This day in Mohawk Valley history: December 18, 1924

THE SPOKEN NEWSPAPER

James Melvin Lee, Director of College of Journalism, New York University, Tells About It Over Radio.

Since every body reads newspapers, everybody will doubtless be interested in a talk given over the radio from WNYC, New York City, by James Melvin Lee, now director of the college department of journalism, New York City, and at one time a resident of Oneonta and connected with the editorial department of The Star. The talk of Saturday was entitled “The Spoken Newspaper,” and its origin is interestingly explained in a note from the author to the editor of The Star.

“This little talk,” he says, “when I took the air last Saturday evening, has a local, or Oneonta, end. All the information came from Hon. David F. Wilber of your city. You remember he was formerly United States consul at Zurich, Switzerland. He went to considerable trouble to get this data, and when you see him I wish you would tell him that I put it to good use Saturday evening.”

“A Sunday edition, strange as it may seem,” says Mr. Lee, “is the best example found today in the ‘spoken newspaper.’” It is found in the Swiss village of Champery. Here every Sunday morning immediately after a religious service, mass or vespers, are held what are called, in the language of the village, ‘public cryings.’ These take place out-of-doors in the middle of the village from a balcony overlooking the principal street. The public crier, the one who gives the spoken news from the balcony, first publishes the decisions and decrees–both federal and state. He announces the ordinances passed by the municipal council, and ‘cries’ the fines or penalties decided upon by the local police court, much the same as you have already heard from this station an hour ago the alarms broadcast by the police department of the city of New York.

”But to get back to the ‘spoken newspaper’ of Champery. In a word, the official crier brings to public attention all official decisions emanating from civil authority. He likewise announces auction sales of furniture, cattle, etc. In addition he gives official notices of prosecutions in the courts and the petitions in bankruptcy. News items such as I have just mentioned are obligatory, like the legal notices printed today in American newspapers.

“But in addition to this news the Sunday crier is instructed to publish matters of general information which are often of a private or commercial character. For doing so he receives remuneration from the person who makes use of his services. These items are varied in character. A business house, for example, informs the public of a price charged for goods or announces the new arrival of a supply of potatoes. Farmers ‘publish’ in its way announcements of sales of horses, goats, agricultural products, etc. If a public attraction, such as a concert or a play is to take place during the coming week, the public ‘crier’ announces the fact–usually for a little remuneration.

“This spoken Sunday newspaper has its classified advertising section in which lost and found articles are advertised through the spoken word rather than by the printed page. In a word, the public crier of Champery is authorized to tell anything that may be of interest to the ‘hearing public.’

”This spoken Sunday newspaper dates from time immemorial. It is always heard with a great deal of interest, not only by everybody in the village but also by those who come from the mountainside, first to attend church and, possibly equally as important, to hear the news. Every citizen is supposed to be fully informed as to what has been announced in the ‘spoken newspaper.’ If he transgresses a village ordinance he cannot take advantage of the fact that he was not present at the public drying when the village regulation was first announced. He simply must make himself familiar with what appears in the ‘spoken newspaper.’ To vote well he must pay close attention to the reports of municipal proceedings, such as the adoption of the local budget and things of that character. Here is a real ‘spoken newspaper’ which, when the radio reaches the Swiss village of Champery, may become a ‘spoken newspaper’ of more than local distribution.”

Source: NYS Historic Newspapers