space in large newspapers, and the item of expense in small newspapers, influence the prevailing opinion as shown in Table VI, page 40 that illustrations are of little or no value to school news in the daily newspaper. Specific Conclusions Based on the Reports of Editors The Value I. In general, newspaper editors do not believe that charts of Charts and and graphs are of much value to school news in the daily Graphs to newspaper. Table VII, page 41 shows that editors of School News newspapers in cities of the three groups agree very in the Daily closely in this opinion. About 5% of the editors char- Newspaper. acterize charts and graphs as actually harmful to school news. Approximately 70% assign to them little or no value. About one-fourth of the editors consider that they have some value. 2. In letters received from the editors, the opinion was ex- pressed that charts and graphs are adapted to specially trained readers, but that the average reader pays no attention to them. This opinion may be due to the NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 31 kind of charts and graphs which have been submitted to newspapers. If, however, simple charts or graphs which contain the elements of the picture in them were used, perhaps they would appeal to the general newspaper reading public. The average newspaper ed- itor has probably had little experience with this type of graphic representation. His very definite opinion, therefore, may be biased. Specific Conclusions Based on the Report of 98 Editors 1. Newspapers would use more school news if it were furnished The Demand to them properly prepared. Table VIII, page 41 for School News shows that 77% of the newspaper editors definitely by Daily stated that they would use more news of this sort. Newspapers. Only 6% submitted no answer. 2. Newspapers in cities of Groups II and III are evidently more desirous of school news than those in cities of Group I. This is plainly indicated in Table VIII. No doubt the stronger competition for space in newspapers of the larger cities causes less demand for school news. 3. In many of their letters, editors expressed regret that school systems were not cooperating with newspapers in fur- nishing school news to the public. 4. The majority of editors expressed their belief in the news value of school matters and in the desire of the news- paper reading public to get this kind of news. 5. Many editors expressed the opinion that only by intelli- gently informing the public of school matters through the daily press can school officials hope to get proper financial support for the public schools. On the question sheet sent to the editors, they were asked, first, The Preparation to list some of the common faults of news copy furnished by school of School News people, and, secondly, to state five or six rules or suggestions which for the Daily will be of benefit to school people in preparing news for the press. Newspaper. The large number of replies received in answer to these questions, indicates the interest which the editors took in the study, and their willingness to assist in the problem of preparing school news for pub- lication. The replies to both questions were carefully noted and classified together under certain main headings. As far as possible, the exact words of the editors have been quoted. This compilation needs no comment except to emphasize the fact that, coming from a large number ofrepresentative newspaper editors, it presents to the 32 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS school administrator a body of rules and suggestions which will be of great value in the preparation of school news for the daily newspaper. The experience and newspaper practice which lie behind these rules and suggestions give to them unusual weight. RULES AND SUGGESTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF SCHOOL NEWS IN DAILY NEWSPAPERS From the Reports of 98 Newspaper Editors III-2 Rules for l% SUBJECT MATTER. Preparing School News. ( a ) "Write news, not propaganda — news is something hap- pening, an event of some sort, not an argument to prove or disprove some theory or proposition." "Give information rather than advice or instruction." (b) Be accurate, truthful, meticulously exact as to facts, names, and details. (c) Write news for the public and not for the purpose of per- sonal exploitation. (d) Names have great news value. "A story about an individual is always better than group facts." (e) "Eliminate favoritism and personalities in preparing articles." (f) "Eliminate inconsequential details, trivial happenings, commonplaces in general." "Don't overemphasize nonessentials." (g) "Run in a humorous phrase when it doesn't hurt anybody and when it does not spoil the text." (h) "Make the story appeal to the average reader — more human stuff." (i) "News should be written from the standpoint of the public, not from the standpoint of the school." (j) "In general avoid submitting the achievements of pre- cocious children unless the newspaper invites such contributions. Remember that every parent im- agines his child to be a marvel." (k) "Give the news about exceptional pupils, the latest ex- periments in education, and the like." NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 33 2. NEWSPAPER STYLE. (a) "Study the style of the newspaper and follow it." Rules for "Make every contribution interesting by employing Preparing newspaper rather than literary diction." School News. "Write news, not literature." (b) "Use news style as distinct from editorial style." "Avoid the expression of opinion — merely recite what happened without interpreting what it means." "Do not usurp editorial prerogatives by calling the attention of the public to school needs. Acquaint the editor with such needs and let him do the cru- sading." "News is not editorial discussion." "Give facts, not opinions." "Get away from the academic." "Get out of the idea of 'we' and 'our'." (c) Use a simple style. "Keep away from the technical and get down to simple terms." "Avoid attempts at 'fine writing'." "Use more American and less English." "Be concise." "Write clearly and to the point." "Use short words instead of long ones." "Avoid the use of too many adjectives." "Use fewer capital letter." "Don't be flamboyant." "The public does not want 'fancy work' in news — just a simple statement of facts." "Do not write in an ornate or didactic style — make it snappy." (d) Be brief. "Make it short." "Make it brief and snappy." "Don't use too many words to say little." "Don't be verbose." (e) "Get the main fact into the first paragraph." "Get the gist of the story into the 'lead' and avoid mis- taken headlines." "Write the story in the first paragraph and let the details follow." "State principal facts first." (f) Avoid repetition. 34 NEWSPAPER PUBL ICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Rules for 3. NEWS SENSE AND NEWS INTEREST Preparing School News. ( a ) "Develop a news sense and a sense for 'human interest' stories." "Learn to spot 'news' when seen or heard." "Learn what live news is and stick to it. The public can't be interested by long drawn out essays." "It is the unusual that makes news." "Realize the value of the news feature article." "In writing news items, feature the unusual." "Stress the strange, the odd, the unusual." "Write about those things only which actually possess the elements of general interest." "Learn to see the 'story' in the news." "Regular routine matters do not interest readers." "Keep the paper informed of all innovations." 4. THE COLLECTION OF SCHOOL NEWS (a) "Establish a publicity department that will act as a clearing house for the school news of the entire system." "Organize publicity within the school system and prevent much school news of interest from being lost." "A press publicity department for schools in every city would be a grand institution." (b) "Assign to one teacher in each school the collection and preparation of school news. Have it turned in to some central office where it will be available daily to the press." "Make somebody in each school responsible for the news of that school." "Have each room appoint a press agent." "Have teachers direct the writing of school news by pu- pils and give them school credits for work produced." "The Board of Education should make it compulsory for some one in each school to send daily to the news- paper or to the superintendent a news digest." (c) "Engage a skilful newspaper photographer to supply pic- tures for school news." (d) Collect news systematically — not hit or miss. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 35 (e) Cooperate with the newspaper organization. Rules for "Remember that the newspaper is willing to cooperate P fe P ann Z but expects cooperation." School News. "Remember that a newspaper must pay its way, and don't expect too much space." "Don't suppress news just because it seems to reflect against the schools. Such action turns cooperation into a scrap between the editor and the school au- thorities for the news." "Keep in close touch with editorjand reporters.]:; They will appreciate being called on the phone and told of anything that looks like news." "Gauge your contribution by the size of the paper and the space allowed other public activities of a local nature." "Welcome representatives of the press, deal with them frankly, and tell them the truth." "Don't be backward about calling the attention of the press to the schools." "Establish cordial relations with the press." "Don't find fault and criticize when the editor finds it necessary to alter or change news." "Keep in mind that newspapers have to be edited in the newspaper office." "When school people acquire a liking for the aroma of printer's ink, school news will cease to be a fizzle and tax payers will stop kicking at school appropriations." "Don't be partial to one newspaper in the community. Use them all alike." 5. THE DELIVERY OF SCHOOL NEWS. (a) Get school news in on time. "Deliver the news promptly." "Give news as far in advance as possible." "Announcements are worth more than reports both to school and newspaper." "Get news in the day it happens if possible. Dailies like fresh stuff." "Don't let news get cold." "Don't let news become ancient history." "News value depends largely upon recency of happen- ing." 36 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Rules j or (b) The use of the phone for transmitting news tends toward Preparing inaccuracy. School News. 6. THE MECHANICS OF SCHOOL NEWS COPY. (a) "Use paper for copy 8| by 6\ with lines running the long way. The size of the linotype keyboard determines this, not the whim of the editor." (b) Use one side of the paper only. (c) Typewrite all copy or write it clearly. "Submit clean copy." (d) Double space or triple space your copy. This is a great benefit to the editor. (e) Don't write the headline. "Leave one third of your title page blank for the use of the newspaper headline writer." "Headline writing is a technical newspaper function." "Don't disgust the editor by writing the headline for him." "Material for a headline should be found in the first paragraph or 'lead' of copy." (f) "If a name is spelled in a peculiar manner, write 'correct' after it." (g) "Use as few capitals as possible." NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 37 FORM 3. QUESTION SHEET SENT TO NEWSPAPER EDITORS IMPORTANT— I have WORKED on This Form to make the ANSWERING OF IT AS LITTLE WORK FOR YOU AS TO YOU. POSSIBLE. IMPORTANT— The answers to these questions should deal ONLY WITH THE SCHOOL NEWS OF YOUR LOCAL PUB- TO ME LIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. NAME OF NEWSPAPER CITY STATE. Yes No Daily Week- ly Month- ly Irregu- larly O o o o O o o o o o O o o o o o O o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o Please Answer By Checking In the Circles. 1. Do you assign DEFINITE REPORTERS to cover LOCAL SCHOOL NEWS? 2. Is there an EDUCATIONAL EDITOR ON THE STAFF of your Paper? 3. Do you employ PAID LOCAL TEACHER REPORTERS to furnish School News? 4. Do you employ PAID LOCAL STUDENT REPORTERS to furnish School News? 5. Does the SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS furnish you PREPARED SCHOOL NEWS TO PUBLISH? 6. Do INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS furnish you PREPARED SCHOOL NEWS FOR PUBLICATION? 7. Would you use MORE SCHOOL NEWS IF IT WERE FURNISHED TO YOU PROPERLY PREPARED? II. Please Check In The Squares The Departments Which Are Found In Your Paper. 1. A SCHOOL PAGE devoted mainly to the News of your LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM? 2. A SCHOOL COLUMN devoted mainly to the News of your LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM? 3. SPECIAL FEATURE NEWS ARTICLE dealing with some phase of the LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM? 4. Space devoted to LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL NOTES or NEWS? 5. Space devoted to LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NOTES or NEWS? A DEPARTMENT devoted SCHOOL ATHLETICS? to LOCAL PUBLIC SPACE DEVOTED to LOCAL PARENT-TEACHER NOTES or NEWS? A PAGE, COLUMN or DEPARTMENT CONTRI- BUTED by the SCHOOL CHILDREN OF THE SYSTEM? Dail] Weekly Monthly Irregularly III. Please answer the following questions ON THE BACK OF THIS SHEET. 1 . List some of the MOST COMMON FAULTS of News Copy as furnished to you by School people. 2. State five or six rules or suggestions which, in your opinion, will be of benefit to School People in preparing School News for the Public Press. 3. Where, in your opinion, is the proper position of School News in your paper? 4. What, in your opinion, is the value of illustrations in Public School Publicity in Newspapers? 5. Do you think that CHARTS and GRAPHS if made SIMPLE help or harm Educational Articles in NEWSPAPERS? SIGNED (NAME) (OFFICIAL POSITION) 38 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TABLE III. HOW DAILY NEWSPAPER ORGANIZATIONS COLLECT SCHOOL NEWS FROM THE REPORTS OF 98 NEWSPAPER EDITORS 1 2 3 4 5 6 Definite Paper Super- Indi- Reporters Has intendent vidual I Cover Educa- Teacher Student Furnishes Schools School tional Reporters Reporters School Furnish News Editor Employed Employed News News % % % % % % Service Rendered Daily Number of Cities Population 25 Over 100,000 40 8 — 8 4 — 32 30,000 to 100,000 50 3 — 31 3 — 41 Less than 30,000 29 2 2 12 2 2 All 98 Cities 39 4 1 17 3 1 Service Rendered Weekly Number of Cities Population 25 Over 100,000 4 — — — — — 32 30,000 to 100,000 3 — — — — 3 41 Less than 30,000 — — — — — 2 All 98 Cities 2 — — — — 2 Service Rendered Monthly Number of Cities Population 25 Over 100,000 — — — — — — 32 30,000 to 100,000 — — — — — — 41 Less than 30,000 — — — — 2 2 All 98 Cities — — — — 1 1 Service Rendered Irregularly Number of Cities Population 25 Over 100,000 16 — — 4 24 28 32 30,000 to 100,000 12 — — 6 38 41 41 Less than 30,000 27 — — 2 30 26 All 98 Cities 19 — — 4 31 32 Service Unspecified Number of Cities Population 25 Over 100,000 8 12 — 20 8 12 32 30,000 to 100,000 13 3 — 25 9 3 41 Less than 30,000 5 5 2 34 22 17 All 98 Cities 8 6 1 28 14 11 Service Rendered Not At All Number of Cities Population 25 Over 100,000 16 64 84 56 52 44 32 30,000 to 100,000 19 94 94 38 47 50 41 Less than 30,000 34 88 86 47 39 43 All 98 Cities 25 84 88 46 45 46 No Answer Given Number of Cities Population 25 Over 100,000 16 16 16 12 12 16 32 30,000 to 100,000 3 — 6 — 3 3 41 Less than 30,000 5 5 10 5 5 5 All 98 Cities 7 6 10 5 6 7 Read the table as follows: Of 25 newspapers in cities over 100,000 in population, 40% assign definite reporters to cover school news daily; 8% have the service of an educational editor daily; etc. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 39 TABLE IV. TYPES OF SCHOOL NEWS FOUND IN DAILY NEWSPAPERS FROM THE REPORTS OF 98 NEWSPAPER EDITORS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Ath- Page or Elem- letic Parent- Column Special High entary De- Teacher Contrib- School School Feature School School part- A ssoci- uted by II Page Column Articles Notes Notes ment ation Children % % % % % % % % Service Rendered Daily Number Cities Population 25 Over 100,000 — 8 8 12 12 16 24 4 32 30,000 to 100,000 — 3 9 47 22 38 38 _ 41 Less than 30,000 — 2 — 20 5 12 12 _ All 98 Cities — 4 5 26 12 22 24 1 Service Rendered Weekly Number Cities Population 25 Over 100,000 20 4 — 12 8 — 8 8 32 30,000 to 100,000 6 — 3 3 3 — — — 41 Less than 30,000 2 7 2 15 — 2 2 2 All 98 Cities 8 4 2 10 3 1 3 3 Service Rendered Monthly Number Cities Population 25 Over 100,000 — — — — — — — — 32 30,000 to 100,000 — — — — — — — — 41 Less than 30,000 — — — — — — 5 — All 98 Cities — — — — — — 2 — Service Rendered Irregularly Number Cities Population 25 Over 100,000 4 — 36 24 16 20 24 — 32 30,000 to 100,000 — 6 41 16 18 — 12 9 41 Less than 30,000 7 9 47 44 36 30 30 2 All 98 Cities 4 6 42 30 26 17 22 4 Service Unspecified Number Cities Population 25 Over 100,000 — — — 4 4 16 4 — 32 30,000 to 100,000 — — — 6 9 32 13 — 41 Less than 30,000 — — — 2 5 5 2 — All 98 Cities — — — 4 6 13 6 — Service Rendered Not At All Number Cities Population 25 Over 100,000 16 16 8 8 4 8 4 12 32 30,000 to 100,000 6 3 — — — — 3 6 41 Less than 30,000 10 7 2 — — 2 — 7 All 98 Cities 10 8 3 2 1 3 2 8 No Answer Given Number Cities Population 25 Over 100,000 60 72 48 40 56 40 36 76 32 30,000 to 100,000 88 88 47 28 47 40 34 85 41 Less than 30,000 81 74 49 19 54 49 49 88 All 98 Cities 78 78 48 28 52 44 41 84 Read the table as follows: Of 25 newspapers in cities of 100,000 and over, 8% publish a school column daily; 8% publish special feature articles daily; etc. 40 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TABLE V. THE PROPER POSITION OF SCHOOL NEWS IN THE DAILY NEWSPAPER FROM THE REPORTS OF 98 NEWSPAPER EDITORS III-3 Run of Paper Fixed Position Regular Department Uncertain No Answer Number of Cities Population % % % % % 25 32 41 Over 10,0000 30,000 to 100,000 Less than 30,000 60 72 34 4 10 4 3 8 4 3 2 28 22 46 All 98 Cities 53 5 5 3 34 Read the table as follows: Of 25 newspaper editors in cities of 100,000 and over, 60% report that the proper position for school news is the "run of the paper"; 4%, that school news should have some fixed position; 4%, that school news should be placed in a regular school department, etc. TABLE VI. THE VALUE OF ILLUSTRATIONS TO SCHOOL NEWS IN THE DAILY NEWSPAPER FROM THE REPORTS OF 98 NEWSPAPER EDITORS III-4 Of Great Value Of Some Value Of Little Value Of No Value Too Expensive Number of Cities Population % % % % % 25 32 41 Over 100,000 30,000 to 100,000 Less than 30,000 28 28 5 36 41 29 4 3 2 32 28 54 10 All 98 Cities 18 35 3 40 4 Read the table as follows : Of 25 newspaper editors in cities of 100,000 population and over, 28% consider illustrations of great value to school news; 36% consider illustrations of some value; etc. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 41 TABLE VII. THE VALUE OF CHARTS AND GRAPHS TO SCHOOL NEWS IN THE DAILY NEWSPAPER FROM THE REPORTS OF 98 NEWSPAPER EDITORS III-5 Of Some Value Of Little Value Of Questionable Value Of No Value Harmful Number of Cities Population % % % % % 25 32 41 Over 100,000 30,000 to 100,000 Less than 30,000 24 25 27 8 6 4 10 7 64 56 56 3 10 All 98 Cities 26 4 7 58 5 Read the table as follows : Of 25 newspaper editors in cities of 100,000 and over, 24% consider charts and graphs of some value to school news; 8% consider charts and graphs of little value; etc. TABLE VIII. THE DEMAND FOR SCHOOL NEWS BY DAILY NEWSPAPERS FROM THE REPORTS OF 98 NEWSPAPER EDITORS 1-7 Yes No Questionable No Answer Number of Cities Population % % % % 25 32 41 Over 100,000 30,000 to 100,000 Less than 30,000 64 81 80 20 13 15 4 2 12 6 2 All 98 Cities 77 15 2 6 Read the table as follows: Of 25 newspaper editors in cities of 100,000 and over, 64% would use more school news if fur- nished to them properly prepared; 20% would not; 4% are not sure; and 12% gave no answer. JSOO Students, the Future headers of Decatur Sunday Morning, January 29, 1922 DEGVTURjRgyiEW DECATUR HIGH SCHOOL NUMBER Rns« / OUR HIGH SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITY nondred o herboyi Uldgt la In the grade* ■re on their high | high Kh PARENTS ««»?« directly nt3vh "tarf Th.Ti In the high he school i.» ntsetpn high school ftudents a looldbo keenly laterwta in*h t the school THE UNIVERSITY OF THE CITY OF DECATUR BUSINESS OF THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS HERE IS THE HIGH SCHOOL OF DECATUR fli!jtniyflwiumifflM« i r i' ?R*ajfc H BH^u^ - ij -' ' efff MRS H 1 Ts S&£mBzi i^^MBwillli'BESaMMBBHi^B^^^BBiMJ^I^^B Yoa are looking into 1,500 faces —the faces of Future Decatur English the Big Department of Decatur High School TO BE SEEN AS WELL AS HEARD. First Home of Hish Teachers Give Lives to School Five Marks of an Educated Man A HIGH SCHOOL NUMBER OF A DAILY NEWSPAPER CHAPTER IV SCHOOL NEWS FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT'S VIEWPOINT GENERAL STATEMENTS From a study of the material contained in Chapter IV, the fol- lowing conclusions have been drawn. Most school systems have effected no organization for educa- tional publicity. Few systems in their annual budgets provide for school public- ity, and on the whole little money is spent for this purpose. The majority of superintendents are not willing to state an opinion relative to the percentage of the school budget which should be set aside for publicity. The percentage recommended varies from 3% of the budget to nothing. In general, superintendents in the smaller cities recommend that a higher percentage of the budget should be spent for publicity than do those in the larger cities. About one fourth of the school systems have some centralized agency for handling school news. The majority of school superintendents furnish school news to the newspapers. About one half of the high school and elementary school principals furnish school news. Individual students and stu- dents in English and journalism classes are furnishing a considerable amount of news to the newspapers. The most common practice is for school systems to furnish news irregularly to the newspapers. Most school news is edited and approved by principals. In about one third of the school systems, the news collected is approved and edited by some central office. Athletic news is almost entirely edited by the athletic coach. Newspapers depend first upon definitely assigned reporters for the securing of school news, second upon superintendents, third upon paid student reporters, and fourth upon individual schools. Evidently a large percentage of school systems have little or no relations with newspapers so far as furnishing school news is con- cerned. A large majority of newspapers are favorable in their attitude toward the public school system. Editors believe in school news, discuss it in their editorial columns, are willing to cooperate with 44 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS school superintendents, and express a willingness to use more school news of the right sort. School systems have carried on a large number of continuous campaigns in the daily papers. The five most commonly reported are, campaigns for buildings, campaigns for teachers' salaries, health campaigns, bond issue campaigns, and night school cam- paigns. There is a definite belief on the part of superintendents that the afternoon and evening edition of the newspaper is the best for carry- ing school news. In general, school superintendents believe that there are valid reasons for expending public funds on school publicity. They rec- ognize the difficulty of being charged with partiality in giving out school news, and in many cases have evolved ways of overcoming this difficulty. They are almost unanimous in the opinion that the attitude of the daily press toward the school system is extremely im- portant, and that the use of the daily press by school administrators should be governed by definite ethical principles. Newspaper organizations do not always handle school news properly. In many cases they lack the school point of view. Their sense of news value often results in emphasis wrongly placed or sen- sational presentation. They are not always careful to present the facts exactly as they exist. They sometimes allow political reasons to color school news. As a general thing, they do not give to news of the public school system the attention and position to which its importance entitles it. MATERIAL COLLECTED AND METHOD USED How the A question sheet was sent to 500 superintendents of schools in Superintendent's cities of each of the three population groups mentioned in previous Viewpoint chapters. The replies from 250, exactly 50% of these superinten- Was Secured. dents, representing 45 states, and distributed proportionately among the three city groups, furnished the material for the tables in this chapter, upon which the conclusions are based. A list of the super- intendents cooperating will be found in Appendix, Table C. Great care has been used in reporting the opinions of the superintendents and, as in the case of the newspaper editors, the exact words have been quoted wherever possible. Most of the information contained in the tables is expressed in percents computed to the nearest whole percent, for purposes of comparison. The cooperation of superin- tendents has made possible the presentation of the facts in this chap- NEWSPAPER PUBL ICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 45 ter. Their interest in the subject of school news is evidenced by their generous responses. The question sheet sent to the superintendents is reproduced as Form 4, page 62 in order that the exact wording of the questions asked may be ascertained. DETAILED FACTS AND CONCLUSIONS Specific Conclusions Based on the Report of 250 Superintendents 1. Few city school systems contain specific provision in their Financing budgets for information or publicity service. Table School IX, page 66 shows that only 8% of all school systems Information make such provision. From the reports received, it Service. is impossible to give any estimate in dollars of this provision. 2. A much larger number of city school systems have funds which can be used for information or publicity service. Table IX shows that 39% of all school systems have such a fund. School systems in cities of Group III lead in this particular with 48%. From the reports received, it is impossible to give a definite measure of the amount used from these funds for publicity, but it can safely be stated that the amount is uniformly small. 3. There is considerable variation in the opinion of super- intendents as to the percentage of the budget which should be spent for school information service. Table X, page 66 shows that this percentage ranges from 3% to 0%. A majority of the superintendents in cities of Group I and Group II gave no answer. Over one half of the superintendents in cities of Group III stated an opinion. Approximately three fourths of the super- intendents giving an opinion believe that some percent- age of the budget should be spent for publicity. One fourth of the superintendents report that in their opinion no part of the budget should be spent for this service. In general, superintendents in cities of Group III recommend a larger proportion of the budget for information service. The detailed reports substantiating conclusions just stated are given in Tables IX and X, page 66. 46 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Specific Conclusions Based on the Reports of 250 Superintendents How School 1. Some city school systems have made provisions for a news Systems service organization. Table XI, page 66 shows that in Collect News 28% of the school systems there is a person responsible for Newspapers. for the collecting and releasing of school news. Table XI also shows that in 12% of the cities there is a news service committee for the entire school system. 2. School systems in the three population groups do not vary much in reference to news service organization. 3. Various means for collecting school news are utilized by city school systems. Table XII, page 67 shows that in 79% of the cities, the superintendents collect school news; in 61%, the high school principals; in 48%, elementary school principals; in 37%, supervisors; in 37%, clerks of the school boards; in 35%, in- dividual students; in 26%, individual teachers; in 24%, English classes; in 13%, journalism classes; and in 5%, news editors. 4. The largest percentage of school systems collect school news irregularly; a second common practice of school systems is to collect news daily; some school systems collect school news weekly, and a negligible percent collect news monthly. It is of interest to note, from Table XII, that about one fourth of the superintendents of schools collect school news daily. It is also signifi- cant to note that in 35% of the school systems indi- vidual students collect news; in 24%, English classes collect news; and in 13%, journalism classes. Most of this student service is rendered either daily or weekly. The detailed reports of superintendents in reference to the or- ganization and collection of school news will be found in Tables XI and XII, pages 66 and 67. Specific Conclusions Based on the Reports of 250 Superintendents 1. In one third of all school systems, school news collected How School News within the system comes to a central office for editing Is Approved and approval before being released. and Edited by School Table XIII, page 68 shows that this practice is most Systems. common in cities of Group III. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 47 2. Most of the editing and approving of school news is done by- school principals. 3. A considerable amount of the editing and approving of school news is done by persons not within the school system. The amount of this editing is indicated in Table XIV, page 69 opposite the heading, "Edited by Others". Through an error in the question sheet, a large part of these "others" consists of superintendents of schools. From the information received, it was not possible to separate the superintendents included in this group. 4. School athletic news is almost entirely edited and approved by athletic coaches. Table XIV shows that this prac- tice is common to cities of each of the three groups. 5. School systems in cities of Group II and Group III make the most provision for the editing and approving of school news by individuals within the system. 6. News of school athletics and high school notes most com- monly receive editing and approval from within the school system. Table XIV shows that 50% of the school systems edit athletic news and that 48% edit high school notes. 7. The editing and approval of school news by student editors and classes is worthy of notice. Table XIV shows that to some extent editorial responsibility rests with stu- dents. The detailed reports of school systems relative to the editing and approval of school news will be found in Tables XIII and XIV, pages 68 and 69. Specific Conclusions Based on the Reports of 250 Superintendents 1. Definitely assigned reporters and superintendents are most The Relations commonly used by newspapers for securing school of Public news. Table XV, page 70 shows that in 71% of the School Systems school systems definite reporters cover school news, and with Local that 40% of this service is rendered daily. Table XV Newspaper also shows that in 83% of the school systems superin- Organizations. tendents furnish school news and that 41% of this service is given irregularly. 48 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 2. Paid student reporters are employed to furnish school news in about one fourth of the school systems. Table XV shows that the percentage is 24 and that more than one half of this service is rendered daily. 3. Paid teacher reporters are very seldom employed to furnish school news. Table XV shows that in less than 2% of the school systems this service is employed. 4. Few newspapers employ an educational editor. Table XVI, page 71 indicates about 7%. By far the larger num- ber of these are in the cities of Group I. 5. In about one half of the school systems, individual schools furnish school news to the newspapers. Table XV shows that most of this service is irregular. 6. The most common practice is for newspapers to secure school news service daily or irregularly. Very little service is rendered weekly, and practically none monthly. 7. A large percent of school systems have no relations with the newspapers so far as furnishing news is concerned. 8. Editors and superintendents do not agree in their state- ments relative to the collecting and furnishing of school news. This is evident from a comparison of Tables III, page 38 and XV. No doubt the editors are inclined to underestimate the part which the school system plays in furnishing news, and no doubt the superintendents are inclined to overestimate it. The detailed facts relative to the relations between the school systems and newspaper organizations will be found in Tables XV and XVI, pages 70 and 71. Specific Conclusions Based on the Reports of 250 Superintendents Departments I. The school department most often reported as appearing in Newspapers in the daily newspaper is that devoted to school board Devoted to meeting news. Table XVII, page 72 shows that the School News most common practice is to present this news irregularly. 2. Editors and superintendents agree very closely in reference to the types of school departments which appear in the daily newspaper and the commonness and frequency with which they are found. In general, all the conclu- sions drawn from Table IV, page 39 and discussed in Chapter III can be drawn from Table XVII. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 49 The detailed facts submitted by superintendents relative to the departments in daily newspapers devoted to school news will be found in Table XVII, page 72. Specific Conclusions Based on the Reports of 250 Superintendents 1. From the statements of superintendents, the attitude of the The Attitude of daily newspapers toward public school systems is dis- Daily Newspapers tinctly favorable. Table XVIII page 73 shows that of toward Public 627 different daily newspapers reported on by 219 School Systems. superintendents, 39% gave the school system active support, 43% gave it friendly cooperation, and only 8% were unfavorable or hostile. 2. School news is very often the subject matter of newspaper editorials. Table XVIII shows that in 250 school sys- tems, 21% of the newspapers discussed school matters frequently in the editorials; 54% occasionally; and only 13% seldom or never. It is of interest to compare this statement with the 5% of editorials dealing with local school matters which were found in the number count of 1800 newspapers as set forth in Table I, page 21. It is also of interest to recall that of the 98 editors report- ing in Table VIII, page 41 77% stated that they would use more school news if furnished properly prepared. 3. In general, it may be stated that newspaper organizations believe in school news, that they have the right attitude toward the school system, and are anxious to cooperate with school systems in putting news of the public schools before the public. The tabulated opinion of superintendents of schools relative to the attitude of daily newspapers toward the public school system and the amount of discussion which is given to school matters in editorials, will be found in Tables XVIII and XIX, page 73. A BODY OF OPINION BASED ON THE REPORTS OF 250 SUPERINTENDENTS There is clearly a variety of information in any school system Continuous which can be made the subject of newspaper campaigns. Publicity These matters are vital to the school system and will be of Campaigns interest to newspaper readers if properly presented. In order to Carried on learn the variety of subjects which school superintendents have in the Daily brought to the attention of the public through newspaper campaigns, Newspaper. the question sheet asked for information in this particular. Twenty-eight different types of publicity campaigns were re- ported. The first ten in order of the frequency with which they were 50 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS The Best Edition of Newspapers For Carrying School News. Valid Reasons for Expending Public Funds to Publish School News. reported by the superintendents are as follows: Building Campaign, Better Salaries Campaign, Health Campaign, Bond Issue Campaign, Night School Campaign, Thrift Campaign, School Week Campaign, Americanization Campaign, Attendance Campaign, Safety First Campaign. Of these ten campaigns carried on in the daily papers, only three can be considered as special purpose or emergency cam- paigns, namely, Buildings, Salaries, and Bonds. The other seven we may designate as continuous campaigns, in that the object of the publicity is not necessarily to achieve some immediate purpose once and for all, but rather to carry to the people those things in the public school system which are constant and continuous, year after year. This type of newspaper campaign is the one for which the superin- tendent of schools needs to plan a program, and it is a type of pub- licity which is as important as the special purpose publicity relating to the raising of bond issues, and the like. Such campaigns, together with the incidental, everyday news and information concerning the school system, should comprise the bulk of a publicity program for the public schools. The frequency with which school systems have carried on these campaigns in the daily newspaper is set forth in Table XX, page 74. The remaining material in this chapter consists of the opinons of superintendents of schools, relative to various general matters which are closely connected with the use of the daily newspaper as a means of school publicity. Three newspaper editions are published in many cities, a morn- ing, an afternoon and evening, and a Sunday edition. Superintend- ents were asked on the question sheet to rank these three editions in order of their effectiveness in getting school news to the community. Only the rankings of those superintendents in cities having all three editions were considered. The tabulation of these rankings in Table XXI, page 75 shows that the afternoon and evening edition is very definitely considered most effective for carrying school news. The Sunday edition is next effective, and the morning edition least effective. The general feeling that evening and Sunday editions are "Home Editions" no doubt partly accounts for this opinion. Are there valid reasons for the expenditure of public funds on publicity for school systems? The answer to this question is im- portant, and the opinion of superintendents in regard to it are valu- able. The question does not refer exclusively to the use of the daily paper, but rather to the whole program of public school infor- mation service in which the newspaper is an important element. From the statements of editors considered in Chapter III, it is clear that a great deal of school news is being printed by the daily NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 51 papers without cost to the school system. In so far as it is good "news", the newspapers are evidently not only willing to print it free of charge but anxious to get more of it. On the other hand, there are types of school publicity which, in the opinion of superintendents, are desirable for publication, but which do not have enough "news" interest to warrant the furnishings of free space on the part of the newspaper. It is desirable at times to print pure display advertising in the interests of the school system. In so far, therefore, as it is advisable to print this non-news material, the expense of newspaper publication enters into the question of expending public funds for publicity purposes. In answering the question, however, superin- tendents no doubt had the whole publicity program in mind, includ- ing all printed material which gives information about the school sys- tem. Representative answers to this question received from super- intendents are found in the compilation of opinion which follows. The majority of superintendents evidently believe that there are valid reasons for expending public funds for publicity purposes. Their reasons as expressed are the following: 1. The effect which such expenditure will have upon the finan- Principal cial support of the school — the giving of information Reasons for for the purpose of securing financial support. Expending 2. The obligation of a democracy to report to its citizens — the public is entitled to full information in regard to its ° r ,, c .?° r i i b Publicity. school system. * 3. The influence which an informational program will have upon the teaching staff — to bring to individual teachers a conception of the whole organization and their part in this whole. 4. The influence which school publicity will have upon the children of the community in bringing to them a knowledge of the opportunities offered them. 5. The effect which such expenditure will have in securing the cooperation of the home, which is all important in the work which the public school is doing. 6. The fact that such expenditure is good business; that edu- cation is a product; that the same reasons which exist for advertising any other worth while product hold true for advertising the public schools. A compilation of representative opinions of superintendents in regard to this matter follows. 52 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS The Opinions of Superintendents Relative to Expenditure for School Publicity. VALID REASONS FOR EXPENDING PUBLIC FUNDS ON PUBLICITY FOR A SCHOOL SYSTEM From the Reports of 250 Superintendents of Schools 1. To build up morale in the teaching staff. "To educate the teaching staff." 2. To influence children to complete their school course. "Children do what is socially approved." "To induce children to take advantage of schools." 3. To inform the public about the schools. "Belief in public schools depends upon how well people know them." "To acquaint our employers with changes in methods and materials." "That citizens may understand the scholastic work of the children." "Accurate and ample information is the first step toward success in any undertaking." — James J. Hill. "The worst enemies of the schools are those who are most ignorant of what they are doing." "Without information the layman cannot appreciate his school system, its requirements, and its opportuni- ties." 4. To satisfy a right which the people have to know about their schools. "To inform the public which pays the bills." "The public is entitled to know the facts involved in school policies before they become ancient history." "It allows the public to check the work of the schools." 5. To create cooperation between home and school. 6. To secure financial support for the schools. "To secure more money." "To keep teachers' salaries up." "People will not support an institution in which they are not interested." "Self-preservation; no school system can secure funds unless the people believe in the wisdom of the ex- penditure." 7. To educate the voter. "To educate the public to the problems and needs of the school." NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 53 8. There is no good reason. "It is not necessary." "Should be done only in an emergency." "School news only read by teachers." "Papers furnish all necessary news at no cost." 9. To bring about expansion and progress. 10. To keep public steadily informed so as to ward off damaging reaction. 11. To overcome unfair criticism. "To remove hostility." 12. It is good business. "Advertising" "It pays." "To sell the schools to the public." "Education is a product to be sold to the public. The same reasons for advertising this product exist as for advertising any other worth while thing that the public needs. 13. To gain the good will of the public. 14. It tends to increase enrollment and raise the average attendance. One of the problems which confront the superintendent in his Overcoming relations with the daily newspapers, is that of avoiding the charge of the Charge of partiality in furnishing news. Even though the intent of a super- Partiality intendent in this particular may be entirely good, in practice the On the Part difficulty often presents itself. Many of the superintendents re- f Newspapers. porting stated that they had experienced the charge of partiality, and several admitted that they had been unable to overcome the difficulty. A few newspaper editors in their letters referred to this problem, and expressed the opinion that the fair distribution of news is an essential element in the relations between superintendents and newspaper organizations. A few superintendents stated that there were, in their respective cities, some newspapers to which they did not care to give school news, because of the character of the newspaper and the manner in which it treated school news when furnished to it. To these super- intendents a method of fairly distributing school news has no inter- est. But to those who realize that each newspaper in a city has its own body of readers, and that this body of readers is as much en- titled to information about the public school news as any other group of citizens, the importance of distributing school news fairly to all newspapers is evident. 54 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS An attempt was made in the question sheet to secure the opin- ions of superintendents in this particular, and especially to learn some of the methods by which they overcome this charge of par- tiality. The question asked them was as follows: "Where there are two or more newspapers in a city, if you have ever experienced the charge of partiality in furnishing news to one of them, how have you overcome this?" In general, the methods reported by superin- tendents in answer to the question can be classified under the follow- ing heads: Ways of I. Maintain friendly relations with all newspapers, and arrive Overcoming at an agreement as to the distribution of school news the Charge which will satisfy all. 2. Whenever school news is furnished the press, send duplicate copies to all newspapers. 3. Save all important news for the Sunday editions in which all newspapers get an "even break". 4. Have newspapers agree upon an hour in the day which separates their respective fields. 5. Apply the motto: "First come, first served". 6. Furnish no news to any of the newspapers. A compilation of the representative opinion of superintendents in regard to methods of overcoming this difficulty follows. In it superintendents may find some suggestion which will help in solving their individual problems. HOW SUPERINTENDENTS IN GIVING OUT SCHOOL NEWS AVOID THE CHARGE OF PARTIALITY From the Reports of 250 Superintendents of Schools 1. Give the same material to all papers. "Furnish duplicate copies of news to all papers." 2. Save important news for Sunday edition. "In Sunday edition all papers get an 'even break'." 3. Give reporters privilege of getting news at any time. "Give the news to the first reporter on the ground." 4. Give all papers privilege of writing special feature stories. 5. Meet representatives of all papers each day. 6. Create personal relations with newspaper men. "Make friends with the reporters." NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBL IC SCHOOLS 55 7. Distribute news fairly. "Arrange the 'breaks' on a 50-50 basis." "Play no favorites." "Tactful alternating of news." "Give each paper exclusive news for a week." 8. "When one paper initiates a story, we give no information to another paper." 9. "When one paper gets a 'scoop', we help the others to get news." 10. Leave the initiative in getting news to the papers; don't "press agent" the schools to the newspapers. 11. Assign a reporter from the system to each paper. 12. Have an agreement with the newspapers. "Where there are morning and afternoon papers, have them define an hour that separates their fields, — e. g., give all news that 'breaks' before 1 :oo P. M. to afternoon papers, all that breaks after 1 :oo P M. to morning papers." "Give news to first paper to have an issue after news becomes available." 13. Never furnish news to any newspaper. 14. Have been unable to solve the difficulty. 15. Never have had the charge of partiality made. In the opinion of school superintendents, the daily press is a The Importance most important factor, influencing the conduct and progress of the of the Press public schools. In answer to the question, "How important to the to a Public progressive improvement of the school system do you consider the School System attitude of the press?" superintendents were almost unanimous in assigning great importance to the attitude of the daily press. The opinion seems to be almost universal that the daily newspaper has great power to create and mold public sentiment. In view of this, many superintendents expressed the opinion that it is not only good policy, but that it is the definite duty of those in charge of public education to utilize fully this power of the press in the interest of the schools. In the opinion of some superintendents, the influence of the press depends entirely upon the standing of the individual newspaper in the community. Some superintendents believe that the support of the press is over-emphasized. Some believe that its support is not at all necessary. It may be that in some cities printed material, prepared and distributed directly by the school system, to some ex- 56 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS tent takes the place of newspaper publicity. These instances, how- ever, are few. The fact remains that the greatest single agency for informing the public about its schools is the daily newspaper. The majority of superintendents reporting had no doubts about this mat- ter. Representative opinions stated by them are presented in the following compilation. The Opinion of Superintendents Relative to the Importance of the Press. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ATTITUDE OF THE PRESS TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM From the Reports of 250 Superintendents of Schools 1. Of the Utmost Importance. "Invaluable." "Supreme." "The deciding factor." "The biggest single factor." "All important." "The most important agency for creating public opinion." "The support or opposition of the press may make or mar a school system." "Essential." "Vital." "Indispensable." "A united press spells success." "A sympathetic press is worth a $10,000 appropriation." "Of tremendous importance provided it is not inspired by school executives or controlled by paid advertising." "Programs cannot be put over easily or well without the support of the press." "The press can ruin a school system." 2. Fairly Important. "Desirable." 3. Not Necessary. "Much can be done in spite of the press." "Its importance depends upon the paper." "Its influence is decreasing because of the use of other printed publicity by school systems." "I discount most of the supposed influence of the press." NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 57 Daily newspapers do not always handle school news in the best The Treatment possible way. The reasons for this are probably two-fold. In the of School News first place, as was discussed in Chapter III, school people have not by the Local yet learned how to furnish properly written school news for the Press. daily paper. If the rules and suggestions given by editors to school men were followed in the preparation of copy, some of the improper presentation of school news might be avoided. On the other hand, unquestionably the newspaper organizations are at fault in this mat- ter. Those responsible for the conduct of papers no doubt will ad- mit that no more important institution than that of the public school system exists in any community. The proper interpretation of its activities, its progress, and its needs, requires at least a reason- able knowledge of the institution. And yet, to quote one of the editors themselves, "Much school news is given out by educators who do not understand newspapers, and written by reporters who do not understand education". Superintendents complain that newspapers do not have the school point of view; that immature, inexperienced, and frivolous re- porters are too often assigned to interpret the interests of the school to the newspaper reading public; that over-emphasis on the "story" element is often emphasis misplaced from the point of view of the public school interests; and that school news often does not receive in the daily paper the prominence and position which its importance warrants. It is clear that fault exists on both sides. A consideration of the attitude of press and school in this matter may be of benefit to both. The point of view of the editor was set forth in Chapter III. The following compilation, setting forth the opinion of superintend- ents, represents the point of view of the school in this matter. FAULTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SCHOOL NEWS BY THE LOCAL PRESS From the Reports of 250 Superintendents of Schools 1. News written by those who don't know the thing they write about. "Much school news is given out by educators who don't understand newspapers, and written by reporters who don't understand education." "Newspapers lack the school point of view." "Reporters lack technical knowledge of education." 58 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Faults of "Injudicious criticism of the schools by immature and Newspapers inexperienced reporters." in Presenting "Editors write authoritatively of things without being School News. properly informed. "Lack of educational editor who understands schools." 2. Emphasis misplaced. "Emphasis placed on the wrong thing." "Emphasis on the unimportant." "Over-emphasis on tax rate." "Emphasis placed on cost rather than on service ren- dered." "Too much space given to athletics." 3. Facts misrepresented. "Facts distorted." "Wrong interpretation of facts." 4. Facts mis-stated. "Often inaccurate." "Often careless as to facts." "Frequent exaggeration." "Failure to verify statements." "Written too hastily." 5. School news used for political purposes. 6. News incomplete. "Too brief." "All the facts not given." 7. Improper headlines. "Headlines often misleading." "Headings often lacking." "Headlines often too small." 8. News poorly placed. "School news placed to disadvantage." "News put in inconspicuous places." "School news used as filler only." 9. News changed and colored. "News often colored to suit views of the editor." "News too often rewritten by editors." "Statement of facts biased by opinion of editor." 10. News "story" put ahead of school interests. "Truth sacrificed for a story." "News value prominent at the expense of social wel- fare." NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 59 11. Featuring the sensational. "Anything to sell papers." 12. Unfriendly and destructive criticism. 13. Difficult to get cuts used when furnished. 14. No faults found. There should be a philosophy underlying the use of the daily Ethical papers by school administrators. An attempt was made to discover Principles some of the elements of this philosophy by asking superintendents to Governing state those ethical principles which, in their opinion, should control the Use of the use of the newspaper for school publicity purposes. The an- Newspapers swers received are not presented as a philosophy of educational pub- By School. licity in the daily press, but rather as an indication that there are some generally conceded principles which should govern. These principles fall into three rough classes: first, principles relating to subject matter; second, principles affecting the relations between press and school; third, principles relating to the personal element in school news. A majority of superintendents expressed some opinions as to the ethical principles which should govern school publicity. A con- sideration of the rules and suggestions of editors as given in Chapter III will reveal certain underlying principles from their viewpoint. The following is a compilation of principles expressed by superin- tendents. In regard to these, there was a remarkable unanimity of opinion, showing that, in their thinking at least, those who utilize the daily press in the interests of the public schools recognize certain fundamental principles which should govern. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE USE OF THE NEWSPAPERS BY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS From the Reports of 250 Superintendents of Schools 1. Service of public interest paramount. "Will it serve the best interests of the children to print this story?" "Positive upbuilding of the school system should be the governing factor in giving out school news." 2. Maintain right relations with reporters and editors. "Be impartial." "Be frank." "Respect the opinions of the paper." "Be courteous." "Take the newspaper men into your confidence." "Give the opposition of the press due consideration." "Have confidence in reporters and editors." 60 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Ethical "Don't ask for suppression of unfavorable news." Principles "Editor should always have the right to edit any ma- Which Should terial." Govern the "A newspaper attack is seldom personal, merely a differ- Use of ence of policy." Newspapers. "Advertising is not news. It should be paid for." "Consider the interests and welfare of the paper." 3. Personal glorification has no place in school news. "Keep yourself in the background." "Advertise your schools, not yourself." "Don't play to the grandstand for personal aggrandize- ment." 4. Give subordinates credit for work done. "Give all departments an equal show." 5. Tell the truth always. "State the real facts." "Be honest." "Be scrupulously accurate." "Tell the truth, even though it hurts." "Put all the cards on the table." "In controverted questions, give both sides." "Never use 'bunk' in school news." "Don't warp or twist the interpretation of statistics." 6. Develop a sense of proportion in handing out school news. "Too much publicity is more injurious than none at all." "Don't expect too much space." "Use common sense." "Present only one worth while matter at a time." 7. Don't suppress unfavorable facts. "Don't try to conceal defects." 8. Never enter into a newspaper controversy. 9. "Be independent." "Be conservative." "Be dignified." "No publicity at the expense of the dignity of the cause of education." 10. Use wisdom in the selection of subject matter. "Don't write unless you have something to say." "Don't give publicity to intimate matters concerning pupils and teachers." "Don't complain." "Don't boast." "Feature the everyday work of the school, not only the extra activities." "Make news specific." NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 61 II. 12. 13. "Comparisons are always odious." Ethical "Eliminate personal opinions." Principles "Don't exaggerate." Which Should furnish items of national as well as local interest." Govern the "Never discuss personalities." Use of Avoid sensationalism. Newspapers. "The less you give the newspapers, the better you will ac- complish the work in your school." "The public school is an established necessity and there- fore needs no advertising." "Never use a 'nom de plume' in communications to the paper." 62 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FORM A A Form For Collecting Information on School News or Educational Publicity The Subject of this Inquiry is: THE USE AND VALUE OF THE NEWSPAPER AS A MEDIUM OF GIVING PUBLICITY TO NEWS OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. I have worked on this form to make the answering of it as easy as possible for you. Most of it you can answer by checking as you read. I shall appreciate your giving as much thought as possible to it. R. G. REYNOLDS, 525 West 120 St., New York City. (Your Name) (Title) (Address) I. Financing School Publicity 1. What is the total amount of your school budget for 1921-22? $ 2. Do you have an item in the budget specifically appropriated for publicity? 3. What is the amount of this item for the year 1921-22? $ 4. List the main purposes for which it is spent 5. If you have no item specifically appropriated for publicity, have you an item or fund which can be used for publicity purposes? 6. What amount approximately will be used for publicity, 1921-22? $ 7. In your opinion what % of your school budget should be spent for publicity? II. Organization and Personnel ^ 1. Do you have a person in your system responsible for collecting and releasing school news? 2. What is his name? His title? 3. Does he spend his whole time at this work? His yearly salary? 4. If part time, what proportion is spent in publicity work? 5. If part time, what are his other duties? 6. Do you have a publicity Committee for the entire school system? 7. Of whom is it composed? NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 63 III. The Collection of School News Which of the following collect school news for newspaper publication? Answer by checking in the squares. Daily Weekly Monthly 1. Publicity Director □ □ □ 2. Superintendent of Schools □ fj] 3. Supervisors fj rj 4. High School Principals D D CI 5. Elementary School Principals □ rj 6. Clerk of School Board D D D 7. Individual Students D D D 8. Individual Teachers □ D 9. English Classes □ Q 10. Journalism Classes Q 11 □ □ □ 12 □ □ □ IV. The Editing of School News 1. Does all school news come to the Superintendent of Schools or the Publicity Director for approval before it is released to the newspapers for publication? 2. If not, which of the following types of news are approved and edited by persons other than the writers? egularly Not at all □ □ 1. □ □ 2. □ □ 3. □ □ 4. □ □ 5. □ □ 6. □ □ 7. □ □ 8. □ □ 9. □ □ 10. □ □ 11. □ □ 12. Approved or Edited by English or Athletic Journalism Student Teacher Coach Class Editors Others Type of News Answer by checking in squares. Principal a. School Page or Column b. Special Feature Articles Q c. High School Notes fj d. Elementary School Notes e. School Athletic News fj] f. Parent Teacher Assn. News g. Teachers Club News Q h. P^ge, Column, or Dept. contributed by children. i. News of School Board Meetings. .. . □ J □ k □ Relations with Local Newspaper Organization Answer by checking in squares. Daily Weekly Monthly Irregularly Not at all Do papers assign definite reporters to cover school news? Do papers employ paid teacher reporters? O Do papers employ paid student reporters? fj Does Superintendent furnish prepared news to papers? fj Do individual schools furnish prepared news to papers? □ Do you use paid advertising space in papers? D □ □ □ □ □ n □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ D □ □ □ □ □ □ □ a. n □ b. □ □ c. □ □ d. □ □ e. □ □ f. □ □ g- □ □ h. □ □ i. □ □ ]■ □ □ k. 1. □ □ □ D □ □ □ □ □ □ d □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ i □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □ 6 If used regularly, for what purposes? □ □ D □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ D □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ a. □ b. □ c. D d. □ e. □ f. □ g< □ h. □ i. 64 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 8. Do papers in your city have an Educational Editor? Name of Paper Which of the following departments devoted to school news are found in your local papers? Answer by checking in squares. Daily Weekly Monthly Irregularly Not at all a. A School Page \~\ b. A School Column I c. Special School News Feature Articles i d. Local High School Notes fj e. Local Elementary School Notes fj f . Local Public School Athletics Q g. Parent Teacher Assn. Notes fj h. School Board Meeting News i j i. Local Teachers Club News fj j. A Page or Dept. contributed by School Children D D D □ □ j- k □ □ □ D □ k. VI. Personal Opinion (Confidential) The preparation and publication of school news has not been organized in most school systems. The practice and opinion of leading school men will form a basis for such organization. The answers to the following questions will supply a very valuable body of opinion relative to certain aspects of this problem of properly in- forming the public about the public schools. Your personal opinion will add to the body of information which is needed. The editors of 100 prominent daily papers have given their opinions in answer to similar questions. 1. List some of the most common faults in the treatment of school news by your local press. 2. Which of the following do you consider the best mediums for reaching your public? Rank them 1, 2, and 3, as to their effectiveness in getting across school news to the public : Morning Edition Afternoon and Evening Edition Sunday Edition 3. On the basis of your opinion, rank the usefulness to the school system of school news in the following departments of the daily newspaper. Divide the departments into three groups, placing a figure 1 after those which you have found most useful; a figure 2 after those second best; a figure 3 after those of least value. 1. Editorials fj 11. Commercial Ads co-operating with School 2. School Page □ System □ 3. Special School Column fj 12. Athletic Page or Column L) 4. Communications Column fj 13. High School Notes D 5. Display Ads by School System □ 14. Elementary School Notes Q 6. Feature Stories O 15. Parent Teacher Assn. Notes [3 7. News as such □ 16. School Board Meeting Notes □ 8. Sunday Magazines O 17. Illustrations, Charts, Cartoons O 9. Sunday Picture Supplement O 18. Entire Issue of Paper by Students \_\ 10. Page or Dept. by School Children. ... □ 4. In the various school systems which you have administered, what has seemed to you to be the general attitude or policy of the local press toward those school systems? Answer by checking. School Systems No. 1 No. 2 No.3 No. 4 No. 5 I Active Friendly Lack of Unfavorable Hostile Support Cooperation Interest Attitude Attitude • □ □ □ □ d ■ □ D □ □ □ ■ □ □ □ □ □ • □ □ □ □ □ • □ D □ D □ NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 65 5. Below are listed "units" of continuous publicity campaigns which have been organized and carried out in various school systems. Check those which you have carried on in the newspapers. Add any others. Attendance Campaign □ "What the School is Doing" Campaign [ Health Campaign Q Recruiting of Teachers Campaign [ Better Salaries Campaign Q Americanization Campaign [ Building Campaign Q Night School Campaign □ Parent Teacher Assn. Campaign □ "Go to High School" Campaign Q Playground Campaign □ "Safety First" Campaign [ Thrift Campaign □ Bond Issue Campaign □ "Go to College" Campaign □ Patriotism Campaign □ Illiteracy Campaign □ "Know Your City" Campaign □ School Week Campaign Q □ Frequently Occasionally Seldom Never 6. In general have you found the editorial column discussing school matters? O d C O I shall appreciate such discussion of the following questions as you care to give. Phase use a separate sheet if necessary. 7. What seem to you to be the most valid reasons for expending public funds on publicity for a school system? 8. Where there are two or more papers in a city, if you have ever experienced the charge of partiality in furnishing news to one of them, how have you overcome this? 9. What is your attitude on cultivating friendly relations with editors and reporters? 10. How important to the progressive improvement of a school system do you consider the attitude of the press? 11. Do you care to list any ethical principles which in your opinion should govern the use of the newspaper by school administrators to give publicity to the school system? 66 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TABLE IX. FINANCING PUBLIC SCHOOL INFORMATION SERVICE FROM THE REPORTS OF 250 SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS Cities Having a Specific Cities Not Having a Appropriation for Specific Appropriation I Information Service For Information Service 2 3 5 6 Specific Provis- Amount Any other Fund Approximate Amount ion in Budget of Which Can be Used To Be Used for In- for Information this For Information formation Service Service Provision Service 1921-22. NUMBER % NUMBER NUMBER % NUMBER Number No Max- Min- No Max- Min- No Cities Population No Yes Answer Yes imum imum No Yes Answer Yes imum imum Answer 29 Over 100,000 25 3 1 10 $20,000 $2000 15 5 9 17 $3000 $0 24 81 30,000 to 100,000 73 6 2 7 $4000 $0 34 26 21 32 $1800 $0 47 140 Less than 30,000 128 10 2 7 $1200 $0 45 67 28 48 $1400 $0 55 All 250 Cities 226 19 5 8 $20,000 $0 94 98 58 39 $3000 $0 126 Read the table as follows: Of the school systems in 29 cities of 100,000 and over, 25 have now no specific provision in the budget for information service; 3 have such a provision; 10% of the whole group have a specific provision; the maximum amount of this provision is $20,000; the minimum amount is $2,000; etc. TABLE X. PERCENT OF BUDGET WHICH SHOULD BE SPENT FOR SCHOOL INFORMATION SERVICE FROM THE REPORTS OF 250 SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS I- 7 Number of Superintendents Recommending N umber of Cities Population 3% 2% 1.5% 1% .5% .33% ■ 25% or Less 0% Very Little No Answer 29 81 140 Over 100,000 30,000 to 100,000 Less than 30,000 2 5 1 12 1 7 11 1 1 2 5 13 2 8 15 1 8 8 23 52 73 All 250 Cities 2 5 1 12 18 2 20 25 17 148 Read the table as follows: Of 29 superintendents of schools in cities of 100,000 and over, one recommends that .5% of the school budget be assigned to school information service; two recommend . 25% of the budget, etc. TABLE XL ORGANIZATION AND PERSONNEL IN SCHOOL SYSTEMS CONCERNED WITH SCHOOL IN- FORMATION SERVICE FROM THE REPORTS OF 250 SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS 1 2 II A Person Responsible for Collecting and Releasing School News A News Service Committee for the Entire School System Number oj Cities Population Number Percent Number Percent 29 81 140 Over 100,000 30,000 to 100,000 Less than 30,000 4 16 32 14 20 23 2 13 14 7 16 10 All 250 Cities 52 28 29 12 Read the table as follows : Of 29 school systems in cities of 100,000 and over, 14% have a person responsible for collecting and releasing school news; 7% have a news service committee for the entire school system; etc. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 67 TABLE XII. HOW PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS COLLECT SCHOOL NEWS FOR NEWSPAPER PUBLI- CATION FROM THE REPORTS OF 250 SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Elem- High entary Clerk Indiv- Indiv- 1 1 News Super- School School oj idual idual Eng- Journal- Direc- inten- Super- Prin- Prin- School Stu- Teach- lish ism tor dent visors cipal cipal Board dents ers Class Class % % % % % % % % % /o Service Rendered Daily Number Cities Populatio?i 29 Over 100,000 10 45 10 21 14 14 7 4 4 81 30,000 to 100,000 4 38 11 14 6 12 10 2 4 4 140 Less than 30,000 2 15 4 13 5 4 11 3 4 All 250 Cities 4 26 7 14 6 8 10 1 3 4 Service Rendered Weekly Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 3 7 3 10 7 4 4 81 30,000 to 100,000 1 12 2 12 10 2 9 9 4 4 140 Less than 30,000 1 14 5 11 11 3 11 6 12 6 All 250 Cities .4 12 4 11 10 2 10 7 8 5 Service Rendered Monthly Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 81 30,000 to 100,000 2 2 3 4 140 Less than 30,000 1 5 1 1 All 250 Cities 2 1 1 4 .4 .4 Service Rendered Irregularly Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 17 24 28 28 24 7 17 7 4 81 30,000 to 100,000 22 26 32 27 17 14 15 6 4 140 Less than 30,000 1 53 25 41 34 26 17 20 18 4 All 250 Cities 1 39 25 36 31 23 15 18 13 4 Service Rendered Not At All Number Cities Popula'ion 29 Over 100,000 7 3 3 7 3 10 10 81 30,000 to 100,000 6 2 1 2 1 2 2 1 140 Less than 30,000 18 1 8 2 6 9 9 9 20 15 All 250 Cities 13 1 6 1 4 6 6 6 13 10 No Answer Given Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 83 38 58 45 52 62 69 72 76 "9 81 30,000 to 100,000 89 25 56 42 53 62 67 72 84 88 140 Less than 30,000 79 16 58 34 45 54 51 64 47 71 All 250 Cities 83 21 57 38 48 58 58 68 62 78 Read the table as follows: Of 29 school systems in cities of 100,000 and over, 10% have a news director to collect school news; in 45%, the superintendent collects school news; etc. 68 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IV-I TABLE XIII. THE APPROVAL AND EDITING OF ALL SCHOOL NEWS BY SUPERINTENDENT OR NEWS DIRECTOR FROM THE REPORTS OF 250 SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS Number of Cities Population Yes No No Answer Over 100,000 30,000 to 100,000 Less than 30,000 % % % 29 81 140 7 28 41 59 57 46 35 15 13 All 250 Cities 33 51 16 Read the table as follows: Of 29 school systems in cities of 100,000 and over, 7% provide that all school news shall be approved and edited by the superintendent or news directors, etc. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 69 TABLE XIV. HOW SCHOOL NEWS FOR NEWSPAPER PUBLICATION IS APPROVED AND EDITED BY SCHOOL SYSTEMS FROM THE REPORTS OF 250 SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS a b c d e f g h i Parent- Page or School Elem- Teacher Depart- Board IV Page High entary School Associ- Teacher ment Meet- or Feature School School Ath- ation Club by ing Column Article Notes Notes letics Notes News Children News % % % % % % % % % Edited By Principal Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 17 14 24 21 3 14 3 10 81 30,000 to 100,000 21 12 32 32 9 15 3 17 140 Less than 30,000 8 10 29 24 11 12 2 1 All 250 Cities 13 11 29 26 10 13 2 8 Edited Bt Teacher Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 10 81 30,000 to 100,000 1 1 11 3 1 6 140 Less than 30,000 6 3 6 4 2 2 11 4 All 250 Cities 4 2 7 3 1 2 9 2 Edited Bt Athletic Coach Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 24 81 30,000 to 100,000 1 3 3 37 140 Less than 30,000 6 4 1 37 1 All 250 Cities 1 3 2 36 Edited By English or Journalism Class Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 3 3 81 30,000 to 100,000 1 1 3 140 Less than 30,000 3 3 5 4 2 An, 250 Cities 4 2 4 .4 .4 Edited By Student Editors Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 3 81 30,000 to 100,000 1 3 4 1 1 140 Less than 30,000 3 4 9 4 2 All 250 Cities 1 3 6 3 .4 .4 1 Edited By Others Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 4 3 17 10 10 24 81 30,000 to 100,000 6 9 6 4 7 22 15 4 46 140 Less than 30,000 4 5 1 4 2 20 6 2 45 All 250 Cities 5 6 2 3 4 20 10 4 43 No Answer Given Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 79 83 69 79 69 69 76 79 76 81 30,000 to 100,000 70 73 43 62 42 60 75 79 54 140 Less than 30,000 72 71 49 69 44 65 81 90 55 All 250 Cities 72 73 50 68 46 64 78 85 57 Read the table as follows: Of school systems in 29 cities of 100,000 and over, 17% publish a School Page or Column edited by the principal; 14% publish feature articles edited by the principal; etc. 7(1 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TABLE XV. RELATIONS OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WITH LOCAL NEWSPAPER ORGANIZATIONS FROM THE REPORTS OF 250 SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS 1 2 3 4 5 6 Definite Super- Reporters Paid Paid intendent Individual V Cover Teacher Student Furnishes Schools Space in School Reporters Reporters School Furnish Newspapers News Employed Employed News News Paid for % % % % % % Service Rendered Daily Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 72 21 24 14 4 81 30,000 to 100,000 48 1 21 20 3 140 Less than 30,000 29 1 9 10 .2 1 All 250 Cities 40 1 14 15 4 1 Service Rendered Weekly Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 4 81 30,000 to 100,000 9 3 4 4 16 1 140 Less than 30,000 6 3 10 9 1 All 250 Cities 6 1 3 7 10 1 Service Rendered Monthly Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 81 30,000 to 100,000 4 5 1 140 Less than 30,000 1 3 1 All 250 Cities 2 3 .4 .4 Service Rendered Irregularly Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 10 10 48 31 35 81 30,000 to 100,000 23 5 10 58 47 28 140 Less than 30,000 26 6 60 40 34 All 250 Cities 23 2 7 58 41 32 Service Rendered Not At All Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 55 28 4 10 31 81 30,000 to 100,000 4 51 31 3 12 37 140 Less than 30,000 25 63 51 4 21 36 All 250 Cities 15 59 42 4 17 36 No Answer Given Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 17 45 38 24 45 31 81 30,000 to 100,000 12 40 35 11 21 33 140 Less than 30,000 14 36 32 13 28 27 All 250 Cities 14 38 34 14 28 30 Read the table as follows: In 72% of 29 school systems in cities of 100,000 and over, definite reporters are assigned to cover school news; in 21%, paid student reporters are employed; etc. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 71 V-8 TABLE XVI. NEWSPAPERS HAVING AN EDUCATIONAL EDITOR FROM THE REPORTS OF 250 SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS Number oj Cities Population Fes No No Answer Over 100,000 30,000 to 100,000 Less than 30,000 % % % 29 81 140 21 9 3 52 75 85 28 16 12 All 250 Cities 7 78 15 Read the table as follows : In 21 % of 29 cities with a population of 100,000 and over, at least one newspaper has an educa- tional editor, etc. 72 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TABLE XVII. DEPARTMENTS IN DAILY NEWSPAPERS DEVOTED TO SCHOOL NEWS FROM THE REPORTS OF 250 SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS a b c d e f g h i J Parent- Fea- Ele- Teacher Board Teach- Page or V ture High mentary School Associ- Meet- ers Depart- School School Arti- School School Ath- ation ing Club ment by Page Column cles Notes Notes letics Notes News News Children % % % % % % % % % % Appearing Daily Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 7 3 14 24 10 31 10 14 7 7 81 30,000 to 100,000 6 11 23 4 27 6 3 140 Less than 30,000 1 4 4 16 6 20 1 3 1 All 250 Cities 1 4 7 19 6 24 4 3 1 2 Appearing Weekly Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 21 7 3 7 14 14 24 3 17 81 30,000 to 100,000 14 12 5 12 19 12 9 10 14 140 Less than 30,000 7 12 6 16 9 8 5 6 3 All 250 Cities 11 12 4 14 13 8 7 9 .4 8 Appearing Monthly Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 7 17 3 81 30,000 to 100,000 1 6 48 10 140 Less than 30,000 1 1 19 39 6 1 All 250 Cities .4 .4 .4 13 40 7 .8 Appearing irregularly Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 3 10 45 28 21 28 24 17 31 7 81 30,000 to 100,000 3 6 46 33 26 35 46 21 40 10 140 Less than 30,000 4 11 48 34 38 41 30 26 26 9 All 250 Cities 3 9 47 33 32 37 35 23 31 9 Appearing Not At All Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 7 10 81 30,000 to 100,000 10 7 1 1 1 16 140 Less than 30,000 24 16 4 4 6 2 5 2 14 26 All 250 Cities 17 12 2 2 4 1 3 1 8 21 No Answer Given Number Cities Population 29 Over 100,000 62 79 38 41 55 41 45 28 55 59 81 30,000 to 100,000 74 68 38 31 51 25 32 21 49 58 140 Less than 30,000 66 57 39 29 41 29 40 24 54 61 All 250 Cities 68 63 38 31 46 29 38 24 53 60 This table is read the same as Table IV. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 73 TABLE XVIII. THE ATTITUDE OF DAILY NEWSPAPERS TOWARD PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS FROM THE REPORTS OF 250 SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS VI-4 Superintendents Located in Cities of Number of Superintendents Reporting Number of Daily Papers Reported On Active Support Friendly Coopera- tion Lack of Inter- est Unfavor- able Attitude Hostile Alti- tude Number of Superin- tendents Not Answering % % % % % Over 100,000 30,000 to 100,000 Less than 30,000 22 72 125 53 202 372 43 38 38 40 43 44 2 12 10 6 5 5 9 2 3 7 9 15 All 250 Cities 219 627 39 43 10 5 3 31 Read the table as follows : 22 superintendents in cities of 100,000 and over reported that of 53 daily papers with which they had had experience 43% gave active support to the school system; 40%, friendly cooperation; etc. TABLE XIX. DISCUSSION OF SCHOOL MATTERS IN THE EDITORIALS OF DAILY NEWSPAPERS FROM THE REPORTS OF 250 SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS Frequently Occasionally Seldom Never No Answer Number of Cities Population % % % % % 29 81 140 Over 100,000 30,000 to 100,000 Less than 30,000 31 19 24 41 43 79 3 7 22 3 7 15 12 All 250 Cities 21 54 12 1 12 Read the table as follows: 31% of the newspapers in 29 cities of 100,000 and over discuss school matters in editorials frequently; 41%, occasionally; etc. 74 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TABLE XX. THE FREQUENCY WITH WHICH CERTAIN UNITS OF A CONTINUOUS CAMPAIGN HAVE BEEN CARRIED ON IN THE DAILY NEWSPAPERS FROM THE REPORTS OF 250 SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS In 29 Cities of In 81 Cities of In lJfi Cities of 100,000 and 30,000 to Less than In All VI-5 Over 100,000 30,000 250 Cities Subject Number of Times Number of Times Number of Times Number of Times of the Campaign Reported Reported Reported Reported Number Per cent Number Per cent Number Per cent Number Per cent Attendance 5 17 25 31 38 27 68 27 Health 11 38 39 48 62 44 112 45 Better Salaries 12 41 46 57 58 41 116 46 Buildings 12 41 55 68 74 53 141 56 Parent- Teacher Association 3 10 19 23 25 18 47 19 Playground 2 7 20 25 36 26 58 23 Thrift 9 31 30 37 48 34 87 35 Go to College 7 9 11 \ 8 18 7 Illiteracy 6 21 15 19 20 14 41 16 School Week 7 24 27 33 44 31 78 31 What the School Is Doing 6 21 17 21 36 26 59 24 Recruiting of Teachers 2 7 4 5 5 4 11 4 Americanization 9 31 30 37 34 24 73 29 Night School 11 38 43 53 45 32 99 40 Go to High School 7 24 19 23 28 20 54 22 Safety First 13 45 29 36 20 14 62 25 Bond Issue 6 21 37 46 62 44 105 42 Patriotism 4 14 7 9 15 11 26 10 Know Your City 5 17 10 12 7 5 22 9 School Tax 1 3 1 .4 School Lunch 1 3 1 .4 Junior High School 1 3 1 1 1 1 3 1 Clean Up 2 2 1 1 3 1 Courtesy 1 1 0- 1 .4 Good English 2 1 2 1 City Beautiful 1 1 1 .4 Junior Red Cross 1 1 1 .4 School Gardens 1 1 1 .4 No Answer 8 28 21 26 24 17 53 21 Read the table as follows: In 29 cities of 100,000 and over, 5 superintendents, or 17%, reported that they had carried on an attendance campaign in the daily newspapers; 11 superintendents, or 38%, a health campaign; etc. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 75 TABLE XXI. THE BEST EDITION OF NEWSPAPERS FOR CARRYING SCHOOL NEWS FROM THE REPORTS OF 64 SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS VI-2 Morning Edition Afternoon and Evening Edition Sunday Edition Number of Cities Population Ranked 1 Ranked 2 Ranked 3 Ranked 1 Ranked 2 Ranked 3 Ranked 1 Ranked 2 Ranked 3 12 24 28 Over 100,000 30,000 to 10,000 Less than 30,000 3 5 4 5 7 10 4 12 14 8 10 14 2 10 10 2 4 4 1 9 11 5 7 7 6 8 10 All 64 Cities 12 22 30 32 22 10 21 19 24 Read the table as follows : Of superintendents in 12 cities of 100,000 and over, in which there were three newspaper editions published, 3 ranked the morning edition first in effectiveness; 5 ranked the morning edition second; etc. THE -PES MOINES REGISTER :~ MON DAY .MORN-IM' "Jography" Is Fun With These Rubber Models "he Public Schools— From The Teacher's Viewpoint FLAG ONLY ADEEMING THING ABOUT OLD SCHOOL BUILDING I on; Dr. Englehardt, Expert in School Planning, Makes In- ' l Street Structure and C \USE SEATS GRANDPARENTS USED spectio n of East Ma THJTPNION, MSWCIgSTER, W. H. iWi High School Wireless Course Elective Study "House" Plan Held by Some To Be Wakeful and Costly. School Girls Fashion Frocks and Frills ONE-THIRD OF CANTON PUPILS OPEN ACCOUNTS IN NEW SCHO OL BANKS Boys And Girls Save Money For Bicycles, For Clothes^ For Dresses, For Mother And For College — Deposits Average Seven Cents. Ueally all work generally plnead' upon the teacher In such Instances, as tha keeping of accounts and books Is done at tbe bank. "The bank In which tbe funds ot Pupils < posited: ot ■per capita (908.67 and ore opened school banking system Inject Business Terms Into Lessons . on Arithmetic in Schools of Akron Tfio new course of study Id Arith- metic, compiled by Super la tendeat of Schools Carroll B- Rood, Is now being- used In tbe elementary grades Akron public schools, and la proV- inff ■ Pie," "Bounce," "TOP Education Factory Runs i Night Shift A nd Trained Workers Am Its Product bejl STjapehded 'badness of 'K'lnley High a circumstance, ■ i education du> the i "^"^s'pffiao'pinpir: SATu^A^Mofiinirc. febbpabt as, iwi embraced in i $0 Pupils From Coronado Invade Air Station; Inspect Everything in Sight From All Angles HigK$chQp.t Papers ■ro:Get News /by Wirelesg SS3Sis^^^ v „ few of the 400 children of the Coronado public schools who made an offlaW ^»\ 1£val Bir station at North Island Thursday morning. Under the personal dirctwnol Capt Bug. Under the personal direction "of CapU. H. Tomb, they "inspected everything in el- and tho big dirigible. They arrived in 50 automobiles, > SPECIAL FEATURE ARTICLES (This is material which the Newspaper is eager to get) CHAPTER V SCHOOL NEWS FROM THE NEWSPAPER READER'S VIEWPOINT GENERAL STATEMENTS If it were known just what effect a piece of printed material would have upon the one who reads it in a newspaper, the value of that piece of publicity could be definitely stated. This chapter is an attempt to discover by experiment which type of public school news is most interesting to the general news- paper reader. In brief the conclusions arrived at are as follows: There is rather close agreement on the part of 403 readers as to the interest created in their minds by ten different newspaper articles submitted to them for judgment. In general, newspaper readers, without respect to their occupa- tion, agreed in their judgments. However, a group which may be designated as commercial pub- licity experts did not agree in some respects with the other occupa- tional groups. The scale on newspaper articles, together with a reproduction of the articles which determined the points on the scale, are not pre- sented as a device to measure the effectiveness of newspaper articles in general. They are presented as an indication that in the minds of the general newspaper reading public, there is an agreement as to a good newspaper article on school matters and a poor one. MATERIAL COLLECTED AND METHOD USED A large number of newspaper clippings on the subject of the health of school children were collected. From these clippings those were selected which dealt with malnutrition. By a statis- tical process of selection, ten of these articles were chosen by 50 judges as ranking in fairly equal steps from lowest or worst to highest or best. These ten articles were reproduced on a broadside which is pre- sented as Form 5, page 82. Six hundred of these broadsides were distributed in all parts of the country, and to as many persons in as many different occupational groups as possible. These newspaper read- ers were asked to rank the articles in the order in which they aroused "the greatest interest in the health of school children". The exact instructions given can be ascertained from the "Directions" in form 5. The following are the facts relative to the replies received. 78 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS The Distribution I. "Broadsides", on which each article was given some rank, of the were received from 403 judges. 2. These judges resided in 35 different states. 3. Of the judges, 162 were women and 241 were men. 4. From a statement of occupation reported on the broadside by each judge, they were divided into ten occupational groups as follows: (a) Public School Administrators. (b) High School Principals. (c) Public School Teachers. (d) Professional Advertising Women. (e) Housewives. (f) Persons in Professions other than Educational. (g) Persons in Business, (h) Clerical Workers. (i) Artisans and Laborers. (j) Newspaper Workers. These 403 judges therefore represent both sexes, a wide geo- . graphical area and a diversified occupational status. They are fairly typical of the general newspaper reading public. To the rankings received, the statistical method of right and wrong cases 1 was applied, the theory of which may be stated as fol- lows: Differences that are equally often noticed are equal unless the differences are always or never noticed. For the purpose of facilitating the work, the median ranking given to each article by each occupational group was determined. The median ranking of each group is the middle value assigned by each group to each article. Half the judges gave each article a ranking less than its median or middle ranking, and half the judges gave the article a ranking greater than the median. In Table XXII, page 93 these medians are tabulated. A study of them shows the general agreement of all groups as to the value of each article. The exception is the advertising-women's group, which differs somewhat in opinion from the others. 1 Fullerton and Cattel— On the Perception of Small Differences, pp. 12 ff. Statistical Treatment of the Judgments. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 79 It was desired from the judgments received to construct a rough scale which would indicate the relative value of the articles under consideration. The theory of the method employed in deriving the scale was the same as that employed by Dr. M. B. Hillegas 1 in his derivation of a scale for the measurement of quality in English composition. It will not be discussed in detail here. The statistical material from which the scale was derived is found in Tables XXIII, XXIV, and XXV, pages 93 and 94. A SCALE OF NEWSPAPER ARTICLES It was evident from the judgments of the various groups that there was little variation as to the relative position which they as- signed to each article. Therefore, the judgments of all the groups were brought together and a composite ranking obtained. Since the women advertisers as a group differed considerably from the others, their judgments are not included in the composite ranking but pre- sented separately. A graphic representation of the composite judgment is presented in Figure I, below. The newspaper articles which are repre- sented on the scale by the letters G, F, I, B, C, are presented in Fig- ures 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, pages 83 to 87 inclusive. This scale means that of the ten newspaper articles judged by the composite group, Article G gave least interest in the health of school children, and Article C gave the most interest. Article F is 1.09 units "better" than Article G; Article I .88 units better than Article F; and so on. The articles illustrating this Scale are found in Figures 2 to 11, inclusive. FIGURE 1. A Graphic A Scale of Newspaper Articles Re-presentation of the Scale. 1.09 ^h-.88^k- .87 -><- 1.05 H falls between F and I J falls between I and B E falls between F and I A foils between I and B D falls between B and C. 'M. B. Hillegas — Scale for the Measurement of Qualities in English Composition bv Young People, pp. 14 ff . 80 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WHAT THE SCALE MEANS An Explanation I. Of the ten newspaper articles printed on the "broadside" of the Scale. Article G is considered the poorest in the composite opinion of all the judges. Article C is considered the best. The others are scattered between, as indicated on the scale. 2. How the unit of measurement is determined: Consider two hypothetical articles, X and Y. The unit of measure- ment on the scale would be the difference between X and Y if 75% of the judges agree that Article X is better than Article Y, and only 25% consider Article X worse than Article Y. In this hypothetical scale, Article X would be placed exactly one unit higher than Article Y. Returning to the newspaper scale with this unit of difference in mind, it will be seen that in the composite judgment there is a little more than one unit's difference between Article G and Article F, — to be exact, 1 .09 of a unit's difference. This means that slightly more than 75% of the judges considered Article F better than Article G. In the same way, slightly less than 75% of the judges considered Article I better than Article F; and so on. In other words, the differences between Articles G andF, F and I, I and B, B and C, are nearly the same; in each case, this is a difference upon the direc- tion of which approximately 75% of the judges agreed as illustrated above. 3. No absolute zero point was determined for the scale, and therefore the scale is relative not absolute. This means that no absolute value is assigned to the articles; Article G is not evaluated except in relation to the other nine articles; it is worse than any of them. In the same way, the position given to Article C is rela- tive, — it is better than any one of the other nine. It is valid to state that Article C is approximately 2.80 units better than F, but we cannot state that C is three times or ten times as good as F. In other words, we can state that one article is so many units better than an- other article, but we cannot use any times-as-good comparison. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 81 Articles A, D, E, H, and J, are not given a position on the scale, Articles not since it was desired to fix only those points which came nearest to Represented differing one unit from each other. The relative position of these on the scale articles is as follows : Articles H and E both fall on the scale between Articles F and I. Articles J and A both fall on the scale between Articles I and B. Article D falls on the scale between Articles B and C. These articles are presented in Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, II, pages 88 to 92 inclusive. In general, the advertising-women's group ranks the articles the same as the others with the following exceptions : Article A is ranked by the women advertisers as the best article or highest on the scale in place of Article C, as chosen by the others; Article C, which the others give the highest rank, the advertising-women's group places much lower. Newspaper Articles About the Health of School Children DIRECTIONS Write your n ttnehere Post Office State FIRST, Read ALL the articles through. THEN, Choose the article which gives you the GREATEST INTER- EST in the health of school children. In the square ABOVE this article, put the figure 1 like this: I j I NOW, Choose the article which gives you the LEAST INTEREST in the health of school children. In the square ABOVE this article, put the figure 10 like this: I |( „ I NOW , Choose the article which Is SECOND IN THE INTEREST it gives you in the health of school children. Put a figure 2 in the square ABOVE it like this: I J~l NOW, As before, choose in turn the article which yc be .Vrd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th. In the squa each article put the figure which indicat which that article has for you. When you have finished, you should have a FIGURE IN EACH OF THE TEN SQUARES. BE SURE YOU HAVE FILLED IN YOUR NAME AND OCCUPil TON ABOVE. MAIL TO: R.G.REYNOLDS Teachers College New York Gty [cH dcd From Page One | ,1 in 5 children i underweight! Large Gains in Weight and Health of Pupils Are Found by Nuritition Class Worker on Her Visit to City FOUND FIVE HUNDRED SCHOOL CHILDREN IN NASHUA SUFFERING FROM MALNUTRITION CAUSES Dr. Wallace of That City Gives Important Address on Survey Results at Durham Farm Bureau Meeting Northwestern Club to Open Clinic Monday r 5^ l '\ Mh'vr'.'.^. I '"vom," : ! School Health Workers Call 5-Cent M ilk High Hygiene Committee Chairman Seckinc Means To Secure Nourishment For Children At Cheapest Possible Cost Asks Aid Of Dr. Buckler In Formulating Plan. n SCHOOL PUPILS IN BERKELEY UNDER WEIGHT MEAL COW HELPS UNDERWEIGHT GIRLS Maslcn llirh School Pupils Drink Milk, Rat Graham Biscuits Daily. MOTHERS' CLUB SUCCEEDS IN IMPROVING CHILDREN'S HEALTH 9/ Dlfi MT NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 83 The five newspaper articles which follow are the ones repre- sented on the scale. FIGURE 2. Newspaper Article — G. Northwestern Club to Open Clinic Monday jlIE regular meeting of the Northwestern Woman's Club was held at Dia- mond Temple. Jan. 3. An interpretation of Van Dyke's "The Other Wise Man," was given by Mrs. Wirick Shafot;. Mrs. Ber- tha Stoll. pianiste. gave the Fan- tasie Impromptu (Chopin). Mrs. John Maney, accompanied by Mrs. Frederick Covert, sang a group of Rongs by Burleigh. Both numbers "ere thoroughly enjoyed. Mrs. B. R. East, chairman of the child welfare committee, introduced Dr. Palmer, of the board of educa- tion, who spoke of the malnutrition clinic to be opened In the Clinton School, Jan. 10, by the Northwestern Woman's Club with the co-operation of the Visiting Nurses' Association unci the board of health. It is the \ntentlon of the'cHnic to give a substantial noon meal to a- group of CO children, and the result of this experiment will enable the hoard of education to definitely de- cide future action In the matter. Miss Xila Smith, supervisor of the' primary grades of the city schools, spoke from the standpoint of the teacher, of the "project" method which is now being used in tile schools. Miss- Elizabeth Cleveland, super- visor of vocational, training, ex- tended an Invitation to the club to visit the new Teachers' College. The philanthropic committee, Mrs. Walter Pannalee. .chairman, an- nounces an evening of cards and dancing at tho Federation Club- house, .Tan. 14. The next meeting of the study class will bo held Jai. 10. Mrs. Willard Vnderill will present, a pa- per, "Progress of Modern Inven- tion." Roll call will bo responded to by a. summary of "Things we would like to have invented.". 84 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FIGURE 3. Newspaper Article — F. SCHOOL PUPILS IN BERKELEY UNDER WEIGHT BERKELEY,"!?©!). 19. __ Fifty , )}er cent of. the pupils in five Ber- keley schools visited have been found to beunderweight, says Miss Florence Boddy, superintendent of ' health visitors of the college city. The' pounds which are lacking to bring the children up to normal vary from 1% to 13%, states Miss Boddy, the average being 7-35 pounds. Discovery of the hsort- comlngs of the pupils followed weighing done by school nunrscs under Miss Boddy's supervision. Defects found in children 1 in all of the Berkeley schools numbered 2452 with the beginning of school nursing- work last year, says Miss Boddy Special attention is being given by ihe health visitors to the curing of speech defects and a clinic for this purpose has been opened for children of the ci' *. -he Berkeley dispensary. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 85 FIGURE 4. Newspaper Article — I. MOTHERS' CLUB SUCCEEDS IN IMPROVING CHILDREN'S HEALTH •"Sturdy boys arid girls in body" as Well as in mind." • That is the. unwritten slogan of a group of Hamlinc mothers interested In chUd welfare .work In their par- ticular community. As u result the milk triatlon at Che 1 Hancock school pijd tho recent weighing and meaa,- ^jir.g workyorought forth Bom~,won- jderful rejsiilvs 'in'huildin? up unex- Jpcctcd, undernourished children. i" The Hemline .Mothers', clul) activi- ties have cijt.tttrod around the, solving jof child . Welfare problems.', The Two chief enterpriser so far have 'been the continuation and devclop- 'mopt of the. milk station and the ;n- !st;. llation of the weighing and iflcas- |uring syate.ni how in 'operation.' First' .Meeting in December. • The first, ehl'd. tfeifiirc meting was held, in December.- when the club heard Hlsa Lucy CoVdinier talk about the food and -habits of children and st'orsed .th» bchefits to he gained from systematic 'weighing and meas- uring.' A spec-' i child welfare meet- ing was planned for. February in the assembly i;oon of the Hancock school when exhibit potters were on view. At this gathering the 'health alpha- bet' book was distributed as souve- nirs. The school nurse requested co- operation of parents arid children. Dr. E. A. Meyerding. and with one of hfs -assistants demonstrated opera- tion of. scales and explained the sys- tem. -All the boys and girls of the school has' now • been weighed .and measured and the club will again hear B|iss Cordinier at a' special pro- gram at .1 P. M. Wednesday at the school. Mrs. Ine* C. Bucklin's dra- matisation ' from ^Cho-Cho and the Health 1 Fairy" will Ih? given by tho little children ^of the school. The Mothers' club h«.s its eye on efficiency and a r&st room for the leach*-.". With this in mind ah enr .{arlaiilRiont and community reception will take place at 8 P. M. tomorrow in the nss-fmbly room of tho school. A Lonstfvliow and olden day .program with tableaux -and songs in costume his been planned by Mrs. M. E. Old ,".ncl Mrs. Bucklin. Mrs. J. E. Hounds "will srive a short talk. A. silver, offer- ing will be taken for th> club's now project, that of a., rest room for the school's instructors.. MH.. M. F. Ern^t Is president of. the club and Mrs. W. W". Metiers Is secretary* -Mrs.. J. S. Kuggetl is chairmen of .milk commit- tee: Mrs. Sidney Horsley, chi'd wel- fare, and .Mrs. Thomas. P. Beyer, pro- gram. Opened Last Sprinjj. The milk Sir' t lop ' opeued . last sping. The ■average daily distribution was 400 bottler, each child paying !i cents a bottle. The early part of til's year with rniik ot 4 rents consumption decreased. After Christmas, 'however, following- the impetus of the child welfare rally with milk 'again at ' 3 cents the distribution, reached 310 bot- Hsa daily With the coming of the weighing and measuring program daily distribution rea'ched 412 bottles. The Hancock nvl-lc station is the only one in 'the city that has been self sup- OX.-rting froiii Its beginning. Mrs. Hljggctt with her' staff of twenty rhclpers operate the station. She ap- peal's every day and proves a verita- ble 'house-mother to the school kid- dies. First she was known among the boys and girls as the "miik-tcachcr," ".ow'she is the "milk mother." The children are interested in being ■•C'igiied and measured. Mrs. K. A. Johnson has charge of the work and has tht-ee assistants. The work has developed to such an extent that 'five assistants are kept busy. In' the en- rollment of 893 children 211 or 24 per cent or more are underweight ; 110 or 1.1/4 per cent are. 10 per centi under- weight. The 7 per cent underweights will be weighed each month and all- •tho children will again be weighed before school closes for the summer vacation. It 'is a plan of the mothers to have a nutrition class for the number. of Underweights. Co-opcra- tion.of the principal of the school. Miss Edith Taylor, the teachers, nui-seS, parents ;and children has made the work a prontr-.ble and pleasurable one, said mothers 'yesterday. The helpers are all volunteers. 86 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FIGURE 5. Newspaper Article — B. Large Gains in Weight and Health of Pupils Are Found by Nuritition Class Worker on Her Visit to City f Miss Mable Skilton, of Roston, nutri- tion-class worker with Dr. William R. 1'. Emerson, arrived in Rochester yes- terday and visited several nutrition classes. Miss Skilton will remain in the city for two weeks visiting the present classes and assisting iu organizing new classes. Dr. Emerson will come later to. confer witli nutrition workers. Miss Skilton visited the class at No. :; Sohool, of which Miss Mildred Camp- bell and Dr. Miller have charge. The gains in this class have b.cen excellent, one child having been graduated. Em- niett l'eake is the first child in the Roch- ester nutrition classes to "go Over the top. - ' His weight went from 55 1-4 pounds to 02 1-2 pounds in fourteen weeks. N.ext week he will be presented his diploma by Dr. Emerson and will receive a prize for being the first of the his class to 'be graduated. An important tindir.i in ahe class at No. 3 School is that fourteen of twenty-one in the class are reported by their teachers to have improved mentally as well as physically The total number of pounds gained in the fourteen weeks is 130. Of those who dill not' gain il was discovered that they were not getting to bed early. •'One of the best tricks to gain is go- ina to bed early." said Miss Skilton in addressing the class. "Every boy and girl in a nutrition class should be in bed at S:30." The MoHflt "Carm>r nutrition. ^lass. directed by Miss Lois Kcmage and Miss Mildred Warrant, with Dr. Caccamise| as physician was next visited. It was, found that a number of children had made excellent gains and. that several were near graduation. All - children in the class have given up tea and coffee and niany are drinking milk. The high- est gaiii in the class was three pounds, hut the best chart in the' class is owned by Joseph Mirabella, who has made a steady gain each week. and. has a good chance of going over the top in 'another week. This is a ease where the child was more than 10 per ceDt.. under weight. Miss Skilton remarked that tile chil- dren in the class looked better and held; themselves better than when they en- terd, and some of the children had made] such a gain that she scarcely recognized. them. Miss Skilton impressed upon the ( children that "now is the time to grow."i If undcr-weight condition persists it be-' comes chronic and is harder to correct; in later life. Children taken in the early! years of life can gaiii their weight much] mere readily and once gained, if no, physical defects are present, the weight] will not he lost. Graduates from nutri-j tiou classes, according to Miss Skilton,' do not tend to lapse. ] Miss Skilton is in the city under the! auspices of the Tuberculosis Association 1 of Rochester and Monroe County and will be a guest at the Century Club dur- ing her stay in Rochester. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 87 FIGURE 6. Newspaper Article — C. The Public Sc hpols What Schools Have Done, Are Doing and Will Do for Buffalo. WASTING LIVES Y> editor has no head lor figures (?) But there are still manv of our and no inclination to make figures babies left. By this time thev are in lie. Statistics are inconvenient to get school, thousands of them— selected and dry reading anyway, so we shall group that has survived the ordeals' dispense with them and base our story of Infancy and early childhood- surelv on facts that you, kind reader, have these shall develop to stron» ' sturdv only to look around you to verify. manhood and womanhood Let us see Here are a few of these facts: (1) A Glimpse of the Schoolroom Babies are born every minute, many ot (S> Let's look irf on average fourth them well and strong, many of them or fifth or sixth grades— not as nhv cursed with a heritage of disease; for sicians or nurses but just as mmnti "The Sins of the Parents Are Visited with our eyes open. Five pupils wear upon their children"— even to the ing glasses. Why? That's another third and fourth generation." (2) At story; but they show parental atten the end of a year lilies are bowing tion and mentally we give father a plus over a multitude of little graves where mark. F've more frowning or bend the proud faces of mothers might have ing over books, some with red evelid* been bending over little cradles. and inflamed eyes — the frowns are (3) In two years there are many not from displeasure nor the eves red more little mounds in God's acre and with anger. It's eye strain ' What many more empty hearted mothers in causes it? Why isn't the cause our homes. moved and the condition corrected' (4) In three, years most of the weak Sonne one is blundering and >the child little voices are never rnore to be is paying for the blunder. Over in the heard on earth and, alas! rnanyof 4he corner — a vacant face, parted lips pale strong ones are hushed, and you say round shouldered, a typical "mouth' "God has taken them," "the Lord breather." Why?. Why doesn't some giveth and the Lord taketh away." one throw out the life-line to this child And here permit a passing comment, before it's too late? The Lord gave the little child. True, Middle row — halfway back pale lit and the Lord hath taken it back. True tie girl, narrow chested, with dreamv again, but we are not so sacriligious as eyes too bright if disease has beiuii to ^believe that the Lord was on "In- too dull if poor nutrition has not rone dian Giver" and that He would jeal- loo far. A candidate for the oner/ air ously or wantonly or cruelly take class or the tuberculous ward Your away what He had given. Why not rhr.ice now, later there will be * no face the truth and acknowledge that choice. Why doesn't somebody choose God had taken back the little soul life for this child? because we sacrificed the little body \A nothcr frowning, face, this time It's upon the altar of sin and Ignorance or evidently discontent. 111' temper not neglect Let clean, wise, thoughtful eyes— a misfit In the class. He needs parents who lose a little child take something to do that ho can do hand comfort, i fthey can, in the belief that work, book work, that is practical He's God had use in heaven for. the little the opportunity school tvpe, but he one; but there should be no Ruch com- isn't in the opportunity school because fort for the father who defiled his there isn : enough room for him body or the mother who became a What's the answer? More opportunity mother with no knowledge of the care schools, of course, br one a good deal that the baby should have. Much less larger than that we now have excuse or comfort should there be for A stolid face in the back seat at- parents who ignore their charge or del r tracts our attention. "Verv slow, never egate their parental duties to servants, recites— deaf." A tragedv in five Cruel, material philosophy." Do you words. The answer: Special class i,„y? Not at all, We are merely say- v ith special attention, lip reading, deaf children Shall there be more?' Ifs up to you, Mr. Taxpayer. By the way, how much is a child's life worth, anyway? Turn to the Weight Chart. Wo turn to a chart on the wall. It's story is told in figures that do not lie, for they are the record of the scale which ip an instrument of precision. And the story of the scale as recorded on the chart 'S that one child out of everv five is below the weight that his height demands. "What's the cause?" "Malnutrition." "What causes malnu- , trition?" Bad food. What's the result? measles, | re fer you to a medical dictionary, be- gin almost anywhere and read both ways. People of Buffalo, these rather i;n« pleasant stories have only one pur- pose. To enlist you in an army that ing again what science admits and re- ligion should admit if its doesn't, that: CHILD MORTALITY IS THE DIS- GRACE OF THE RACE. It is a dis- grace because r T IS PREVENTABLE. -iut to resume our arraignment of facts! (5) In four years the fittest children of the fittest parents have survived; also some born weak and some who have had weakness thr»st upon them. (6) Now comes the time whuit childhood runs the gauntlet of "Chil- dren's diseases." Mumps, measles, diphtheria, whooping cough and scar- let fever, aid the grim reaper to take toll of our little ones. For we have raised no fortifications against him — have put no barriers before him. Like Indian faltalists our dry is "Kismet" or shall fight tntellipently'for thp'pres^- weakly call upon our faith instead of v -it.'on and welfare of our children. fow soon shall vou be ready r or the — lib- crusade? NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS The five newspaper articles which follow are not assigned a definite position on the scale. Their relative position has been given. FIGURE 7. Newspaper Article — H. School Health Workers Call 5-Cent M ilk High Hygiene Committee Chairman Seeking Means To Secure! Nourishment For Children At Cheapest Possible Cost Asks Aid Of Dr. Buckler In Formulating Plan. The hygiene committee of. the School Board, to which the question of extend- ing the milk service in the schools was referred by the board, appealed today to Dr. Warren H. Buckler, director of health work in the schools, for a plan whereby this tould be accomplished.- Theodore E. Straus, chairman of the committee, said there is a fund of about $1,000 which had been provided for school luncheons which might be avail- able for such work. It is felt that the price of 5 cents a half-pinf, which was quoted by the Baltimore Dairy Council to the School Board in their offer to sell milk at that price to the schools and to nply children who could not afford to _y, was too high. In Dr. Henry S. West's report to tbo School Board* out- lining the present system of serving milk, it was pointed out that at School No. 6, the only school where every f:hild drinks bis half pint of milk daily the children paid only 3 cents a half-pint, and that at School No. 39 milk was sola at '4 cents a half-pint. It is declared that the children be provided milk at whole- sale price. Council Is Interested. At the Baltimore Dairy Council it was stated that the proposition to ex- tend the milk service in the schools had aroused much interest among the teach- ers. Nineteen schools have asked for further information on the subject and indicated that the service would be wel- comed if the School Board agreed. Opportunity for Miss Sophia Sey- ferth, teacher at the Eastern High School, who complained to the board yesterday that she had been discrimi- nated against in the matter* of salary, to be examined by the board's physician, will be granted immediately, ' She was granted a leave of absence on half-pay until April 1, with the privilege of re- turning to her classroom if able before that time. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FIGURE 8. Newspaper Article — E. CHILD'S WEIGHT IMPORTANT Undernourished One Is at Disad- vantage, Herman J. Norton Shows. "A child who is 10 per cent, or more under weight cannot be expected to pro- cress as rapidly and successfully ita school as a child who is.iip'to normal," saiil Herman J. Norton, director of phy- sical education of the Board of Educa- tion, in speaking before the Deaeue of iWomeu Voters at No. 104 West avenue last even in p. "Nutrition classes have already been 'established in some of the fhiblic school" and we hope before lonpr to bp. able to conduct classes in all' of the schools. The results obtained to t*i? have been re- markable. It is surprising to see the number of children who are really suf- fering from malnutrition." Jlr. Norton illustrated his talk with slides ^prepared by Dr. William fl. V. Emersdn, of Boston, who " this purpose. A grow.., ot 30 per cent wai shown in the summer olementarj schools and members of the boaril declared that the summer school ex- pedited progress and tended to- -ards the all year around school, hree proposals for engineer; ■-: janitors' SBlaries w.erc consid- ered, but no action taken. A $25 in. crease was granted as a bonus tc the engineers in 1919 and 1920, anc the board committee suggested thai now as living conditions were moi-< normal. the engineers' salarie; might be reduced either $15 or $2: a month. , The board, meeting as a commit- tee of the whole, will continue it! lcliberations Wednesday after- noon. At that time or at the regu- lar meeting Thursday night tin building budget of $5,493,000 will b< considered Feeding Undernourished --ne by Women's Clubs a meeting of the child welfare artment of ths Federation o Women's Clubs this morning the co operation of Frank Cody, supcrin tendent of schools, and Dr. Hour; F. Vaughan. health commissioner, ii the department's proposed plan W feeding 3.000 of the city's O.OOfJ under-nourished school child---] was indorsed. "The plan is not a new o. ,o the child , welfare department,'' said Mrs. W. H. Mortimer, chairman "For three years the women's clubs of this city have fostered the idea that the work we have been doing would win the recognition of botl the department of health .and the board of education. ASKED CODY'S AID. | "In a recent letter to Mr Cody we asked co-operation In this work, which it was our Intention to carry i>n in larger proportions. The result has boen so beneficial and satisfac- tion of parents so apparent that the federation hoped to carry its work into every school of the city. "The department, however, la not entirely in favor of the plan out- lined by Dr. Vaughan, which rec- ommends that the hot meals be given free to these children. One of the aims of tills department' is to discourage the pauperising of De- troit's citizens, and we believe that this would be an outgrowth of a free lunch plan. Lunches should be laid for by parents who are able to do so and only those children whose home conditions arc found unsatisfactory by the visiting nurses assigned to the case should be given meals gratis." MRS. NOVAK EXPLAINS. Mrs. Charles M. Novak of the fed- eration pplnted out -.(hat the child welfare department has been serv- ing lunches of milk and crackers for the past three years In 20 of the city's schools. More than 5,000 chil- dren benefited by this food which is served each day at 10 a. m. The monthly reports given out this morning by members or the committee showed that during the 17 school days of December. $1,300 had been paid for milk and crackers. Pennies collected from children able to pay amounted to $1,389. The def- icit was made up from the John Dodge fund which was given for thls work several months ago. In- crease in health and weight of the children partaking of these lunches was In great contrast to schools where no lunches were served 1 dur- inj he month, according to Mrs. Jlo; umer. 92 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FIGURE 11. Newspaper Article— D. FOUND FIVE HUNDRED SCHOOL CHILDREN IN NASHUA SUFFERING FROM MALNUTRITION CAUSES Dr. Wallace of That City .Gives Important Address on Survey Results at Durham Farm Bure au Meeting DURHAM, Jan. 12. — Over five hun- dred school children in the city of Nashua between the kindergarten age and the junior high school are under 1 "weight, stated Dr. Arthur Wallace ot the Gate City, the only formal address of the day, on second day of the sixth annual New -Hampshire 'Farm' Bureau Federation meeting. He also said that similar conditions to those in Nashua and 'elsewhere are a mett- ace to the 6ta+e and the nation and ruggested the desirability of -passing legislation that will make it Impossi- ble for hoys 'r. Wallace and added, "Over fit) T>"r cent of the children in Nashua are Us n.nd coffee drinkers." Depicting th e. jdaxliing conditio: .. of the Jd-allli of the children attending rhe public schools of Nashua was made Dr. Wal- lace said it V»>)Is found that • only 2!i per cent of the children were accus- tomed to drink milk. "During this sur- vey;" said Dr." Wallace, "It was dis- covered that 95 pupils out of 248 ex- amined especially to discover mal- nutrition were underweight. You will readily see that that is almost 40 per cent.'' Determined to prosecute the cam- paign of education and to try anc" correct the serious conditions found, as well as secure the co-operation ol the parents of -school children, those in charge of the survey . adopted the slogan, "We believe that health is more than education alone." The results of the campaign dis- closed five causes which 'contributed to the deplorable health conditions ex- isting among the Nashua school chil- dren. These five causes, declared Dr (Continued from Page One.) Wallace, wero first, bad tonsiU and adenoids; second, bad teeth; third, excessive fatigue; fourth, insufficient food; fifth, bad habits of living. Many defects. Examination of the childrjn. Dr. Wallace said, showed that practically (Continued •»n__ ,P;n;f Jlhttff.J every case -manifested such symptoms as curvature of the spine, flabby muscles, stooped .,lk»ulr!°r= -"i^d a haggered, sober expression. " - s Dr. Wallace related ?n detail bow" the survey committee has been work- ing lor the past year to eradicale the causes of malnutrition discovered among the Nashua children. He 6aid that a system of educational training to teach the parents and the children how to co-operate in eliminating the deplorable consequences of malnutri- tion has been inaugurated and this system has already shown much re- sults. Actual feeding in some of the schools has been attempted and the drinking of cocoa and milk In lieu of the all to'o prevalent use of tea and coffee has been persistently encouraged. Dr. Wallace intimated that Nashua is not the only- community in which school children are suffering from malnutri- tion and its bad effects, and left theim- ,'pres"Sion on the audience that a similar carefully conducted survey will reveal approximately the same condition in lanv urban or rural community. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 93 TABLE XXII. MEDIAN RANKINGS GIVEN TO TEN NEWSPAPER ARTICLES BY TEN GROUPS OF JUDGES Read the Tables as follows: Of 85 School Administrators, one half placed on Article A, a value less than 4.1 and one half placed on Article A, a value greater than 4.1. Groups Number of Judges Median Ranking Given to Each Sample A B C D E F G H I J 1. School Administrators 2. High School Principals 3. School Teachers 4. Advertising Women 5. Housewives 6. Persons in Professions 7. Persons in Business 8. Clerical Workers 9. Artisans and Laborers 10. Newspapers Workers 85 87 61 34 37 34 24 12 24 5 4.1 4.1 4.4 1.3 4.6 2.5 3. 4. 4.5 3.3 3.3 3.9 3. 3.3 3.7 4.1 3.5 3.8 4.5 5.8 1. 1.3 1.4 4.3 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.5 8. 3.3 2.9 3.1 3.6 3.8 3.4 4.5 3.2 3.1 2.3 6.6 7.6 7. 5.4 6. 7.2 7.1 6.5 6.8 6. 7.4 7.3 7.8 8.4 8.1 8.2 7. 7.5 7.8 4.3 10. 9.8 9.7 9.8 9.8 9.7 9.8 9.7 9.2 9.9 6.9 6.5 7.5 5.5 7.4 7.5 7.5 8.5 6.5 5.3 5.5 5.7 5.6 6. 5.9 5.1 5.2 3. 4.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5. 5.6 5.1 5.7 5.5 5.2 5.8 4. TABLE XXIII. THE NUMBER OF "BETTER" JUDGMENTS OF 369 INDIVIDUALS IN RANKING THE TEN ARTICLES Articles Compared Articles with which comparison is made F H E I J A B D C G 86 73 60 35 F 174 239 102 71 H 208 119 100 94 E 134 116 82 I 182 137 103 J 137 107 116 A 171 144 99 B 164 89 D 100 C Read the table as follows: 86 of the 369 individuals considered Article G "better" than Article F; 73 considered Article G 'better" than Article H; 174 considered Article F "better" than Article H; etc. 94 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TABLE XXIV. THE NUMBER OF "BETTER" JUDGMENTS GIVEN IN TABLE XXIII REDUCED TO PER- CENTS OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF JUDGMENTS For the method of reading this table see Table XXIII. A rlicles Compared Articles with which comparison is made F H E I J A B D C G 23.3 19.3 16.3 9.5 F 47.2 35.2 27.6 19.2 H 43.6 32.2 27.1 25.4 E 36.3 31.4 15.5 I 49.3 37.1 27.9 J 37.1 29. 31.4 A 46.3 39. 26.8 B 44.4 24.1 D 27.1 C TABLE XXV. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE VARIOUS ARTICLES IN THE SET OF TEN DERIVED FROM THE PERCENTS OF ' ' BETTER" JUDGMENTS GIVEN IN TABLE XXIV AND EX- PRESSED IN TERMS OF THE DIFFERENCE WHICH EXACTLY SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE JUDGES ARE ABLE TO DISTINGUISH Articles Compared Articles with which comparison is made F H E I J A B D C G 1.09 1.26 1.45 1.95 F .10 .56 .88 1.29 H .24 .68 .91 .98 E .52 .72 1.51 I .03 .49 .87 J .49 .82 .74 A .14 .41 .92 B .21 1.05 D .91 C THE SEATTLE SUNDAY TIMES. SEPTEMBER 5, 1925. H DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION All SEA CVIC AN TIE BIDS IIS NEW TEACHERS HEARTY WELCOME ID ITS JOIN IN GREETING NEW ARRIVA D EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZA IONS Attention, New Teachers! Department of Education OPEN Sunday. 2 to 4 P. M. Monday, I OA.M. to 5:30 P.M. A SCHOOL PAGE FROM A CITY WITH A SCHOOL NEWS PROGRAM CHAPTER VI A PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL INFORMATION SERVICE IN THE DAILY NEWSPAPER The suggestions set forth in this chapter are general. School administrators will find that the size of their system, the attitude of the newspapers, the policy of the board of education, and many other factors enter into any school publicity program. TWO KINDS OF SCHOOL PUBLICITY First of all a distinction should be made between two kinds of school publicity. 1. Special purpose publicity carried on for the purpose of achieving some immediate end. Bond issue campaigns, teachers' salaries campaigns, and the like. 2. Continuous informational news service. By this is meant the constant publication of informational material about the school system. This service has two pur- poses: (a) The discharge of the obligation, on the part of those responsible for the public school system, to render a report of its activities; (b) The creating of "good will" on the part of the community's citizens in order that their support of and cooperation with the public school system may be based upon full informa- tion. It is not the purpose of this study to deal with special purpose publicity. It has been mentioned as one type which school systems at times must use. It is the type which is most commonly thought of in connection with public schools. Considerable study has been given to this kind of publicity, and the facts are available. 1 Figures 12 and 22, pages 98 and 118 show examples of newspaper publicity for special purposes. The suggestions in this chapter deal entirely with continuous school news service. THE ORGANIZATION School news service should be carefully organized. It should be recognized as an important function of the public school system. The same care that is used in organizing any other administrative division should be used in organizing news service. Haphazard or 'Alexander and Theisen — Publicity Campaigns for Better School Support. NEWSPAPER PUBL ICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 97 accidental news preparation and publication will not accomplish the A Program results desired. There are two types of organization. for School 1. A Centralized Organization: This type is a division of the administration of the school sys- tem. It heads up in the office of the superintendent of schools. It may he directed in various ways. (a) By a news or publicity director whose duties consist in the preparation, manufacture, and distribution of all printed material used by the school system. School news service in the press will be one of the duties which he directs. (b) By the superintendent of schools who may direct this activity as one of his administrative duties. (c) By some other administrative officer, — an assistant superintendent, a supervisor, the clerk of the school board, etc., who may be assigned the direction of school news service in addition to other duties. (d) By some principal, special instructor, or teacher, whose other duties are so arranged as to allow time for the direction of school news service. This director of news service should probably have an advisory board or cabinet, representative of the administration and of the teaching staff. It is possible that the children, patrons and organiza- tions closely allied to the school system should be represented in this advisory body. 2. A Representative Organization: This type of organization will be headed up by a School News Committee. This committee may be made up in various ways. It may represent the various departments of the school system, such as Elementary Education, Vocational Education, etc. It may represent the various schools in the system. The local school situation will determine best how it should be made up. Such an organization gives to the teaching staff an opportunity to share in one of the ad- ministrative responsibilities of the school system. In this representative news committee, the administrative department, the teaching staff, and possibly the student body and patrons of the school system, should be repre- sented. News. » ATIT70NA DA in _Ti '■ : ' ■■■■ Wl;>t-\\\, ?v\n HIGH SCHOOL BOND ELECTION HIGH SCHOOL BOND ELECTION THE ROAD TO SUCCESS Leads Through the Door of Education tf We Build" Is the motto of the Kiwanis club and is the election next Tuesday they are showing this spirit of progressiveness for the betterment of Tucson and the following members have assisted in making possible this special page appeal to the voters of Tucson to go out and vote. People's Fuel & Feed Co. Page Furniture Co. WJ.Corbett Hardware Co. Fleishman Drug Co. Ford Garage Frank Curley George Kitts GoodfeDows Grotto Missouri State Life Insurance Co. Ralph Gunst, Gen. Agent Congress Hotel Pereira Studio Every Voter Must Vote is the hearty ap- peal to every voter in Tncson by the following automo- bile men: J. Breck Richard- Daross Auto Top Co. Borderland Service Station Miller Storage Battery Co. Babbitt Bros. Franklin Motor Co. McArthur Bros. WILL — OPPORTUNITY KNOCK AT THE DOORS I WILL ADVANTAGE BE DENIED? A VOTE FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL BONDS A VOTE fOR THE "KIDDIES" OPPORTUNITY KNOCK AT THE DOORS OF TUCSON AND FIND HER UNPREPARED? WILL ADVANTAGE BE DENIED? Auto Equipment Co. Tucson Auto Sup- ply Co. Business Men Who realize the ur- gent need of the Boys and Girls. Arizona Ice Cream & Candy Co. Mr. Hazelton Rose Real Estate Co. Chocolate Shop Club Pool Hall Tucson Steam Laundry Palace of Sweets Hartley Cleaning Works The YQlaescusa Co. A. L Sterns D.C Pima Hay and Grain Co. Dooley Street AND THE FUTURE PROSPERITY OF TUCSON. Tucson tax-payers will be asked to approve a $750,000 bond issue at a special election next Tuesday. The money is wanted to erect a new high school building here. There is some opposition from certain groups who put money before human values, who fail to see that better schools mean better future citizens. It is therefore vitally essential that every voter in Tucson who favors the New High School Building should cast a vote next Tuesday, April 19th. Is a New High School Actually Needed Here? Without a doubt The present building is overcrowded. You can get first hand infor- mation on this by a visit to the high school building. The class rooms are crowded, so crowded that good school work is impossible. The present building is not modern. It is ten years behind Tucson of today. The school has no gymnasium and the library is too small. The present crowded conditions at the High School are a discredit to a such a pro- gressive city as Tucson. Glance at these enrollment figures if you still doubt the need for the new schooL In 1912 the high school attendance was 202. IN 1917 IT WAS 322 STUDENTS. IN 1919-20 IT WAS 537 STUDENTS. IN 1918-19 IT WAS 414 STUDENTS. IN 1920-21 IT WAS 744 STUDENTS. The gain in enrollment has been very rapid during the last few years. It is logical that it will continue. Tucson is growing more rapidly every year and her schools are keeping pace in attendance. They Should Keep Pace in Progress too The school board wants to build a high school that will take care of 1500 students. That goal will be reached in a few years. The school will be modern in every respect It will be a pride to the mothers and fathers and a credit to Tucson. The boys and girls will get all the benefits. Tucson can't turn back. It is at the cross roads of progress now. A victory for the school bonds will put it in the ranks of the progressive communities of the Southwest Every civic organization in the city has endorsed the high school bonds. However, votes and not endorsements win elections. Consider the appeal in this page, investigate the proposition carefully and fairly and you will be convinced that you should vote for the bonds like your neighbor will. Then go to the polls Tuesday and let the world know that you want the very best schools pos- sible for the boys and girls of Tucson. A SPECIAL PURPOSE DISPLAY ADVERTISEMENT. AN EXAMPLE OF COOPERATION NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 99 THE FINANCING OF SCHOOL NEWS SERVICE In most cases, the financing of school publicity is a matter for A Program school board consideration. So far as newspaper service is con- for School cerned, it is probable that little financial backing is necessary. If News. school news is of the right sort, the newspapers will, in most cases, gladly print it at no cost to the system. Where funds are necessary to carry on publicity activities, they must be secured from a school board which has been convinced that the expenditure is justified, or they must be secured from individuals or organizations interested in this kind of school activity. THE COLLECTION OF SCHOOL NEWS The organization of this part of the publicity process will vary greatly. i. Units for News Collection: Some of the units possible for the collection of the news material are as follows: (a) The whole school system, with news collectors assigned to pick up news wherever and whenever found. (b) The various administrative divisions, with one news collector responsible for covering all news that deals with the Buildings and Grounds Department, the Department of Research, etc. (c) The various teaching divisions into which the system is divided, with collectors responsible for news re- lating to Kindergarten Education, High School Education, Vocational Education, Athletics, Stu- dent Activities, and the like. (d) The individual schools or buildings, with one collector responsible for all news material relating to the activities of any one school or building. 2. The News Collectors: These are the school system's reporters. They can be se- lected from the following: A news director. Individual students. Superintendent of schools. Individual teachers. Clerk of the school board. English classes. Supervisors. Journalism classes. Principals. Sunday. Mirch 6. 1921 THE GREAT FALLS TOBDHB Music Training Recognized in Great Falls Schools as Rid in Development of Alertness, Initiative and Precision A SCHOOL PAGE DEALING ENTIRELY WITH ONE SUBJECT NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 101 The type of organization will determine to some degree which A Program of these agencies shall be used. Facts presented in pre- for School vious chapters show that students are to a considerable News. extent being utilized for this purpose. 3. The Editing and Approving of News Collected: School news for newspaper publication should be edited. It will be edited by the newspaper. It should be edited by some one in the publicity organization of the school sys- tem. Such skilled editing will save labor and trouble for the newspaper and, more important still, it will make for less of error and mis-statement. News copy prepared by school systems and printed in the newspaper is evidence of the lack of proper editing based on a knowledge of good newspaper style. The type of organization for handling school news will to some extent determine the method of editing. If the organization is highly central- ized, the editing will necessarily be done by some central agency. If the organization is more representative, the responsibility of editing school news will probably be scattered among various persons. At the present time, the editing of school news is done by the following: News director. Superintendent of schools. Principals. Teachers. Athletic coach. English or journalism classes. Student editors. In many cases, the only editing which school news re- ceives is done by the newspaper organization. Some school people reporting on this subject expressed an opin- ion that in some cases the editing of news in the school system, especially by a central authority, might become censorship and that anything resembling this would be contrary to democratic ideals. This point is undoubtedly worthy of thought. It should be possible, however, to give to news prepared within the schoolsystem the benefit of editing without subjecting it to the evils of censorship. Much harm has been done to the cause of public school education by the unedited newspaper productions of irre- sponsible correspondents. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1921. NEWS OF THE SCHOOLS Ask Improvements at Gran GRADE SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL HONOR WASHINGTON The Public Schools What Schools Have Done, Are Doing and Will Do for Buffalo SPECIAL SATURDAY "NEWS" FEATURE I Public Schools have bee me the "Gateway to Opportunity,* The Trades. Industry, Com "cT'tKy do TOf " S t «alUe°-TH^ special artlclos will tell the otory to busy readers at a glance. The >--ldo of our city « iould be Its schools — read and grow ftrowd. Scientific Methbds-Arell 1 Used to Gauge- Students „ ■At the Garfield J THE SCHOOL COLUMN OR NOTES NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 103 THE DELIVERY OF SCHOOL NEWS Provision should be made in any school news organization for the A Program delivery of school news. One of the most common criticisms of for School editors is in relation to this matter of delivery. The guiding prin- News. ciple is, that the value of school news, to a very great extent, depends upon its timeliness. Therefore, an efficient school news service will provide for the prompt delivery of all news as soon after its happen- ing as possible. Some newspaper editors state that all news should be collected in some central office, that it may all be available to the newspapers. Again the type of organization will determine the method of delivery. It can be assembled promptly and delivered by one central agency, or each division or school can be held respon- sible for the direct delivery to the newspaper organization. However it may be collected the all important element of time- liness which is the chief characteristic of daily newspaper articles must be observed. RELATIONS OF THE SCHOOL NEWS ORGANIZATION WITH THE NEWS- PAPER ORGANIZATION I. Personal Relations. School news in the daily newspaper cannot be carried on success- fully without the cooperation of the newspaper organi- zation. Therefore one of the first essentials in any pub- licity program is the sympathetic cooperation of school and newspaper. This should be based upon friendly rela- tions and a mutual understanding of the problems of each. The personal touch is necessary. This personal friend- ship is not to be construed as a means of influencing news- paper organizations or in any way attempting to control what school news shall appear in the press, but it is the only basis of a proper understanding between the two institutions. Such relations in no way imply "favor seeking". A newspaper campaign should be based on the belief that both the newspaper and the school system exist for service to the community; that the individuals in charge of both institutions are good citizens who should meet each other on an equal plane that this service may be the better performed. School superintendents, editors, and reporters should be the best of friends, even though they may disagree. Such friendship will lessen the disa- greement. If the attitude of newspaper men toward this study is an indication the school administrator will find himself met more than half way by editors in any effort to inform his public in the daily press. The GraM The GRAfr -NO. 17G GRAND RAPIDS, MJ"° r N °- 18 ° GRAND RAPIE SlVEGEiANY MAY THE TURNER SCHOOL THE PINE SCHOOL Ry EDITH^AIXAN JACOX Nineteenth of a Rcrles of article* In which the public spools of Grand Rapid? arc to tjc purveyed by a wpecbiUy trained writer, wHu o vIcwTlo suggi-stintr changes and Improvements to the advantage of pupils, tcaciM-r* parents and, tho city. This orttclo continues th© survey of the Turner school, which will bo concluded tomorrow. Pino school comes next Dj EDITH ALLAN JACOX Twenty- Second of a series of articles Ira which tho public schools of Grand RapkLs are to be surveyed by a specially trained writer, with a view to suggesting changes and Improvements to the advantage or pupils, teachers, parents and the city. This article continues tho survey of the Pine school. the west side. Phillip C. Miller, 1336 Scrlbner ave- nuo, N. "W., who was recently elected to the school board, haB lived in the Turner school district for 40 years. Mrs. Miller attended school in the old build- ing, when Mrs. Townsend was principal. Their children have gone through Tur- ner. They have always maintained their Interest in tho district. Mr. Miller said, believe tha ' tho uchool board should visit every school In the system, and know from personal observation and contact the condition and requirements of every school. Knowledge of conditions ts tho only duties the. office, all personal feeling' should be submerged, even if it calls for dlscrim- t the desires of one's home . i-hich than spiritual, and reat American 'pull.' ' kind of meeting being' held at the t ch; Mrs. John Lamb, who i iled the Ichfldr eight to < The people recently s t be represented on th £ If they are to receive their i aiders Uon, The Ideal school 1 posed of favor of tho east Bide. ! the west side have only "j st > the fact that they \h n embers from each ward, which should insure i representation.. $ "The people on the west side feel that & they need a high school in the north- t western part of the city. The site has . been picked at Harrison park, where } recreational advantages would be ex- ' " at. L he pupils who go from the west I to Unlon4Hgh have a long distance! /alk, especially when they working people < grade school work i I of them do, forlea afford either carl- :e. The time for her Tho fact that tor complete their frig source of worry c for 30 years, and has sent five chil- dren there for their preliminary edu- cation. Sho has two chllden there at present, and lives at 423 Pine avenue, N. W. Following is Mre. Lamb's state- ment regarding the school and Its "When, I presented our petliion to the scho«lj- boerd. I told them that we wanted a bew building, of course, but didn't exple* to net it. but that we did feel we Should be given an addl- palr that I tell bim he la standi) the way of our getting a new sc Sibley school la even newer thai 25-year-old addition, but It Is In i "We want a arm which can, be as an auditorium. One night n 200 parent^ 1 e only allowed 15 mlnu alk, which necessitated c day a tcachei found that the : : the children take The parents "The children make a good deiil of :ompiaint about the school yard, but ; of course, they don't realize the shab- biness of the building. It costs the j parents in the district a lot for broken j windows. We have asked for the high wire backstops, but n.ever got I then). They would protect the* win- j coping along the church property] whtfeh adjoins the playground. A church and school so close together, However, Mr. Parker, The GranS the Grak GRAND RAPIDS. MIjj_ Na 227 GRAND RAPIDS, MIC THE PALMER SCHOOL By EDITH ALLAN JACOX ( Seventp-scventh of a scries of articles in which tho public schools of I j Grand Rapids aro to be surveyed by a specially twined writer, with a view I of suggesting changes and improvements to t. ? advantage of pupils, teachers, parents and the city. The artlclo concruf tfie survey of Palmer | school, 'it also concludes the series for too present. THE DIAMOND SCHOOL Dy EDITH ALLAN JACOX Sixty-ninth of a series of articles In which tho public schools of Grand, Rapids -are to bo surveyed by a specially trained writer, with ' gesting changes and improvements the advantage of pupils, teachers, par- iui the clO", The article begins tlio survey "" * ' bo continued. 1 Diamond school. * Mrs." C. R. Dunk, 35" Travis avenue, *N..E., an ex-president of the Palmer .Patrons association, says Palmer school has never been In such fine ■ condition as it Is t0(2ay. The children ters.of tho Health Crusaders lr school suffice to check up the health r ; habits of the pupdla and the health ji ,conDHnnaJUT_tho school building. Plamo'nd school, lilamond ave- i will have no more when the addition me and Fountain street, according is completed, but they will be right.' o the testimony of tho patron s, ls| ^ Talk With tho Principal. 'Principal then explained at I her policies. Tho teache i oonsclentlo . difficulty j ■ pathetic and oonscle Neighbors say that the children are very well behaved and helpful. They are taught their responsibility to their neighbors and i thing of the kind i most dynamic in the city, nourished children are given milk daily. This' work has been going oi for the lost four years. When chil dren'aire up to weight and their vital lty restored, the milk diet is discon- tinued. Another Talk With the Principal. Mre. Fink K aid: "The health of th< I children is the chief topic of discus PARENTS AND TEACHERS Those who read Mrs. Edith Allan Jacox's tin-.cly and illuminat- ing. ; tides in The News on the various public schools of Grand. jJg"S M) J^ 1 *Sc lay ground. ry. C f| Rapids will recall that shedevoted much attention to- the work of the Parent-Teacher association. This organization has been thor- oughly established here and it has been an effective force for good in our schools. So far as we have been advised, there is no national organization in any- other country which covers exactly the field in which the Parent-Teacher associations in the United^ States are active. There is every reason why in our American communities there should be" the closest co-operation between parents and school teachers.' Our schools aje public in" the fullest sense, and it is only when fathers and. mothers concern themselves with the work "of the schools, aiding and supplementing the efforts of the teachers, that the best results can be achieved. rh Grand Rapids, where we pride ourselves on doing things pretty well, the Parent-Teacher associations have developed rather better than in most cities. The Mothers clubs,, as they are generally known, i"£! have been admirably managed. They have been kept almost wholly t^nment<^ w ® free from cliques. They are thoroughly democratic. Class distinc-[ -TheuDperfli rions. which so. many like to preserve, have been eliminated ana j° e alvid ( ^ lnt0 ' Iways the utmost -harmony has prevailed. That is the principal. [ '_ rlmary school." she said. |«r. ., and haa been wel] cared for. I think we have as pleasant a lpca- l and outlook as any school in grounds are p principal. in 20 years ago, When our addition is ■. gymnasiu lty, and second i larger than grade school in the id a half stories high. There movie booth at the north' tho south e'nd. At present ir long corridor for enter- We use -chairs to-scat 180 and can Beat 200 for a play. Der floor in the addlUon will rooms to be' used Page 6.) SAMPLES OF ARTICLES IN A CONTINUOUS CAMPAIGN Nearly 100 of these articles were published in consecutive issues of the newspaper. They were always on the front page NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 105 2. Professional Relations: (a) The Distribution of School News. J Program Most cities have more than one newspaper. In pro- for Scho ° l fessional relations between the school system and News - these newspapers, fairness and impartiality should be maintained. This is extremely important. Some understanding should be arrived at, as to the fair distribution of school news which is prepared and given out by the school system. This arrange- ment will depend upon the local situation. It should be determined by representatives of school system and all newspapers. Some of the methods used by school systems to provide for fair distribu- tion of news were discussed in Chapter IV. They are for convenience listed briefly below. (/) All newspapers are entitled to news of the public school. Each newspaper has its own body of readers who are citi- zens of the community and patrons of the public school system. The stand- ing or character of a newspaper should not determine whether school news should be furnished. (2) Send duplicate copy of all news to each newspaper. (5) Where all papers issue a Sunday edition save the big stories for this edition. (4) If desired, alternate news between news- papers. (5) If desired, separate the school news day into the respective fields which the newspapers cover. (b) Independent Securing of News by the Newspapers. A certain amount of school news will be secured and printed independently of the school news organiza- tion. The attitude of the school system in this matter should be to assist in every possible way the newspaper which initiates a school news story. Don't suppress or cover up anything. If the proper personal relations have been established, SOOOL STUO> 8POBT3 The Bors and GiRLslfei Copyright 1920, ated Editor* The Blgaert Little Paper In the World Material Furnished Today By 8-B Grade of John C. Frem oml I Tli is claimed my chu ■was more than 1 _„ , r» pal* art lor something exciting to do, school STuo^r ! 6POCT3 sleepy, decided to read awhile. Very soon I smelled sickening eruoko—flJlil—Juniplng up, opened The Bars andChi^Newspaper SCHOOL CHILDREN WRITE FOR DAILY TELEGRAM The school children of Long Beach are to be given actual newspaper experience in writing for The Daily Tele- gram. They are to provide the "copy" for the Boys* and Girls" Telegram, a daily feature of this newspaper which has been read with interest by an ever increasing number of young- sters since its initial appearance some weeks ago. Material for the Boys' and Girls' Telegram will be pre- pared from now on by pupils in the various grammar schools. Baiaaiaalg * nA rrfflrh-" have agreed with The Tele- HQr/iQ f educational value in connect woe* _PLAY_ Copyright 1920, Associated Editors The Biggest Little Paper In the World Edited by John H. Mil Before him only'shoreless seas." Behind me lay a stretch of COPYIXT WEEK To Write the Material for Ihe Boys' and Girls' Paper Pnnnt, ork in English, and arrangements ly pupils in the several grammar turns in providing material for the he children's little "write ups" or d the Boys' and Girls' Telegram Material Published Today For | » ctia ' 1 Rv Pi " iilt ' nf fWnii-Pnrir , ajmj SCMOC4. HP T> r »T "OM8 STU,rf IHElxirSANBUlHLS NEWSPAPER *?2 si»oeT3 '' Copyright 1920, Associated Editors The Biggest Little Paper In the World Edited by John H. Millar ! Material Published Today Is Furnished By Pupils of Lincoln School, Long Beach LINCOLN PUPILS END fWS AND GIRLS' WEEK OF WRITSNGFOR THE TELM TODAY Carroll Park Children to Do This Work Next. Week NEWSPAPER WORK IS ATTRACTING NOTICE "C'ij folk and young are watching wiUi keen Interest the daily contri- butions of grammar school pupils ROBIN HOOD Robin Hood was an outlaw who iived in the Sherwood forest with his merry band of followers. He wore Lincoln green and was armed with a bow and arrow roaming the forests over, robbing the rich and giving : Thus .he spent his Robin Hood because ll'.H the poor. 1 like was bold MY GARDEN HENRY SA.BIN School's Tribune SNOW BALLING. Stories by High School Students Twenty-sixth of a Series of Ankles in The News Contest to Develop Writers Among the Boys and Girls of Grand Rapids. Following are the articles chosen by tho editor from among those sub- mined daring the past trivk by tho high school students In The News contest. This Is tho twenty-sixth scries of articles ujectcd. Others win be pnhllshcd on successive Saturdays. Much Ado About a Bug By ROBERT TOOT Grado 9.g, union High School Stories by High School Students Twenty-seventh of a Series of Articles in The News Contest to Develop Writers Among the Boys and Girls of Grand Rapids. SPORTS. ]t», 11, 6-A. i all through the town B whirling down, is covered with pure white, through the. long night. •n came at last, i the snow drifted) fast, ley all reached, the kill, vas "fit to kill." couldn't be beat, for. the feet, lewly greased boot — "chute the chute." their skiis at the slides, the old bob rides, lies all cold and wet, :g and just what you'll get. it so sore and hoarse. imer time, of course. COASTING. BY MAEJORIB CLARK. THE SNOW. when It falls at Following aro tho articles chosen by the editor from among those sub- ; mltted during the past week by tlio high school r.tudents In The News con- test. This Is tho twenty-seventh scriea of articles .selected. Others will hoi published on successive Saturdays. My First Swimming Lesson that deficiency would soon be rem- edied. As I tripped gaily down the beach, wearing a nice new bathing suit which " ked terribly to get wet, I pic- THESNOWMAN. Mildred and I love to make a snowman In the yard. It Is bo much fun. ■ I awoke one morning and saw everything covered with beau- tiful snow. I was so happy as It was not very cold and Just the day tor making a snowman. We put < white As the s night. And oh, what fun to Jump from bed. your clothes and get We don't care If we do have a fall Into that fluffy, feathery fleece. High School Contest Will End Next Week The literary < r the high -op hies, and Of c school students, which The News has been conducting 1 since early In the school year, will end next Saturday, May 28. The teachers have requested that It be brought to an end, as few positions are being written this late 1 series of weekly : the twenty-ninth aroused so much Interest. The race between the schools for the honor of winning first pltfce is extremely close. Full particulars will Uo given next It didn't all In knowing- what to da To Ly that -was sffori disillusioned would stating It mildly. tob, my brother, and would-be-in- Victor/was already in the water and hen h> saw, -mo. he- called out. Hurry- up-; thejwater Is "line — not a His taking the trouble to Inform me lat the water -was warm, warned me. gingerly let a fraction of my small- it toe. touch- the- water and quickly ■aw it backj" Not oold. Indeed! It as" Just like Ice water! Neverthe- riii, and I wouldnU have Bob-think was a quitter, t.i after summoning ■----.■ fcu ~» aamsuSfl In i iyr K p -, "inni1. aLs, and stocklng- tie fun began, snowball with down from grandpa THE SNOW FLAKES Then Ihe fun began. We nted it for the body. Next we made a smaller ball for a head. We used two Bticks for arms, and coal for the mouth. Our snowman was done and we were ready for our supper. CAGED LIONS. WINTER. If you're kind and mild you may But if cold nod bleak, please go We wish to skate < lake, 3$ -Clite.ain— »?*** wA^jMpak DEPARTMENTS IN A DAILY NEWSPAPER CONTRIBUTED BY SCHOOL CHILDREN NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 107 the newspaper organization and the school news A Program service staff will determine together whether it is {or School for the interests of the community and the school News to publish certain school news. This does not imply "censorship" or "control" of news channels. It does imply cooperative good citizenship on the part of school and press. Some school authorities be- lieve that all school news should be secured and prepared independently by newspapers. (c) Professional Assistance by Newspaper Organization. It is the business of the newspaper staff to know how to secure, prepare, and present news to the public. The school news service organization should take advantage of this skill. Advice from editors, in- struction by skilled reporters, any assistance which can be secured, will make the school publicity ser- vice the more effective. It may be that the news- papers should be represented in the school sys- tem's organization. WHAT SCHOOL NEWS SHALL BE PRESENTED? 1. Subject Matter. Distinguish between news and propaganda. Omit personal exploitation. Don't forget that it is the unusual that makes news. Routine is not news. Play up the "human" element in news. 2. Types of School News. This matter will require the careful consideration of the school news service organization. It will, of course, have to be determined finally by the decision of the newspaper organ- ization as to the types of school news which it wishes to publish. Below, the different possible types and depart- ments will be briefly discussed. Such of these as seem desirable can be selected to make up the year's publicity program. (a) News as such: From a consideration of the opinion of news- paper editors, it is evident that this is the e2:2-l ZlZzizL U i si Cii^v.-SX -^ i ZL t;a = ii i o h ! in NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 109 type of school news which the newspaper is A Program most anxious to secure. It must contain for School the elements of news, namely, general inter- News. est, timeliness, the unusual. It must con- tain the elements of newspaper style, a statement of facts, simplicity, conciseness, with the gist of the story in the first para- graph or 'lead'. To some extent, the hap- pening of events will determine the publica- tion of this type of news, but, when skill in discovering and emphasizing the news "story" is acquired, many a subject which is now treated as propaganda or discussion can much more successfully accomplish its end as "news". School "news as such" will compete with other news. Its position will depend upon the elements in it which determine the position of all news in the paper. This type of school news should more and more receive the emphasis. It meets with the especial approval of editors. It will be read by more general newspaper readers than any other type. It is illus- trated in Figure 23, page 11. (b) A School Page. It may be possible to arrange for a school page in the newspaper. There are two kinds: (j) A page which is a miniature news- paper of the system dealing with various matters, such as that shown in Figure 24, page 14. (2) A page in which only one subject is treated at a time as shown in Figure 13, page 100. The school page will be read mostly by those al- ready interested in the school. It is a good medium through which to interest and gain the cooperation of patrons; it may serve as a means of creating "esprit de corps" among the teaching staff; it can be used to Bte-»gfanr'9iBS>aB "Um^n/SSmmtl^nm One of Iowa s Most Widely Known ColIe^e^GnmieJI EDUCATIONAL PUBLICITY DE LUXE— THE SUNDAY ROTOGRAVURE SECTION NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 111 create and maintain the interest of school A Program children. Illustrations will increase the {or School effectiveness of the school page. They will News. be worth while, even if the school system has to pay for them. (c) The School Column. This type is a miniature of the school page. It is used where a whole page is not available. Like the school page, it is of two kinds, both of which are illustrated in Figure 14, page 102 and Figure 28, page 95. (d) Special School News Feature Articles. This type of school news is also in great favor with newspaper editors. They believe it is much more effective than the fixed types such as the school column. The news feature story permits theinterestingfeatures of the school system to be brought to the attention of the public. This type differs from "news as such" in that it can be longer; it can go into more detail; it permits more use of illustrations. Several of these feature articles are shown in Figure 27, page '6. Figure 15, page 104 illustrates the fact that school news does command place on the front page. The articles illus- trated were part of a series which ap- peared approximately 100 times on the front page of the newspaper. They were evidently prepared by a special correspon- dent, and cover each public school in the city. (?l situation: it drew the supports from .underneath sane opposition to the proposed $G,000, 000 school loan, and it convicted theHon. Mr. Broening and his survey. commission of all the things with whicg they have been charged by this dcpartmvDJt. For more than a year Mr. B.roening .chased about the country like a wild -moose pretending that he way trying tn arrange for a school survey, hot that he couldn't get it. For many months the that it could i new School Board, apparently havi: red blood in its veins and regulation a puratus in its head, arranges for an a : offered to do in last thoritai der that the i when he charged the writer or Our Pub- lic School* with being a poltroon, a gar- goyle, a liar and a thief, but even ail of these questionable qualities take from the School Board exclusive credit for having succeeded in getting 1 a survey for the Baltimore schools. MISSED OPPORTUNITIES. IF the public is interested in facts, such as do not appear in' the Municipal Journal, the following item should ap- peal. The writer of this department, at the time greatly concerned that Mr. fBroening and his Survey Commission (might actually do something which (would entitle, them to commendation l/rom_tl»e__fnj;nd3. of school Jjettermont Jal way fore planning— ot ing plan — to stop, look and listen so to make sure thai they were headed the right direction. If the Mayor jumped Q -^ task prematurely, responsibility for his blunders rests with him. if the Commission did the same thing, it was doubtless prompted by putting complete faith in the conclusions that Mr. Broen- Baltii believe that thi did all it could taken; but thia tempted to leave school because they cannot "keep up." Here are more letters on the subject of snob- bery in the high schools, and the effect it has upon those who are unable to maintain the pace set. What do you think? Do you think high school boys and girls of today are snobbish ? Do you believe the wear- ing of a standard high school costume would help the situation? What DO vou think? Delinquent Homes — Delinquent Children. Br ants. J. e. Leslie, 3 HULBCT4T only a a BelC-evtdent fact asserted before the club that parents are Vor the culprits who ile responsib ility for ; Me: PU BLIC SERV ICE U * Faulty Nutrition i £ By MRS. WILLIAM J. CBALLMAN. fl t Ion Project Leader, Home Bureau of Cnamber «*J»n offenders eoms would load on* to think that the parents have no idea of an Ideal of any- thing. Letters to the Experi- ence Column— tbousandB of plaining of drunken fathers and nagging mothers making homo anything but what the word means, would point to an utter lack of Ideals. These little s either i please I the illng are I a reflec- ! father- Board would make the survejl after months of j ing and the S\irvj Perhaps this the constructs only two have tions. The Ge conducted the G Sage Fonndatioi sponsibility as the Cleveland The learned however, say ey by the Spokane i ■hlch over 4000 chll re inycstlga- cminent child the surveys core pi^miy suggests th Lou,s, St. *M Arvn below oonoal ' par — they don - ' for delln- • life by er cf his or else they have reached tho stage where their natural love has turned to hate — a condi- tion which saerns revoltlngly Impossible to those whose homes are- what God meant home to be. Church and school can help in the moral and ethical train- ing of children, hut utiles* there is the home foundation, their work bears merely superficial results that will not stand the strain of the world's temptation or the childish de- fiance and sense of Injustice that floods the whole being of the little injured one. The atmosphere of love at home Is the best safeguard against the juvenile court — not only love, for even tho meanest parent has & natural love for his child — but the atmosphere that comes from love expressed without re- straint. THE SPECIAL COLUMN FINDS SCHOOL MATTERS OF INTEREST NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 113 (f) School Athletic News. A Program for School From the reports of editors and superintendents, News it was learned that a large amount of school athletic news gets into the newspaper. It was stated that this side of school life is over-emphasized by the press. However that may be, athletic news plays a promi- nent part in school news. It should be as carefully prepared as any other school news and, whenever possible, made to in- form the reading public of the relation be- tween school and sport. It cannot be denied that this is one channel through which certain citizens can be interested in the public school system. Probably its proper position is on the general athletic page. In some instances, public school sport news is considered of front page and editorial column importance. (g) Parent Teacher Association Notes. A large majority of editors rated this kind of news very highly. It should have an im- portant place in any publicity program. This importance will, of course, depend upon the importanceof the ParentTeacher organi- zation in the system. The opinion of school patrons relative to school matters will find a place for its expression in this type of news. (h) School Board Meeting News. This is a very common kind of news. It is usually covered by the newspaper itself. It is often the subject of sensationalism. A carefully prepared account of school board meetings, if furnished to the newspapers, might avoid some of this sensational treat- ment. (i) Local Teachers' Club News. Where such organizations exist, news as to their activities should be made a part of the publicity program. The point of view of Do Not Forget to Vote on Monday at the Davenport School Election Dr. Stray er Stirs C. of C. on School Needs. By Stein CAKTOONS ADAPTED TO SCHOOL PUBLICITY NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 115 the teacher makes good news. An example A Program in Figure 28, page 95 shows how one news- for School paper treats news about teachers. News. (/) A Page or Department Contributed by School Children. Figure 16, page 106 shows how this type is featured in Long Branch, California; Des Moines, Iowa; and Grand Rapids, Michigan. It differs from school notes prepared by stu- dents in that the articles, as will be seen, are not of a news character. Its value is probably two fold: first, to interest the children in newspaper writing; and, sec- ondly, to interest the parents in the school. It can be adapted to any grade through the High School. Several editors expressed in- terest in this type of news. (k) Editorials. The use of the editorial for discussing school matters is controlled by the newspaper. Some editors believe that this is the only division of the newspaper which should carry propaganda for, or state opinions rela- tive to, school matters. It is clear that the editorial carries great weight. The proper relations between the school system and the editor will make it possible to secure for education that editorial discussion to which its importance entitles it. Figure 25, page 24 illustrates editorial discussion of school matters. (7) The Sunday Magazine and Picture Supplement. School news finds its place in the Sunday edition. It is a good edition for school news. The Sunday magazine is adapted to articles of considerable length. A series of such arti- cles on school matters could be made a very important part in a publicity program. Pictures are a good publicity. The Roto- gravure Section of the modern Sunday newspaper offers excellent opportunity for picturing the plant and activities of the Enrollment in Bangor Public Schools on Sept 1, 1920 For tSeprriBER J, 1 920 . -flee Grade Table — There were 107 pupils in the first grade last year, 1920-21. Thirty two were absent less than two days a month, and every single one of them promoted. 100_per cent promotion^ GRAPHS WHICH HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN NEWSPAPERS NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 117 school system; colleges have utilized this A Program kind of publicity to a considerable extent, for School A public school news organization ought to News. be able to convince an editor that the public schools of any city offer splendid subjects for rotogravure pictures in the Sunday edi- tion. Figures 17 and 18, pages 108 and no show school news in the Sunday edition. (w) The "Column". Figure 19, page 112 shows that the special columns find school news of interest. The special column writer may be made a valuable member of any public school news organization. (n) Cartoons. To some, the use of cartoons to carry school news may seem undignified. However that may be, many reforms have been achieved by the use of newspaper cartoons. Figure 20, page 1 14 shows some examples of the cartoon as adapted to school news purposes. Observation will prove that cartoons are much read. They have the quality of being easily understood. They have a place in some school publicity programs. (0) Charts and Graphs. The school man is rapidly coming to use charts and graphs to express school facts. They undoubtedly should be utilized in a news- paper program. Figure 21, page 116 shows some that have been published in news- papers. Their use, however, should be carefully governed by the results desired. For the general reader, only the simplest charts and graphs are effective. Those which contain the elements of the picture are the most effective. (p) Display Advertising. Conditions may make it advisable to use paid display advertising. Oftentimes the ex- pense of such publicity will be borne by civic organizations. Figures 12 and 22, pages 98 and 118 illustrate this form of publicity. "Our Boys and Girls First" 1. The people of Bucyrus want good schools. 2. Good schools are not possible without good teachers and good buildings. 3. Good teachers must be paid living wages, and good buildings cost money. 4. Public education is a business proposition, most likely our city's biggest business undertaking. 5. Every citizen must assume his share of the responsibili- ty for public education— that's what "America" means. Vote (or the Two Mill Levy to Properly Officer Our Schools and Additional Bond Issue to Complete the New High School Election August lO, 1920 "Our Boys and Girls First" SCOTTISH RITE IS BACK OF BONDS FOR NEW HIGH SCHOOL iPul purpose, ijjuc bondi in Hit wm of S7SOfiO financing the erection of a modem and coir )1 building: and, iniliMdiul Micmlwrj of this body line giie Hi and thought to ,l, e ntrdi/jl Tucwn for juc lim, of a buildntg capal ssue ol 5750,000 be favorably considered by lln I S3Q BS— ^Ji QcaogsgsBQssaogaoK Are Your Children On Part Time? There will be a Public Meeting to discuss THE School Bond Issue Tuesday, MARCH 15 AT 8 P. M. HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM Your Boy Is Going to School of Course •nn Vfnll a child All This Week WE ABE OKFETMNfl A t-OT OF HOYS' PHO£P $3.45 per pair The regulnr "luc °n ,h[M ^ fin ™'* Will n'n n* higli an ¥M Sampliners The Man Who Knows mitilf (nt I fii- Ittafoa fihcii It Is The "Man Who Knows" The Man Who Knows The Grand Junction Public Schools TO THE CITIZENS OF ERIE Do you realize that the increased cost of labor and supplies affects the school system to the same degree as that of the merchant, manufacturer or private citizen? The operation of a school iystem consists entirely of supplies and s; lanes of employes. Teachers must be id liv- ing - wages or compelled to seek c er vo- cations. The School Board must ay the market price for coal, paper r d all •necessary supplies, which have a ".bled and tripled in price. The question to be decided is whether the completion of the East High School shall be financed by adding an ad- ditional five mills to the operating- costs or Put On The Roof You wouldn't build a house and leave off the roof would you? That's just what we are up against with the New Bucyrus High School. There is money enough to build the building but not enough to finish the sec- ond floor. The second floor is a vital part as it is divided into school rooms and this room is absolutely needej. Temporary frame buildings at three dif- ferent places prove that we need more rooms and of a creditable kind. Come on Fellows, School Begins Next Tuesday Education The Best Investment Have The Children Take This List of Supplies With Them (he First Day of School DISPLAY ADVERTISEMENTS LOCAL MERCHANTS ARE OFTEN WILLING TO ADVERTISE THE SCHOOLS NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 119 (q) As a Part of the Continuous Campaign, some school A Program systems have been enabled to secure special {or School editions of the newspaper for school publicity. News In some cases, the entire edition of the paper has been prepared by the students of a school system or journalism class. In some cases, a special "School Number" has been issued. Figure 26, page 42 illus- trates this cooperation on the part of the newspaper. CONCLUSION A public school publicity or news program should be developed as a part of the whole educational program with the cooperation and advice of newspaper organizations. If it is carefully planned, thor- oughly organized, and systematically carried out, it will prove to be of great benefit to the school system. It will be a most powerful agency for securing the interest, cooperation, and support of the pub- lic, without which progress is impossible. 120 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS APPENDIX A NEWSPAPERS FROM WHICH THE MATERIAL FOR THE NUMBER COUNT AND COLUMN INCH MEASUREMENT WAS SECURED City State Name of Newspaper AkroD Ohio The Akron Times ' Boise Idaho The Idaho Daily Statesman Buffalo New York The Buffalo Evening News Canton Ohio The Evening Repository Davenport Iowa The Davenport Times Denver Colorado The Denver Post Des Moines Iowa The Des Moines Register Detroit Michigan The Detroit News Great Falls Montana The Great Falls Tribune Haverhill Massachusetts The Haverhill Gazette Lincoln Nebraska The Nebraska State Journal Long Beach California The Daily Telegram Manchester New Hampshire The Manchester Union Muskegon Michigan The Muskegon Chronicle Newark New Jersey The Newark Evening News Oakland California The Oakland Tribune Rochester New York The Democrat-Chronicle Rockford Illinois The Rockf ord Daily Register-Gazette Salt Lake City Utah The Salt Lake Tribune San Diego California The San Diego Union Scranton Pennsylvania The Scranton Times Seattle Washington The Seattle Daily Times Spokane Washington The Spokane-Chronicle White Plains New York The Daily Reporter Wichita Kansas The Wichita Daily Eagle NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 121 APPENDIX B. DAILY NEWSPAPERS COOPERATING IN THIS STUDY NEWSPAPERS IN CITIES OF 100,000 AND OVER City Name oj Paper Edition 1. Akron, Ohio The Times Evening and Sunday 2. Boston, Mass The American Evening and Sunday 3. Boston, Mass The Christian Science Monitor Morning 4. Boston, Mass The Transcript Evening 5. Birmingham, Ala The News Evening and Sunday 6. Bridgeport, Conn The Post Evening and Sunday 7. Buffalo, N. Y The News Evening 8. Chicago, 111 The News Evening 9. Cincinnati, Ohio The Post Evening 10. Dayton, Ohio The News Evening and Sunday 11. Des Moines, la The Register Morning and Sunday 12. Detroit, Mich The News Evening and Sunday 13. Grand Rapids, Mich The Press Evening 14. Independence, Mo The Examiner Evening 15. Kansas City, Mo The Star Evening and Sunday 16. Louisville, Ky The Times Evening 17. Milwaukee, WLs The Journal Evening and Sunday 18. Minneapolis, Minn The Tribune Morning, Evening and Sunday 19. Newark, N.J The News Evening 20. Philadelphia, Pa The Inquirer Morning and Sunday 21. Portland, Ore The Oregonian Morning and Sunday 22. St. Louis, Mo The Globe Democrat Morning and Sunday 23. St. Louis, Mo The Post Dispatch Evening and Sunday 24. Scranton, Pa The Times Evening 25. Seattle, Wash The Times Evening and Sunday NEWSPAPERS IN CITIES OF 30,000 TO 100,000 City Name of Paper Edition 1. Allentown, Pa The Call Morning and Sunday 2. Canton, Ohio The Repository Evening and Sunday 3. Charleston, S. C The Post Evening 4. Chattanooga, Tenn The Times Morning and Sunday 5. Columbia, S. C The State Morning and Sunday 6. Davenport, la The Times Evening 7. Duluth, Minn The Herald Evening 8. Elmira, N. Y The Star Gazette Evening 9. Fort Wayne, Ind The Journal Gazette Morning and Sunday 10. Gary, Ind The Post and Tribune Evening 11. Lewiston, Me The Journal Evening and Sunday 12. Lima, Ohio The News and Times Democrat Morning, Evening and Sunday 13. Macon, Ga The Telegraph Morning and Sunday 14. Manchester, N. H The Union Morning 15. Montgomery, Ala The Journal Evening and Sunday 16. Newport, R. I The News Evening 17. Ogden, Utah The Standard Examiner Evening and Sunday 18. Oklahoma City, Okla The Oklanoman Morning and Sunday 19. Passaic, N.J The Herald Evening 20. Perth Amboy, N.J The News Evening 21. Pittsfield, Mass The Berkshire Eagle Evening 22. Portland, Me The Express and Advertiser Evening and Sunday 122 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS City Name of Paper Edition 23. St. Joseph, Mo The News Press Evening 24. Saginaw, Mich The News Courier Evening and Sunday 25. South Bend, Ind The Tribune Evening 26. Springfield, 111 The Illinois State Journal Morning and Sunday 27. Taeoma, Wash The News Tribune Evening 28. Taunton, Mass The Gazette Evening 29. Terre Haute, Ind The Star Morning and Sunday 30. Troy, N. Y The Record Morning and Evening 31. Utica, N. Y The Press Morning 32. Wichita, Kan The Eagle Morning and Sunday NEWSPAPERS IN CITIES OF LESS THAN 30,000 1. Albion, Mich The Recorder Evening 2. Athens, Ohio The Messenger Evening 3. Bellingham, Wash The Herald Evening 4. Brownsville, Tex The Herald Evening and Sunday 5. Burlington, Vt The Free Press Morning 6. Casper, Wyo The Tribune Evening 7. Cedar Falls, la The Record Evening 8. Cheyenne, Wyo The Wyoming State Tribune and Leader Morning, Evening and Sunday 9. Elkhart, Ind The Truth Evening 10. Fargo, N. D The Forum Evening 11. Fort Dodge, la The Messenger and Chronicle Evening 12. Grand Forks, N. D The Herald Morning, Evening and Sunday 13. Greeley, Col The Tribune and Republican Morning and Evening 14. Henderson, N. C The Dispatch Evening 15. Idaho Falls, Idaho The Times Register Morning and Sunday 16. Jackson, Miss The News Evening and Sunday 17. Keene, N. H The Sentinel Evening 18. Keyser, W. Va The Mineral News Evening 19. Key West, Fla The Citizen Evening 20. Little Falls, Minn The Transcript Evening 21. Logan, Utah The Journal-. Evening 22. Marion, Ohio The Star Evening 23. Meridian, Miss ;.... The Star Evening and Sunday 24. Moultrie, Ga The Observer Evening 25. Nashua, N. H The Telegraph Evening 26. New London, Conn The Day Evening 27. Pocatello, Idaho The Tribune Evening 28. Pulaski, Va The Southwest Times and News Review Evening 29. Raleigh, N. C The News and Observer Morning and Sunday 30. Rutland, Vt The Herald Morning 31. Rome, Ga The News Evening and Sunday 32. St. Cloud, Minn The Journal Press Evening 33. San Bernardino, Calif The Sun Morning and Sunday 34. Santa Rosa, Calif The Press Democrat Morning and Sunday 35. Sioux Falls, S. D The Argus Leader Evening 36. Sterling, Col The Advocate Evening 37. Tallahassee, Fla The Democrat Evening 38. Tuscaloosa, Ala The News and Times Gazette Evening and Sunday 39. Wakefield, Mass The Item Evening 40. Walla Walla, Wash The Bulletin Evening and Sunday 41. Winchester, Ky The Sun Morning and Evening NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 123 APPENDIX C. LIST OF CITIES IN WHICH THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM COOPERATED. City Slate Aberdeen South Dakota Adams Massachusetts Albany Alabama Albuquerque New Mexico Alexandria Indiana Alexandria Louisiana Allentown Pennsylvania Altoona Pennsylvania Anderson South Carolina Ansonia Connecticut Asbury Park New Jersey Astoria Oregon Athens Georgia Atlanta Georgia Bakersfield California Bangor Maine Battle Creek Michigan Bayonne New Jersey Bellows Falls Vermont Bennington Vermont Berkeley California Bingham ton New York Birmingham Alabama Bloomfield New Jersey Bloomington Indiana Bowling Green Kentucky Bowling Green Ohio Bozeman Montana Brattleboro Vermont Bridgeport Connecticut Brockton Massachusetts Brunswick Georgia Buffalo „ New York Burlington Iowa Burlington Vermont Cairo Illinois Canton Illinois Canton Ohio Cape Girardeau Missouri Carlisle Pennsylvania Carthage Missouri Cedar Rapids Iowa Central Village Connecticut Chelsea Massachusetts Chester Pennsylvania Cheyenne Wyoming Chickasha Oklahoma Chicopee Massachusetts Cicero Illinois Cleveland Ohio Cleveland Tennessee City Stale Clifton Forge Virginia Coatesville Pennsylvania Coeur d' Alene Idaho Colorado Springs Colorado Columbus Nebraska Columbus Georgia Concord New Hampshire Council Bluffs Iowa Danvers Massachusetts Davenport Iowa Denison Texas Denver Colorado Detroit Michigan Dubuque Iowa Duluth Minnesota Durham North Carolina Easton Pennsylvania East St. Louis Illinois Eau Claire Wisconsin Elizabeth New Jersey Elkins : . . . West Virginia El Paso Texas Erie Pennsylvania Escanaba Michigan Everett Massachusetts Everett Washington Fargo North Dakota Fort Smith Arkansas Fredericksburg Virginia Fresno California Gadsden Alabama Galesburg Illinois Gardner Massachusetts Gary Indiana Grand Forks North Dakota Grand Junction Colorado Grand Rapids Michigan Great Falls Montana Greeley Colorado Green Bay Wisconsin Greencastle Indiana Greensboro North Carolina Greenville Mississippi Hackensack New Jersey Hagerstown Maryland Hancock Michigan Hannibal Missouri Harrisburg Pennsylvania Haverhill Massachusetts Helena Arkansas Holyoke Massachusetts 124 NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS City Slate Huron South Dakota. Independence Kansas Indianapolis Indiana Iowa City Iowa Ironton Ohio Ironwood Michigan Jackson Michigan Jacksonville Illinois Jamestown New York Jeanette Pennsylvania Jersey City New Jersey Joliet Illinois Kansas City Kansas Kenosha Wisconsin Keokuk Iowa Kinston North Carolina Kokomo Indiana La Crosse Wisconsin Lancaster Ohio Lancaster Pennsylvania Lansing Michigan Latrobe Pennsylvania Leavenworth Kansas Lebanon New Hampshire Leominster Massachusetts Lewiston Idaho Lewiston Maine Lexington Missouri Little Falls Minnesota Los Angeles California Lynn Massachusetts Maiden Massachusetts Mamaroneck New York Maistee Michigan Mankato Minnesota Martins Ferry Ohio Medford '! . . Oregon Mexico Missouri Miami Florida Middletown Connecticut Milton Massachusetts Milwaukee Wisconsin Minot North Dakota Missoula Montana Mitchell South Dakota Moberly Missouri Moline Illinois Monroe Michigan Montclair New Jersey Montgomery Alabama Montpelier Vermont Mount Vernon Illinois Mount Vernon New York Muskogee Oklahoma Nangatuck Connecticut Nashua New Hampshire City State Nevada Missouri New Castle Pennsylvania New Orleans Louisiana Newtonville Massachusetts Norfolk Virginia Northampton Massachusetts Norwalk Connecticut Oakland California Oak Park Illinois Oklahoma City Oklahoma Olympia Washington Omaha Nebraska Oshkosh Wisconsin Ottwum wa Iowa Owensboro Kentucky Paducah Kentucky Pasadena California Paterson New Jersey Philadelphia Pennsylvania Phoenix Arizona Pine Bluff Arkansas Pittsfield Massachusetts Pocatello Idaho Pontiac Michigan Portsmouth New Hampshire Portsmouth Virginia Prescott Arizona Pueblo Colorado Quincy Illinois Raleigh North Carolina Reading Pennsylvania Redlands California Revere Massachusetts Richmond Virginia Rochester Minnesota Rochester New York Rock Island Illinois Rome Georgia St. Johnsbury Vermont St. Joseph Missouri Salt Lake City Utah San Diego California San Rafael California Santa Barbara California Santa Cruz California. Santa Fe New Mexico Sapulpa Oklahoma Savannah Georgia Schenectady New York Scranton Pennsylvania Selma Alabama Sharpsburg Pennsylvania Sheboygan Wisconsin Shreveport Louisiana Sioux City Iowa Solvay New York NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 125 City State Somerville Massachusetts Spokane Washington Springfield Missouri Springfield Ohio Stamford Connecticut Streator Illinois Superior Wisconsin Syracuse New York Taunton Massachusetts Terre Haute Indiana Texarkana Texas Topeka Kansas Trenton New Jersey Union New Jersey Utica New York Vicksburg Mississippi Waco Texas Walla Walla Washington Wallingf ord Connecticut Washington District of Columbia City State Washington Pennsylvania Waterbury Connecticut Wausau Wisconsin Waycross Georgia West Hoboken New Jersey West Orange New Jersey Wheeling West Virginia Wichita Kansas Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania Willimantic Connecticut Wilmington North Carolina Winchester Massachusetts Winchester Virginia Winston Salem North Carolina Woburn Massachusetts Worcester Massachusetts Yazoo City Mississippi Youngstown Ohio Zanesville Ohio VITA The author of this dissertation, Rollo George Reynolds, was born at Cambridge, Vermont, on March 31, 1886. He received his early education in the public schools of Vermont and the public high school of Brookline, Massachusetts, from which he graduated in 1906. He attended Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1910. During the year 1910-11, he was instructor in history at Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pa. From 191 1 to 191 5 he served as principal of elementary and high schools in Cambridge, Stowe, and Morrisville, Vermont. From 1915 to 1917 he served as executive secretary to the State Board of Education of Vermont. From 1917 to 1919, he was Director of the Theodore N. Vail Agricultural School and farms, Lyndonville, Ver- mont. During the years, 191 7 and 191 8, he was appointed as State Director for Vermont of the United States Boys Working Reserve and State Chairman of the Boys and Girls Division of the United War Work Drive. In 1919 he served for six months as lecturer with the United States Army Educational Corps in France and Germany. He was a student at Columbia University during the year 1919- 1920 from which institution he received the degree of Master of Arts. In 1920 he assisted in the educational survey of the public school sys- tem of Greensboro, North Carolina. In 1920 he was appointed Director of the Vermont State Summer School at Rutland. He was Associate in Educational Administration at Teachers College, Co- lumbia University, during the year 1920-192 1. During the year 1920-1921 he assisted in the educational survey of the public school system of Baltimore, Maryland. .BO