| Show UTAH PRESS ASSOCIATION producing the type used in page makeup Asresult of these speedier techniques deadlines have shrunk from days to hours Thankfully the obstacles of early newspapering didn turn everyone away The more dedicated ones in spite of the problems remained to record with considerable skill the important happenings that form todayhistory Once the foremost hurdle inpublisherlife was overcome that of achieving financial stability throughcombina tion of readership and advertising -the next challenge was delicate one It called for blending words together editorially in suchway that the interest of most readers was piqued but the temper of some others wasnunleashed The role of an editor in early-day Utah newspapering wasnsuited to the timid The title called for someone who forthrightly asserted his or her views -and sometimes suf fered the consequences Or her refers to the comparative handful of women who demonstratedcertain amount of valor through simply publishingfrontier newspaper And even more courage when writingchallenging editorial sure to not only result in scathing rebuttal but perhaps tempt physical abuse If the latter ever occurred it wasnrecorded Not forlady publisher in any event But there are countless instances of male journalists being assaulted by one or more angry readers Andfew cases where the writer himself dealt the punishment after being duly provoked The pioneer editor usually considered himselfweakling if he did not stand positively and aggressively for or against something monitoring the thoughts and actions of the community with the dignity and severity ofa Dictator even if at the same time he was guilty of neglecting to print news items in his columns or to meet his creditorbills when due explained Cecil Alter in his book Early Utah Journalism He continued Most of the personal editors at one time or another ran pell mell down the lane of their editorial columns smack intolibel suit or more frequently into that quicker and hurtier obstaclesledge-hammer fist Gunshot wounds 266 Digital image 2005 Marriott Library University of Utah Al rights reserved |
