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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 27, 1981)
Viewpoint The Battalion Texas A&M University Friday March 27, 1981 By A I Because duction cc systems tc hite Co torate is t ing on i ichard B tor of t enter. “Conce sen astj ears,” Bt ge prodi inch as Th he Little Slouch By Jim Earle “I consider it a positive campaign promise. Have you ever thought of how much better off we’d he if our elected politi cians didn’t serve?’’ Reporters' beliefs: vermouth in martini By DAVID S. BRODER WASHINGTON — Wherever a Washington reporter travels these days, there is invariably a discussion about the reaction of the Washington press corps to the Reagan administration and the new, more Republican Congress. Often, the operative question is: Are you guys (the press) going to give them (the Republicans) a chance? The question reflects the public percep tion of a sizeable gap between the voters who choose a government and the reporters who cover it. The reality of that gap is con firmed by a new Brookings Institution book, “The Washington Reporters, ” by my old friend and sometimes colleague, Stephen Hess. In 1978, Hess surveyed a cross-section of 476 Washington journalists comprising almost two-fifths of those co'iering the na tional government for American commer cial news organizations. The results demon strate convincingly that the press corps in this city is no reflection demographically of the country to which it is reporting. We are younger, whiter, more male and far better educated than the people for whom we write and broadcast. The largest bloc of reporters, three of eight, are in their 30s; only one in six suffers, as I do, from the post-50 blahs. More than 96 percent are white; almost 80 percent are males. We are vastly overeducated — 98.3 per cent have some college training, almost half have some graduate training and one-third have graduate degrees, with most of the formal training outside the field of journal ism in humanities or liberal arts. The Northeast is overrepresented and Ronald Reagan’s West greatly underrepre sented, being the home of less than one in ten Washington reporters. Hess was too polite to ask, but I’m sure we are skewed another way — being better- paid than most of those in our audiences, even though a surprising lot of us drift out of reporting into other, presumably better paying work after age 40. What most concerns people about the Washington press corps — its possible poli tical prejudice — is not a point on which Hess chooses to be definitive. He made no Warped Reagan overplays El Salvadoi By CLAY F. RICHARDS United Press International WASHINGTON — Some of Ronald Reagan’s closest advisers were caught off guard by the rapid developments in El Sal vador and are now advising the president to play down the importance of the Central American nation. “I think the whole thing has been over played,” said one of Reagan’s closest advisers. “I talk with people around the country all the time and I’ve not gotten a single letter or a single phone call about it — so it’s not that big a thing outside Washington,” he said. Secretary of State Alexander Haig, seek ing to establish an early beachhead in the battle for Reagan’s heart and mind, scored a coup by bringing the relatively quiet crisis on to the nation’s front page. El Salvador dominated Reagan’s second news conference as the president seemed anxious to make it clear the United States will no longer pursue a weak and vascilating policy when it comes to battling commun ism — especially in the Western Hemis phere. “Secondly, I think it is unfortunate it has come up now because it diverts from the president’s economic program, ” he said. "I think we’ve got to pay a little more attention to keeping focus on the economic package. ” “It gives the boys on the Hill (Congres) a chance to run off in the other direction. It takes the pressure off them,” he said. “I think we’d be better low keying it (El Salva dor) right now.” inflation, unemployment and other mic woes. But foreign policy is something eh; is where America flexes its muscles, or saves governments, and is a lea gure in shaping the political makeup; globe. When Jimmy Carter found ol couldn’t do anything about the ec» he diverted his attention to a Salt': the Panama Canal, Middle EastPi human rights around the world And as a result the recordofliisij* will be judged on those areas. Hiss ’ arlmic^inn rlnrim* flip IQfiO PAmmicnBi Top Reagan domestic advisers were shocked and caught off guard by the rapid ity that El Salvador moved to the front, and are now trying to convince Reagan that it is distracting from his economic program. So, with less than two months on the job, Reagan is falling into the trap any number of his predecessors have been caught in. The American economy is in general terms a boring topic, and as recent history has proved it is difficult for any president to do anything that will dramatically reshape admission during the 1980 campair that he had failed to realize theirapi rocketing OPEC oil prices wouldk inflation at home. But the people who elected 1 Reagan apparently were not impress g y fra; Carter’s record on Salt, Panama, tli( £ die East or human rights. | , P The 1 Poll after poll showed they wanted j thing done about the economyinstea;; , , it is unlikely that El Salvador will them anymore. I Each ca |qualificati< nd plans andidate: junior poli Lubbock; gricultun Nacogdocl junior poli Humble; junior ps Houston. Collins, temal affa: independent effort to define or categorize the beliefs of his subjects, but he did ask the reporters themselves if they “feel there is a political bias in the Washington press corps.” Only a small fraction of his sample answered the question, and they split down the middle — 51 to 49 percent — in their yes-and-no answers. Of those who did think there was a bias, however, 96 percent said it was in the liberal direction. On the other hand, only 42 percent of the whole group classified their own views as liberal (compared to 39 percent middle- of-the-road and 19 percent conservative) and 47 percent claimed to be more conser vative than their perception of the press corps as a whole. My own view, for what it is worth, is that there is about as much ideology in the aver age Washington reporter as there is ver mouth in a good martini. Not much. At this moment in history, most of us as citizens are hoping that Ronald Reagan and the Repub licans can slay the dragon of inflation. It is wracking our budgets on everything from cars to college tuitions as much as it is yours. But whatever we hope as citizens, our professional attitude as journalists toward any set of politicians — including the ones now governing here — has to be one of skepticism. It’s our job, as Hess under stands, to poke behind the rhetoric of pres idential pronouncements and examine the evidence that supports the claims for the particular elixir this government is ped dling. Hess faults us — and rightly, I think — for relying too much on interviews and too little on documented evidence, for chasing too many spot stories and spending too little time examining long-term trends. His book is a reminder to those of us in the business that with the increasing edito rial freedom and journalistic autonomy we have gained in our reporting jobs, we have a commensurate burden of responsibility. And, whether or not it’s a consolation to the readers, it suggests that there are short comings in the Washington press corps that are more serious than our widely assumed but dubious political bias. It’s your turn Dealers and precic Station wil doing son want to stc The Col cil Thursd rdinance j of usedjev jals within The m ealers to name, add tion and d of the selk money. Regents are applying the squeeze Editor: I read the Battalion’s front page article on the fee increases for the fall semester of 1981. Tm sure I’m just one of the many stunned readers hit with the disastrous news that our parents and ourselves will have to suffer another 20 percent of fee increases. One of my biggest complaints is that this increase was not even attempted to be gra dual. It seems the committee feels they want to jump in with both feet and we good Ags up for all they can squeeze from our dry pocketbooks. It is obviously true that prices are going up everywhere and I’d be the first to admit that I don’t want to stop the staff pay in creases to deal with these rising costs. But I also feel that this sudden crunch not be so extreme. The main problem is that the Board of Regents realizes that they’ve got us where they want us. If we choose not to pay these ridiculous increase in the dorm rate for a 13x12 room, they can find someone that will — since there’s such a tremendous demand for on-campus housing at Texas A&M. Another point. Why aren’t there any modulars for men? Since we are supposed to be living in such a non-sexist society, it sure seems that our housing department wants to lean the other way and force the men into living in the not-so-fantastic dorms. I now live in Dunn Hall and had to fight like hell to get here. But I guarantee any body it’s not quite worth $655 a semester and the starchy food is not anywhere close to being worth $563 a semester. Also I’d like to comment on the unfortun ate residents of Hotard Hall. If the resi dents don’t want certain modernizations, why give it to them? They should have some say in the matter; after all they’re paying for services they don’t want. In general, the committee says they feel they’re representing the residents approp riately, but did they ever ask our point of view on this subject? On anything for that matter? Keith Sherman ’84 Editorial brings tears Editor: The editorial “Feeling education’s pin cers” by Dillard Stone brought tears to my metal, a de ty purchas time of pu Dealers chase a $!: They will ^obtain a sij eyes. There is truth to his observation: ‘seller that school is to be made so expensive that#: to sell the limited number can afford it. Themai This (o is his perspective. Without the mass? se ^ of the statistics, his claim of limiting ft' Syhich perl ment by cost is sophistry. The service® be free, but that is a bit unrealistic, such a small fraction of the cost of out cation at this institution. Evenpriv lege students don’t pay the entire maintaining and attending theirpriv# leges. We are heavily subsidized!) 1 wage earners and property owners of! and of the United States. Let Mr. S- ! complain to them. I am at this univsj Ownero p al because this is the best bargain in the® b usiness ir| try. The people of Texas should beths -records of j by us. The education supported bypolice with should not be used to supply a forut i n g the ter immature students’ regurgitation ofThe com lin tales of woe. Let us go about our lf si ivv ith the c and lives without this lugubriate’s Water shall seek its own level. hem,” Ms Under tl ill be req after the p ter or sel erson bel< lowed to recious m •Written co guardian. The ore Tom K. By Scott McCullar sciewce-fiction + fantasy: A MEDlim FOR UNPER5TANPIW&, CHANGE ANP ECU LAT10 ftt ~ IN OTHER WORDS, THE FUTURE A fAEDtUNl THAT TEACHES OF OTHER WORLPS, OTHER CULTURES, ANP THEREBY TEACHES US ABOUT OURSELVES. A hEDIU/A WHOSE PEOPLE PREA/A PIGGER, AND HOPE WITH MORE OPEN AMNPS. THE PEOPLE OF SCIENCE" FICTION ANP FANTASy: THE BELIEVERS IN WONDER. The Battalion ISPS MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor Dillard Stone Managing Editor Angelique Copeland Asst. Managing Editor Todd Woodard City Editor Debbie Nelson Asst. City Editor Marcy Boyce Photo Editor Greg Gammon Sports Editor Ritchie Priddy Focus Editor Cathy Saathoff Asst. Focus Editor Susan Hopkins News Editors Venita McCellon, Scot K. Meyer Staff Writers Carolyn Barnes, Jane G; Brust, Terry Duran, Bernie Fette, Cindy Gee, Phyllis Henderson, Kathleen McElroy, Belinda McCoy, Kathy O’Connell, Richard Oliver, Denise Richter, Rick Stolle Cartoonist Scott McCullar Photographers Chuck Chapman Brian Tate EDITORIAL POLICY The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper operated as a community service to Texas A&M University and Bryan-College Station. Opinions expressed in The Bat talion are those of the editor or the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Texas A&M Universi ty administrators or faculty members, or of the Board of 045 WO Hegents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory news) students in reporting, editing and photograph within the Department of Communications. Questions or comments concerning any edifoni should be directed to the editor. LETTERS POLICY Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300j length, and are subject to being cut if they are lt«f r | editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters forstyk' | length, but will make every effort to maintain the*®] f intent. Each letter must also be signed, showthes*'; ; and phone number of the writer. Columns and guest editorials are also welcome, *» ;; I not subject to the same length constraints as I* Address all inquiries and correspondence to: EdilK 11 : Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A4cM M'** j College Station, TX 77843. The Battalion is published daily during Texas AA' 1 and spring semesters, except for holiday and exa» si ; periods. Mail subscriptionsare $16.75 per semester,j per school year and $35 per full year. Advertise! furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald*- ing, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX o ’ ,• United Press International is entitled exclushtf* use for reproduction of all news dispatches { Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein , Second class postage paid at College StattonJ^