The Froth Estate

In his 35 years as the restlessly perfectionist editor of the New York Times's fat, sober Sunday supplements, Lester Markel, 64, has always put fact above fancy (and reaps his reward in juicy ads for bras, girdles and lingerie). In the latest Bulletin of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, Markel chides other editors for stressing entertainment. "I have been impelled at times," says he, "to inquire whether [we] should not properly be called The Froth Estate.' "

Writes Editor Markel: "I don't outlaw Dick Tracy or Li'I Abner, but I insist that a newspaper shall print a goodly amount of information. In the long run, [editors] will discover that they cannot compete with TV in the variety field, and therefore that the future lies in the information area. Too many of them have abdicated this function to the news weeklies and to the silver-screen, gold-plated commentators. They had better move quickly to regain their news standing." Other Markel criticisms: P: "Talk about freedom of the press and freedom of information is being worn thin. There is too little said about the obligations of the press. Most editors' hackles rise when a reader suggests that maybe the press is not as responsible as it should be and that its demand for 100% freedom may be illogical if it does not exercise due restraint. The customer, I suspect, may be approximately right." P: "Most publishers need education in editorial matters. The editorial costs of a newspaper range from 5% to 10% of the total and so the average publisher is likely to assign them to the lower categories--except when it comes to cutting the budget, in which case he is apt to turn first to trimming the editorial items. A campaign of enlightenment seems in order."

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