"The organic act which lies back of the work college editors are doing provides for the gathering and dissemination of information. It was never intended that public funds should be used for "institutional promotion," "propaganda," "press-agenting," "space-grafting," "publicity," "self laudation," "selling" or call it what you will. If "institutional promotion" - to give it the benefit of the least obnoxious designation - comes as a "by-product" of news and helpful information, there's no harm done. But an item aimed to benefit the institution rather than the person who reads that item is not only subversive to the purposes of the college, but is also subversive to the interests of the so-called "by-product." The college has no mandate to work the newspapers; yet it has a sufficient warranty to work for its readers."
Author reports that Kansas State has offered a news writing course for agricultural students for more than a decade, and with good results.. Believes a course in news writing should not be a universal requirement in the agricultural college curriculum, but emphasizes skills in English.
President's column includes at note: "There are new mediums through which we may serve - the radio and the motion picture. We need to give these more serious attention than we have given them thus far - particularly, the radio. The effective use of both of these, however, needs consideration."
"Have I forgotten the toils of the farm and home laborer? Am I unable to appreciate the folks back home; unable to place myself in their surroundings, and unable to feel and to breathe wholesomeness of rural life? If this is true, then 'back ye editor' to where you will once again become steeped in the spirit of rural America."
Abstracted from a talk at the 1935 AAACE meeting, Cornell University, New York. A strong case for reporting vividly, from observation, and with heart. "Flesh and blood on bare bones."
Supports training of agriculture students in news-writing, and argues that they also should be trained in public speaking. Also: "it would seem that agricultural students should by all means know or learn how to make a living with their hands on land before they take up news-writing and public speaking. Our national literacy of the head is far greater than our literacy of the human hand. We cannot take much of a hand in nation-building from the ground up unless we have trained hands, even in this machine age."
