Carmage Walls is a name that likely most of you never heard, but in the newspaper industry he is known as one of the best in the business. He owned and ran newspapers all across the South, many here in Texas.
He once penned a letter that serves as a guiding light for many still in the business today, including what we do here at the Tribune.
Walls said in his lettertainment ter, “My conception of a newspaper is that it is the greatest force for good or evil in a community. It is a semi-public utility. We who are fortunate in holding stock in a newspaper I consider but temporary custodians of this service vehicle in the community. By our ownership of the stock we also assume tremendous responsibilities, first to the public that we service, second to the employees and lastly to the stockholders. We who are responsible for the publication of newspapers must have the courage to never connive with special interests against the interest and welfare of the mass of people that we serve. We must have the courage to do that which may be unpleasant to maintain the health of the whole being of the newspaper. And to maintain the health nothing can do this so much as first keeping our minds on the matter of service to the mass that we serve.”
