Northfield News, William White and Theodore Roosevelt

Credit a convergence of unrelated events over the past week for this posting. I recently obtained an original copy of a book authored by Theodore Roosevelt on his views of Civil Service. Northfield News Managing Editor Jaci Smith wrote a blog posting about a couple of successful journalists and I happened to pass through Emporia, Kansas.

I’m a fan of Roosevelt, partly because he wasn’t afraid to push the envelope and in a large part, wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, regardless of the consequences..something of which I find a bit of a kindred spirit with the man. His “bully pulpit” philosophy is one I’ve embraced and hopefully have used with due regard for the public good.

Roosevelt was adept at using the Media to his advantage both politically but also for causes he felt were important, such as the environment. Roosevelt established a friendship with a small town newspaper editor by the name of William White, who just happened to own the paper in
Emporia, Kansas. The relationship between White and Roosevelt was solidified with their affiliation with the Republican Party just as much as a journalistic relationship.

White became a prominent journalist on a national level with his political analysis and willingness to take on sensitive topics. White had a reputation for taking a stand even when it wasn’t very popular.

In 1922, Kansas Governor Henry J. Allen supported a new state law that prohibited picketing in an attempt to keep the lid on a coal miner’s strike. Allen was a good friend of White. White, who disagreed with the law on the basis of free speech proceeded to post a strike placard and was subsequently arrested. White’s editorial response “To An Anxious Friend,” written in July of 1922, received national attention and awarded White a Pulitzer Prize. White went on to serve several presidents and brought them to the small Kansas town as guests, putting a small Kansas community on the international map.

White also served on numerous presidential commissions and was an outspoken critic of the Klu Klux Klan. He was a journalist who through his integrity and tenacity not only reported history but made it as well.

Reading Jaci’s column about the trials and tribulations of reporters Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada as they dug into the issues of steroid use by baseball players and the challenges they faced when prosecutors and judges threatened them with contempt orders and jail time if they didn’t reveal their sources, reminded me of White and his relationship with Roosevelt.

In my estimation there are journalists and then there are people who just happen to work for a newspaper. The difference is the integrity and tenacity found in White, Williams and FainaruWada makes them journalists. Individuals who simply just cut and paste information they find from other sources or strive only for exposure or controversy simply happen to work at a newspaper.

White’s introductory June 3, 1895 column when he took ownership of the Emporia Gazette said “the new editor hopes to live here until he is the old editor…”

One can only hope that there will always be individuals interested in the journalism profession who will continue to hold true to White’s values.

About Gary Smith

Chief Smith has served over 31 years in the criminal justice field. He is currently a consultant assisting public and private organizations better establish community goals and ethical conduct with the members of their organizations. Chief Smith serves as a facilitator, lecturer, professor and other capacities both inside and outside the criminal justice field.
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