Editor & Publisher 1994-01-01: Vol 127 Iss 1

85 Pages·18 MB·English

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1993-1994
'
Review and Forecast Issue
THE EClLIRTH ESTATE / hcOuly hidcpcjulcut W eekly Jonninl oj \eu slmlyerinii
Nobody Tells It Like Dennis!
Writing a good local column,
day after day, takes a special kind of
talent One that requires a thorough
understanding of a city’s past and
present, along with a unique insight
into the hearts and minds of the
people who live where you live.
Here in Southern California, nobody
fits that bill better than Daily News
columnist Dennis McCarthy. For
years, his colorful and heart-
touching columns on people and
$ 1.75 their lives in the San Fernando
Valley have made him one of the
area’s best-loved writers. And, as a
i»toc: o# two-time winner of the California
zoz *
ZOnCf) * Newspaper Publish^'s Association
cm Jtc
3>zm3013-01 *# award for “Best Local Columnist,”
ttiMCn3>i-* *
omurro * McCarthy has not only established
3om-<tno *
w-c ro * himself as a perennial favorite, but
a ocfl *
►Hjozmeo *
cjmtjc * a big reason why the Daily News
n-i » Look for highlights from the
30 * Los Angeles Daily News on the continues to be the area’s First choice
CO o >0 *
i-» m o New York Times New Service. for best overall coverage.
Daily News
Editor & Publisher magazine Awards are presented at the Entries compete in four
and the International INMA's international confer¬ circulation groups:
Newspaper Marketing ence. The 1994 conference will
Under 50,000,
Association annually recognize be held May 15-18 at the
50,000-100,000,
excellence in newspaper mar¬ Wigwam Resort, Phoenix, 100,000-200,000 and
keting through the INMA/E&P Arizona. Print winners will be Over 200,000
Marketing Awards Competition. showcased in a valuable collec¬
This competition, now in its 59th tion, Best in Print '94, vdiile the Share your greatest marketing suc¬
cesses of 1993. Call for complete
year, is designed to showcase broadcast winners will be fea¬
rules and entry forms today!
the best efforts of professionals tured on audio and video cas¬
working in all disciplines of sette collections. To Enter: Call
newspaper marketing. E&P at [phone] or
INMA at [phone] to
By entering your department's Nineteen categories
receive a complete entry packet.
work, you are providing are represented in
recognition for your staff's five general groups:
59th Annual
efforts, and you are contributing
In-Paper Promotion,
| j^Edita^^Publisher
your ideas to the newspaper inma
Printed Materials,
industry, as executives from Outside Media, Awards Competition
around the world search for the Marketing AAaterials and
finest ways to accomplish their PR-Intemal Affairs. Deadline For Entries
marketing goals. January 28,1994
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About Awards
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
JANUMIT PIMUMT MMCH
t M T W T f f « M T W T f S Community Action Notwork Awards. The Com¬
1 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 munity Action Network recently recognized 10 newspapers
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
9 1011 12 13 1415 13 14 15 16 17 1819 13 14 15 16 17 1819 for outstanding public service at its sixth annual awards
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 presentation.
J»'j„:fj,25 26 27 28 29 27 28 27 28 29 30 31
Of a total 66 winners, the newspapers were recognized
JANUARY for award-winning entries dealing with solutions to such
1 3" IS — Northwest Missouri Press Association Convention, critical community problems as street crime, drunken driv¬
Downtown Holiday Inn, St. Joseph ing, homelessness and hunger.
20*22 — Kentucky Press Association Convention and Trade Show, Winning newspapers included the Atlanta Journal and
Marriott Griffin Gate, Lexington
Constitution; Record, Bergen County, N.J.; Chicago Sun-
23*26 — Newspaper Association of America Promotion and Mar¬
ket Development Conference, Hotel del Coronado, San Diego Times; Evansville (Ind.) Courier; Hollywood Reporter; Mil-
38*39 — New England Press Association Convention and Trade vuaukee Journal; Mobile (Ala.) Press Register; New York
Show, Park Plaza Hotel and Towers, Boston Newsday; Syracuse (N.Y.) Herald-Journal; and Tampa Tri¬
FEBRUARY bune.
10-12 — California Newspaper Publishers Association Conven¬ CAN is a volunteer, nonprofit, tax-exempt group that
tion, Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills collects and shares information about solutions to com¬
1 2-14 — Great Lakes Newspaper Production Conference, Shera¬ munity social problems.
ton Center, Toronto
1 3-10 — Editor & Publisher Telecommunications Conference, Hy¬
Nawswemen's Club Awards. The Neu; York Times
att Regency Hotel, Tampa
took the top honor, the Deadline Award, in the 1993 News-
24-20 — Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association Convention,
Clarion Hotel, Baltimore women’s Club of New York Front Page Awards for a report
27-3/2 — Inland Press Association Convention, Breakers Hotel, by Jane Fritsch on Empire Blue Cross.
Palm Beach, Fla. Ruby Washington of the Times was recognized for spot
MARCH news photography. A piece by Rosemary Bray in the pa¬
1- 5 — Newspaper in Education Week per’s Sunday magazine won in the criticism/commentary
2- 5 — American Newspaper LayOut Managers Association Confer¬
category.
ence, Biscayne Bay Marriott Hotel, Miami
0-8 — Great Lakes Newspaper Production Conference, Woodfield Newsday and New York Newsday received three Front
Hilton Hotel, Arlington Heights, 111. Page Awards and garnered the first award ever presented
•-11 — Inter American Press Association Hemisphere Conference by the club recognizing sports photojournalism.
on Free Speech, Mexico City Newsday winners, by category, were Joan Bernard Kelly
1 O-13 — National Newspaper Association Government Affairs — lifestyle reporting; Irene Virag — column writing; Au¬
Conference, Capitol Hilton Hotel, Washington
drey Tiernan — sports photojournalism; and Michele Par-
13-15 — Inter American Press Association Midyear Meeting,
Guatemala City ente — New Reporter Award.
20-23 — Texas Daily Newspaper Association Convention, Ritz- Other newspaper winners were Lucette Lagnado, Vil¬
Carlton Hotel, Houston lage Voice — beat reporting; Karen Cook, Voice — news
24-26 — America-East Newspaper Conference, Hershey Lodge feature reporting; Alix Freedman and Laurie Cohen, Wall
and Convention Center, Hershey, Pa. Street Journal — specialized writing; Margaret Jacobs,
APRIL Newark Star'Ledger — series; Jan Somma, Staten Island
1 2-14 — American Society of Newspaper Editors Conference, J.W. (N.Y.) Advance — photo feature; and Helayne Seidman,
Marriott Hotel, Washington New York Daily News — news series.
20-22 — Pennsylvania Newspaper Publishers Association/Inter¬
state Advertising Managers Association Display Advertising Confer¬
ence, Yorktowne Hotel, York King given Neuharth award. Television and radio talk
24- 27 — Newspaper Association of America Convention, Fair¬ show host Larry King recently was awarded the Allen H.
mont Hotel, San Francisco Neuharth Award for Excellence in Journalism. The award
MAY was presented during a ceremony at the University of South
2-6 — United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organi¬ Dakota, Neuharth’s alma mater.
zation Seminar on Media and Democracy, Santiago, Chile
1 5-1 8 — International Newspaper Marketing Association Con¬
vention, Wigwam Resort, Phoenix Frau Spirit Award. Robert Maynard, the late publisher,
15-18 — Newspaper Purchasing Management Association Con¬ editor and owner of the Oakland (Calif.) Tribune, has been
ference, Radisson Plaza Hotel, Minneapolis posthumously named the recipient of the Freedom Forum’s
25- 27 — Newspaper in Education Conference, Peabody Hotel, Free Spirit Award, the foundation’s highest honor.
Memphis The accomplishments of Maynard, who died of cancer in
29-6/1 — International Federation of Newspaper Publishers August at age 56, will be featured during a special tribute at
(FIEJ) World Newspaper Congress, Vienna, Austria
which his family will be presented with a check for
Vol. 127, No. 1 January 1, 1994 Editor & Publisher, The Fourth Estate (ISSN:0013' $100,000.
094X) is published every Saturday by the Editor Si Publisher Co. Editorial and busi¬
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2 EditorSPublisher • January 1, 1994
Top Stories
Of 1993
Associated Press editors select Midwest flooding
as the biggest U.S. story; AP and Reuters editors
pick Mideast peace as the biggest international story
THE BIGGEST U.S. story of 1993 fell sition to black enfranchisement in
from the heavens, poured into rivers TIMES GnON - South Africa; fifth, European unifica¬
and gushed over their banks, spreading tion; sixth, Somalia; seventh, Italian
death and destruction across the low¬ government-business corruption;
ISRAEL, PLO SION HISTORIC ACCORD
lands of nine Midwest states, accord¬ eighth, the World Trade Center bomb¬
ing to the Associated Press’ annual sur¬ W'rW PEACE RJi ing; ninth, the General Agreement on
vey of editors. Tariffs and Trade; and 10th, Clinton’s
The next biggest story was the dra¬ first year.
ma and tragedy at fundamentalist Reuters editors in the United States
Christian leader David Koresh’s Ranch and throughout the world took a more
Apocalypse outside Waco, Texas. The international view. Both groups agreed
51-day armed standoff ended in a real- on the top three stories of 1993, led by
life apocalypse, a fiery death for more the historic peace pact between Israel
than 80 believers. and the PLO. The deal promises to end
The third-biggest story, according to a bloody feud that has festered, spread¬
the survey of 300 U.S. news executives, ing terrorism, death and fear through¬
was the trial by fire of Bill Clinton’s out the world, since Israel was formed
young presidency. in 1948. Runner-up was the failed coup
Editors polled gave 10 points to the in Russia followed by the U.S.-led U.N.
biggest story, nine to the second- force in Somalia.
biggest and so on. The flood got 2,026 From fourth on, Reuters U.S. and
points; Koresh, 1,734; Clinton, 1,732. foreign editors disagreed.
Fourth in line was the World Trade The U.S. group listed the Midwest
Center bombing in New York City, floods, fourth; trade issues, fifth; the
1,289 points; fifth, the troubled U.S.- World Trade Center bombing, sixth;
led U.N. humanitarian mission to So¬ The historic peace pact was front-page the business battle over the future of
malia, 1,174; sixth, the historic peace news throughout the world. information, seventh; singer Michael
agreement between Israel and the Jackson’s child-sex scandal, eighth; Ko¬
Palestine Liberation Organization, far was the Israeli-PLO peace accord, resh, ninth; basketball star Michael
1,169; seventh, the North American according to AP’s polling of newspaper, Jordan’s retirement, 10th.
Free Trade Agreement, 986; eighth, radio and TV news editors from 44 Reuters’ international editors rated
health care reform, 903; ninth, Russian other nations. South African power sharing, fourth;
war in the former Yugoslavia, fifth;
trade issues, sixth; the World Trade
Reuters editors in the United States and Center bombing, seventh; Michael
Jackson, eighth; Indian earthquake,
throughout the world took a more international ninth; and British royalty, 10th.
view. Both groups agreed on the top three stories United Press International’s poll of
55 UPl editors and subscribers rated
of 1993, led by the historic peace pact between
the Mideast peace agreement as the
Israel and the PLO. top story, followed by NAFTA, Russian
turmoil, Bosnian conflict, U.S. floods,
Somalian peacekeeping, ending South
turmoil on the road to reform, 715; and The runner-up was the Russian coup African apartheid, Koresh, World
10th, ethnic war in Bosnia, 615. attempt, followed by third, ethnic war Trade Center bombing and Clinton’s
The biggest international story by in the former Yugoslavia; fourth, tran¬ young administration. REc^P
EditordfPublisher • January 1, 1994 3
3 Top Stories Of The Year
Wire services issue their annual list¬
ings.
1 1 Heading For The
(Information) Highway
In 1993, more newspaper firms moved
beyond experimentation to full-scale
embrace of telecommunications, elec¬
tronic information and interactive me¬
dia.
1 5 Financial Outlook
Newspaper profits rebounded moder¬
ately in 1993; prospects are good for
slightly better growth this year. Page 11 Strange events at the New York Post dominated much of ’93
33 Ad Growth May
Speed Up in ’94
After modest gains in 1993, ad fore¬
2 About Awards
casters and newspaper execs are pre¬
dicting larger increases in ad spending
2 Calendar
this year.
34 Newspapers And
The Supreme Court
Decisions involving the media in 1993 6 Editorial
focused primarily on commercial
speech, although issues with First 7 Letters to the Editor
Amendment ramifications brought by
nonmedia parties also were decided. 7 Newspaperdom
36 Newspapers And 40 Stock Tables
Capitol Hill
The biggest issues in Congress during 42 Ownership Changes
the year involved telecommunications
and postal rates.
38 Freedom House Report then Rupert Murdoch reacquired it
More nations adopted democratic
forms of government, but press free¬
dom faced significant threats in 1993.
30 Newspeople in the News
40 Lifting
Telecommunications 32 Advertising/Promotion
Restrictions
The Clinton administration plans to 56 News Tech
introduce legislation this month. Its
goal is to create an environment that ______ 62 Syndicates/News Services
stimulates a private system of free-flow¬ Page 62 United Media still was
ing information. owned by Scripps at the end of the year 69 Classified
Editor6?Puhlisher • January 1, 1994
THE NEW CURMUDGEON
by Thomas Winship
Thinking positive
— for a change
advance a certain set of objectives.” hardships of Sarajevo and Somalia so
^Traditionally, the turn of the year is Russ is still preaching the real stuff. the world would know what was hap¬
a time for positive thinking — for a Then there’s Tina Brown, who has pening there.
change. So let’s have a tip of the hat to turned the New Yorker magazine on its
head and, in so doing, has made it a
some useful and inspiring happenings
in our line of work. must read for serious editors. Her skills ^To AP president Lou Boccardi’s tes¬
are a fascinating mix of an aggressive, timonial to his troops: “AP flew in its
Think of James Batten, Knight-Rid-
on-the-news editor and a sometimes own satellite dishes, water, gasoline
der’s CEO, and what he did directly af¬
tasteless New Age gadfly. She keeps cans, tinned food, even pencils and
ter his miraculous recovery from a near
her readers both intrigued and rattled. pens. A Somali translator for AP, Mo¬
fatal automobile accident during the
Not a bad trick. hammed Mursal, was killed in a market
fall. He had lost so much blood that he
Shouldn’t the impact journalism of protecting AP reporters from a bandit
came closer to death than attending
the year award go to the Chicago Tri¬ with an automatic rifle; AP photogra¬
doctors had ever seen.
bune for its unrelenting coverage of pher Hansi Krauss was killed with
On his first day of consciousness, he
children under 15 killed in street vio¬ three other newsmen by a mob. In
called three of his closest business as¬
lence? The paper’s formula: full cover¬ Sarajevo, gasoline shortages and bitter
sociates to his bedside. He asked them
age of the child’s death followed by an winter weather have caused as many
to make a pragmatic judgment: Should
in-depth profile, always played on page problems for the AP team as the war
he step down as CEO in view of his ac¬
one. Under direction of deputy manag¬ itself. AP reporters and photographers
cident? The verdict was a resounding
ing editor Anne Marie Lipinski, more have chopped their own wood to make
“no.”
than 50 powerful prt)files were carried fires and a few days ago were chipping
Just by raising the question at that
in ’93. their way out of sleeping bags in the
fragile moment in his recovery, Jim had
Speaking of resolve, columnist morning because of ice that formed
answered his own question, an associ¬
William Safire certainly deserves a during the night. Just surviving in
ate said later. Jim is completely recov¬
salute for his dogged pursuit of the Sarajevo — gathering firewood, dodg¬
ered and back at his desk.
Iraqgate story. He is probably the only ing snipers, shipping in food — is a
And let’s have it for Russ Wiggins, journalist in America who has not full-time job. Reporters have to write
former Washington Post editor and abandoned the search for all the facts stories, too.”
U.N. ambassador. He celebrated his on the Bush administration’s arming of Another hero of the year just past
90th birthday last month in between Iraq just before the Gulf War. has to be Paul McMasters of the Free¬
writing and editing the editorial page dom Forum First Amendment Center
of his beloved Ellsworth (Maine) I at Vanderbilt University.
American. n television, let’s have it for Public He is on a 50-state pilgrimage to
At his celebration, friends were re¬ Broadcasting Service for its decision to alert the nation to the trashing of First
minded of Wiggins’ charge to his staff expand children’s programs to nine Amendment rights in the name of po¬
many years ago. hours daily, in large uninterrupted litical correctness on scores of U.S.
“The ideal newspaperman,” he once blocks of time. Will the networks fol¬ college campuses.
told his staff, “never forgets which side low? We’re talking about school officials
of the footlights he’s on.” To the Boston Globe and many oth¬ stealing and burning college news¬
He wanted committed reporters. er papers that are connecting regularly papers, art and photo exhibits shut
“But,” he said, “the commitment ought with their customers through Reader down, academic freedoms suppressed
to be the commitment of the honest Feedback features, columns and polls and the proliferation of speech codes
witness, the fair narrator, the accurate on topics of the day. that criminalize thought and words.
reporter and not the commitment to “This is not popular with our staff The McMasters message: “We must
but seems very popular with our read¬ take seriously what’s happening out
Winship, a former editor of the Boston ers,” Globe editor Matthew Storin said. there on our college campuses. When
Globe, is chairman of the Center for To the tiny hand of Associated Press the leaders of our most learned and
Foreign Journalists in Res ton, Va. His and other reporters and photographers
column appears monthly. who last year braved the incredible (See Curmudgeon on page 65)
EditorfifFublisher • January 1, 1994 5
James Wright Brown, Chairman of the Board, 1912-1959 Charter Member.
Audit Bureau
Robert U. Brown, President of Circulations
Ferdinand C. Teubner, Publisher Member,
D. Colin Phillips, General Manager of Circulations Newspaper Association ABP
Member America
EditoriS’Publisher The Oldest Publishers and Advertisers
Newspaper in America
With which have been merged: The Journalist,
established March 22, 1884; Newspaperdom, established
March 1892; The Fourth Estate, March 1, 1894;
Editor & Publisher. June 29, 1901;
® The Fourth Estate Advertising, Jan. 22, 1925.
Editor
Robert U. Brown
Review and forecast Managing Editor
John R Consoli
Associate Editors
David Astor, Tony Case,
A FEELING OF cautious optimism for the future was obvious at the annual George Garneau, Dorothy Giobhe,
Paine Webber Media Conference in New York City in December. The consensus Jim Rosenberg
of executives representing publicly traded newspaper groups was that in 1993, the Midwest Editor
business started to come out of its worst slump in years hut the recovery was ane¬ Mark Fitzgerald
mic. Despite that, a few expected their fourth-quarter figures to he considerably Washington Editor
better. Most believed that the prospects are good for continued improvement and Debra Gersh Hernandez
faster growth in the coming year. West Coast Editor
M.L. Stein
It is evident that rigid cost-cutting, accompanied by low newsprint costs and
Copy Editor
some advertising rate increases, has been responsible for improved earnings. This Kathy Shwiff
has brought optimistic appraisals of the future and announcements of expendi¬
Advertising Director
tures of millions of dollars in capital improvements. Steven A. Townsley
The forecast by the Newspaper Association of America of an anticipated 6% Sales Representatives
growth in newspaper advertising this year — compared to only 4% last year — Paul J. Arata, Diane E. Carty,
Robert N. Classman, Richard H. Henrichs,
has added to the feeling of optimism. Improved retail business during the holi¬
Robert J. Mathes
days and the rising stock market at the end of the year also contributed to that
Advertising Production Manager
feeling. Louise Villani
All of this has to do with the business of ink-on-paper that we call a newspa¬ Asst. Kim Miles
per. However, a new equation has been introduced to the overall picture — the Classified Advertising Manager
interactive newspaper — that will influence the future greatly. There are just as David Maxwell
Asst. Hazel Preuss
many opinions about where the marriage of newspapers and telecommunications
will end up as there are newspaper companies that are becoming involved with Circulation Director
Gina Dzurenda
computer-telephone-cable, etc. Asst. Marlene Hazzard
The methods by which information will he communicated in the future are Information Services
complex and awesome. Newspapers are right in the middle of these develop¬ Shqipe Malushi
ments. We believe that whatever transmission system comes out of all this, news¬ Operations Manager
papers will survive and play a major role in informing the public as they always Christopher Phillips
have. Promotion Manager
Lawrence J. Burnagiel
OFFICES
General: 11 West 19th Street, New York,
Trashing the press N.Y. 10011; [phone]; FAX; Editorial
[phone]; Advertising [phone];
Circulation [phone].
Chicago: 8 South Michigan Avenue, Suite
IT IS TIME that newspapers of general circulation took an interest in what is 1601, Chicago, Ill. 60603; [phone];
FAX [phone]. Mark Fitzgerald, Editor-
happening to student newspapers on college campuses throughout the country. Richard H. Henrichs, Sales Representative.
On about two dozen campuses in recent months, student newspapers have been Washington: National Press Building,
stolen, burned or trashed because someone or some group didn’t approve of what Suite 1128, Washington, D.C. 20045; (202)
662-7234; FAX [phone]. Debra Gersh
appeared in them. E&P has reported many of those incidents, but Paul McMas- Hernandez, Editor.
ters, executive director of the Freedom Forum First Amendment Center and pres¬ Long Beach: 369 Seville Way, Long Beach,
ident of the Society of Professional Journalists, told in detail what has been go¬ Calif. 90814; (310) 597-1 159; FAX (310)
597-1776. M.L. Stein, Editor.
ing on (E&P, Nov. 11, p. 48). He called it “a sad and sickening litany of First Los Angeles: 3435 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 650,
Amendment outrage.” 90010; [phone], FAX [phone].
W. Marshall—Scott, Marshall, McGinley &
The sickening part of it is that not only are students doing this, but in some
Doyle Inc., Advg. Reps.
cases, college administrators have excused the incidents as a form of protest in¬ San Francisco: 450 Sansome St., Ste. 1420,
stead of treating them as violations of First Amendment rights. 94111; [phone], FAX [phone].
P. Scott—Scott, Marshall, McGinley &. Doyle
Editors of newspapers everywhere should take an interest. As McMasters Inc., Advg. Reps.
wrote, “Unless we speak out and keep watch, it is only a short distance to the day Microfilm copies of Editor & Publisher are available in
when the demagogues have buried democracy in the dumpster with the First 16mm microfilm, 35mm microfilm and 105mm microfiche
from University Microfilms International, 300 North
Amendment.” Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106. Printed in USA
6 Editor(S?Publisher • January 1, 1994
He can’t believe
Letters to the Editor
college instructor
defended PR firm
Let’s stop bashing each
“I CAN’T BELIEVE they’re still trying
to rescue themselves,” John MacArthur
other, professor says
said of Hill & Knowlton (E&P, Sept.
11, p. 22).
I can’t believe it either. Moreover, 1
can’t believe that Susanne Roschwalb,
THIS YEAR IS no different than any duced to explain the apparent grounds who teaches public relations at Ameri¬
year in the battle between academics for dissatisfaction.” can University, would say, “It is not that
and professionals over journalism edu¬ Editor & Publisher could have re¬ Hill & Knowlton created Citizens to
cation. printed these statements year after Free Kuwait [actually, it was Citizens for
The conclusion of the annual con¬ year. a Free Kuwait] as a pseudo-organization
vention of the Association for Educa¬ Corrigan does not add any new in¬ to represent a cause that is question¬
tion in Journalism and Mass Commu¬ formation to our understanding. He able.
nication has brought a round of profes¬ continues to fuel the fire with criticism “It is the use of an ambassador’s
sionals criticizing educators and ed¬ of the field by citing papers that touch daughter in congressional testimony
ucators bashing professionals. the fringe of journalism research. without identifying her that comes in
In a recent Shop Talk at Thirty This too is nothing new. This tech¬ for censure.”
(E&P, Oct. 2, p. 44), Don Corrigan nique is used by scholar Ben Bagdikian
Roschwalb is obviously unfamiliar
sounds the continued alarm that jour¬ in Media Monopoly to indict all chains
with articles 5-8 of the “Code of Profes¬
nalism programs are out of touch. This in the newspaper industry by using
sional Standards for the Practice of
alarm by professionals is nothing new. anecdotal evidence to support the no¬
Public Relations,” published by the Pub¬
At the conclusion of the 1930 meet¬ tion that chain ownership is bad.
lic Relations Society of America.
ing of the American Society of News¬ There is much in the indictment of
Briefly, these four articles prohibit
paper Editors, the editors complained, journalism education. Is there research
“knowingly disseminating false or mis¬
“There are too many who are teaching that does not benefit the industry? Yes.
leading information,” “corrupting the
technique now who don’t know their Is it all bad? No.
integrity of channels of communica¬
stuff.” James Carey of the University of Illi¬
tions or the processes of government,”
After reviewing the report, H.H. nois summarized the criticism, “Is
and setting up false-front organizations
Herbert of the University of Oklahoma ninety percent of the published re¬
“serving an undisclosed interest.”
responded, “The perennial question of search insignificant and trivial? Of
Hill &. Knowlton violated all of these
the value of schools of journalism was course it is, just as the overwhelming
provisions without so much as blinking
not decided at this meeting, nor was majority of news stories, novels, televi¬
an eye, pocketing millions of dollars of
there any truly scientific evidence ad- sion programs, music and everything
fees from Kuwait’s ruling family, all col¬
else is junk.”
lected under the false front of an orga¬
The continued criticism by profes¬
nization portrayed as independent of
Newspaperdom» sionals is so broad and hyperbolic that the Kuwaiti government.
it is difficult to find solutions. Journal¬
To the best of my knowledge, Gary
ism educators have difficulty determin¬
Hymel of Hill & Knowlton has never
ing where the field should go because
been a member of the Public Relations
50 YIARS AGO ... An Audit after generations of education commit¬
Society of America and might have
Bureau of Circulations cross-sec¬ tees among the Associated Press Man¬
been unaware of its code.
tion survey for E6?P showed daily aging Editors, American Society of
But others at Hill &. Knowlton
newspaper circulation ahead 2.6% Newspaper Editors and the Newspaper
should have known that the firm’s con¬
during the year despite wartime re¬ Association of America, the profes¬
duct in this matter was completely be¬
strictions on newsprint. Morning sionals are not sure either.
yond the pale. As should Professor
circulation was up 2.1% and evening Herbert said it best in 1930, “The
Roschwalb.
was up 3%. Sunday circulation was whole business of journalism education
ahead 5.1%. is still largely in the stage in which Bill Huey
every man’s experience is the sole basis
Brydon Taves, United Press of his opinion. The fact is the editors,
Huey is an assistant professor
Southwest Pacific manager, died of like the teachers, are still groping for
in the communications department
injuries that he suffered in a plane the measuring stick that will reveal the
at Washington State University
crash that occurred on takeoff from true stature of our schools.”
New Guinea. He was the 15th U.S. And the debate goes on.
war correspondent killed in action
since the war began. Ed Adams Correction
From Editor & Publisher Adams is an assistant professor of IN A LETTER (E&P, Nov. 27, p. 7),
January 1, 1944 communications at Angelo State Orange County Register business re¬
University, San Angelo, Texas porter Jeff Rowe’s name was misspelled.
Editor6?Publisher • January 1, 1994 7
Letters to the Editor_
Faults journalists who Defends his book
walked out on rapper HILEY WARD ASKS a lot of questions
in his review of my book. Deep Truth,
The Lives of Bob Woodward and Carl
Bernstein (E&P, Nov. 6, p. 27) — sev¬
HAVING READ BOTH Marchel’le To Mr. Buckel and those black jour¬ en to be exact. Let me attempt to an¬
Renise Barber’s columrr (E&P, Oct. 9, nalists who walked out on the rappers swer some.
p. 7) and Bob Buckel’s letter respond¬ in Houston, your outrage would be He asks if I considered “all the vari¬
ing to that article (E&P, Nov. 27, p. 7), better served by doing your jobs as re¬ ables” and “was the courtyard locked
I find serious fault with Mr. Buckel and porters and further examining the de¬ and the balcony the same 20 years ago?”
total agreement with Ms. Barber. humanizing environments and condi¬ Well yes, I did consider all the variables.
For starters, I find Mr. Buckel’s com¬ tions that produce those rappers. I interviewed building management,
ments, which stated everyone is guilty older residents of the building and
except the guy doing the offending, Chris Murray looked at the building’s construction
typical of the myopic, reactionary plans and every improvement or li¬
brand of journalism currently gripping Murray is a staff writer at Army Times censed change.
this industry. He asks about weather reports. As I
Instead of attempting to understand wrote in the book, they were checked
the dysfunctional forces that drive the In defense of three ways — by using National Ocean¬
lyrics of today’s rap artists, we only ic (which had an hour-by-hour break¬
write and report on what’s at the sur¬ Canadian judge out), the Washington Post and the New
face because it sells papers (talk about York Times.
mining someone’s misery for profit) WHAT’S EVEN MORE frightening He then interviews Bob Woodward,
and reinforces media-created stereo¬ than how judges work in Canada an unusual step for a book reviewer, but
types. (“Canadian Ban,” E&P, Dec. 4, p. 8) is does not talk to me. Woodward says,
African-American males become the ignorance of U.S. commentators of “Nothing holds up under a neutral dis¬
the easy target of this type of journal¬ how the judicial system works in our passionate examination.” Not true.
ism because in the eyes of white soci¬ country and the assumption, whatever Woodward knows that. The Washing¬
ety, and especially journalists like Mr. the case, that their system is better. ton Times did its own independent
Buckel, we’re all criminals and thugs A Canadian judge has not banned checking of many of the points the
anyway. I am insulted that African- testimony in a murder case. He has de¬ book makes and found no errors. So did
American males are insulted, bashed layed its publication. He has not dictat¬ Washington’s City Paper, an alternative
and foul-mouthed by society and the ed what Canadians can read, only what weekly. The book was also extensively
media on a regular basis. can be broadcast or published at the legally vetted by a New York law firm.
Barber was right about one thing moment about the trial in Canada. I, too, urge anyone to check “details,
and that is those black journalists who This may seem outrageous to you, records and claims” as Bob Woodward
walked out on the rappers lacked the hut to many Canadians, it is a difficult wishes. I can document any charge in
leadership and courage to bridge the but reasonable compromise between an the book. Woodward provides no spe¬
gap between the black elite and the open society and the need to ensure a cific rebuttals but says, “The author and
black have-nots in this society. fair trial. publisher should be utterly ashamed.”
It is ironic that the same feeling of Nor has the judge interfered in any This comes from someone who has
anger and alienation contained in the way with what is published about the prospered from writing about the sex
lyrics of rap records is the same feeling case in your country. Canadian authori¬ life and drinking habits of a president
of abandonment and alienation that ties have very reasonably attempted to (The Final Days), the bowel functions
many of those black journalists who ensure that your media’s manners did of a Supreme Court justice (The
angrily walked out of that session have not overwhelm the sovereignty of Brethen) — I can go on.
to face within the realm of rheir own Canadian law in Canada. I also don’t think I need to be given
newsrooms on a daily basis. The differ¬ Certainly there is much room to de¬ the back of Mr. Ward’s hand as an “oc¬
ence is we can’t “rap” about our suffer¬ bate the Canadian judicial system; we casional free-lancer.” I’ve had two well-
ing when we feel wronged in the news¬ are doing so. reviewed hardback books published in
room because we’re too worried about Given the fact the crime rate is so the last 20 months. I wrote 19 paid
holding on to our jobs. significantly lower in Canada than in pieces just in 1992. More than 30 years
The irony of the black journalist the U.S. and the fact our society is so ago, I was an editor of a weekly newspa¬
walkout on the rappers at the Nation¬ much less violent, there appears to be per at the age of 21.
al Association of Black Journalists much room to debate the American ju¬ Finally — and this is for any young
convention in Houston is that it was dicial system, too. reporter who reads E&P — if you
the anger of urban black youth during spend an entire career using unnamed
the riots of the 1960s that prompted Philip McLeod sources, count on controversy and
newspapers and television stations to someday being called to account.
hire black reporters. Remember the McLeod is editor of the London
Kerner Commission report? (Ontario) Free Press Adrian Havill
8 Editor6?Publisher • January 1, 1994