"Best Training in World" Ivy Lee, Publicity Man, Says of Journalism

"It's the best training in the world," said Mr. Ivy Ledbetter Lee L. '99 when asked his opinion on the value of college newspaper work. "I don't know anything better that a college man can do in college. I consider work on a metropolitan newspaper the best post-graduate course it is possible to take."

Mr. Lee, who addressed the Business School last Wednesday, evening, is probably the best known publicity man in the world. He represents the Rockefeller interests, the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Red Cross, and numerous other organizations which require publicity distributed. Mr. Lee is a graduate of Princeton University and while there was a member of the Princetonion Board. Following his four years work on New York newspapers, he started in the publicity business, which has become one of the most important adjuncts to modern business.

Furnishes Broad Experjence

"Work on a newspaper furnishes broad experience" continued Mr. Lee "Enables a man to get a broad perspective about the world in general. It enables him to meet all sorts of people, which is one of the most valuable experiences a man can have. Besides this, he acquires an enormous knowledge of the affairs of the world. Finally, his work is compared each day with similar stories in other papers, and thus an extraordinary opportunity for evaluating the worth of his product is offered.

Publicity Interprets Business

Mr. Lee defined publicity as "the art of interpreting business to the public." He said, "Just as a good doctor is one who keeps his patient healthy publicity seeks to create, good public impressions of business as we go along. This cannot be done by distorting facts, or keeping the truth hidden, for publicity must not be used as an umbrella to keep off rain. The frank statement of true facts is the means employed in a constructive campaign, and the publicity campaign, and the public has always proved receptive to honest expressions of fact.

"I have never requested a newspaper man to print a single article, not have I over requested an article suppressed. The principle of publicity in normal times is to conduct your campaign so you don't incur the distrust of the public. By preparing statements of what the manufacturer believes interesting to the people throughout the country, the healthy and constructive side of publicity work is accomplished."