Editorial

Extract

Last month we had occasion to call attention to the needs of the reading public, and our remarks provoked some scathing comments on the general tone of Catholic weekly papers. For the enlightenment of those who are responsible for the production of these ‘weeklies,’ it may be worth while setting out this criticism in some detail.

‘WTiy is it,’ said the candid critic (himself a Catholic), ‘that our Catholic papers are so unattractive in appearance, to begin with appearances? They either look dull and uninviting to one who wants to read, or repel one from reading by their cheap and vulgar aspect. The other day I picked up a paper that did duty in a certain midland town. The paper on which it was printed was of the cheapest and very unpleasant to handle, and the type wretched. I felt ashamed to think that this was one of the “organs” of the great Catholic body. There was nothing about it to suggest the dignity and beauty of the Church it was intended to represent; it might have been a propaganda “rag” issued by the irresponsible leaders of some popular movement. No thinking Catholic could be anything but offended with, and ashamed of, the general appearance of this weekly paper.

‘What is responsible for this vulgarity? Besides bad paper and printing, the advertisements are often to blame. If advertisements are necessary, and they certainly are, cannot some effort be made to insert only those that will not at any rate look out of place in a paper that reflects Catholic thought and reports Catholic news? But no process of careful selection is apparent.