The World's Elite

Most of the world's newspapers practice a "splashy, superficial, thoughtless and tenuous" journalism that offers readers only a "heterogeneous hodgepodge of triviality." After making that harsh generalization in an ambitious new book that assesses the press on a global scale, John C. Merrill, a professor of journalism at the University of Missouri, nonetheless contends that the number of "serious, intellectually oriented journals with cosmopolitan outlooks" is growing steadily. They constitute what he calls "the elite press," and that is the title of his book (Pitman; $7.95). Merrill not only ticks off the top newspapers by name, but also ranks 100 of them in descending degrees to form the "Merrill Elite Press Pyramid."

Merrill, 44, holds a Ph.D. in mass communications from the University of Iowa and has spent three years checking out his impressions of foreign newspapers, including visits to the home offices of many of them. He defines the elite as "the concerned papers, the knowledgeable papers, the serious papers and the papers which serious people and opinion leaders in all countries take seriously." That definition embraces the captive press of authoritarian societies as well as the best of the free press in the West. Merrill's book provides brief profiles of 40 newspapers, but its value rests on its ranking of the papers. His pyramid places ten papers in a "primary elite," 20 in a "secondary elite," 30 in a "tertiary elite" and 40 in a "near-elite." The world's top ten, with Merrill's estimate of their strengths:

The New York Times--A proud, almost arrogant newspaper whose daily circulation goes to a special leadership audience around the world. Not everybody likes it, but nobody can ignore it. Although its reputation throughout the world probably exceeds reality, it leads all papers in its widespread collection of news and views. Its thoroughness is its chief distinction, and it is the standard against which other American papers are judged.*

Neue Zuercher Zeitung (Zurich)--The most individual, the most serious, the most responsible and the most cosmopolitan. From its lofty pinnacle in its neutral and freedom-loving country, it views all the world with a cold and intellectual detachment.

Le Monde (Paris)--The most remorselessly intellectual and the one that has made the fewest concessions to modern journalism. A paper of interpretation, speculation and realistic conclusion, it possesses an uncanny ability to foresee developments. Calm, unhurried and placid, it consistently represents an intelligent left-of-center line. (It plans to begin publishing an English-language weekly version this winter.)

The Guardian (Manchester/London) --Catalyst to the nonconformist British conscience and representative of the most informed and intelligent sector of British progressive, liberal thought. Not a newspaper to which readers react neutrally, it has de-emphasized news in favor of criticism, interpretation and political polemic.

The Times (London)--Dignified and polite, uncluttered and well edited, with excellent writing and editorials that are highly polished and deceptively sharp. The Times is perhaps the one paper that most readily comes to mind when thoughts turn to quality daily journalism.

Pravda (Moscow)--Without a doubt the calmest, most businesslike and most influential newspaper in the Soviet Union and perhaps in the world. As the guardian of the Party line, it takes a position on all questions of public life and the other media follow its lead.

Jen-min Jih-pao (Peking)--Primarily an instrument of the power elite, it resorts at times to exaggeration, half truths and outright falsification. More of a governmental bulletin board than a newspaper, it probably reaches more people than any other publication in the world.

Borba (Belgrade)--Compared with the press of other Communist nations, that of Yugoslavia is highly critical, discursive and intellectually lively. Borba manages to relate its stories to the daily affairs of its citizens and is not loaded with dry statistics. Its team of foreign correspondents is probably the best in Eastern Europe.

L'Osservatore Romano (Vatican City) --It reflects the Pope's thinking, presents news and opinion with serenity and a sense of history and has seen many persecutors and dictators come and go. Its influence far outstrips its modest circulation (about 70,000 daily), since its subscribers not only include the world's leading churchmen but also such diverse rulers as those in the Kremlin and Charles de Gaulle.

ABC (Madrid)--Intense and precise, it has set the tone of all Spanish journalistic writing. Its emphasis on literature, music and philosophy gives it an aura of intellectualism. It has suffered from stringent press laws, but has offset its inability to have pungent political articles by improving its nonpolitical pieces and pictures. It exercises considerable courage and skill in making its voice heard, sometimes with sly critical undertones.

*U.S. dailies in the secondary group are the Christian Science Monitor, St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Washington Post. The third-ranking papers include the Baltimore Sun, Los Angeles Times, Louisville Courier-Journal, Miami Herald and Wall Street Journal.

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