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Uncovering medic..
relief A ;
of
conspiracy a
By ART BUCHWALD
Columnist for The Los Angeles Times Syndicate
“Where do you stand on the!
moreland libel trial?” someoneaskef
The thing I enjoy most about being a
newspaperman is that the public holds
me personally responsible for every sin
committed by someone in my profes
sion.
What happens is that Americans tend
to lump all journalists together, and
when somebody goofs, anyone who car
ries a press card must answer to the
charges.
I'M NOTAN
OBSTRUCTIONIST
JUST A MIDDLE-OF-
twe-roader...
So recently I decided to make people
feel better by admitting I was part of the
national media conspiracy to delude the
American public.
My last trip to Arizona coincided with
the Sharon-Time magazine libel suit
verdict. While Time was found innocent
of maliciously libeling General Sharon,
the jury ruled it was guilty of shoddy re
porting.
At a small dinner in Phoenix I was
asked to explain how something like this
could happen.
“We ran the story in good faith,” I
protested. “But the Israelis refused to
let us see their secret documents. You
have to realize that I write a column,
and I can’t read everything before it ap
pears in Time magazine. In the past
they have had a very good record about
their facts, and I’ve accepted them. But
I assure you when I get back home I’m
going to make certain the Time editors
get their act(s) together.”
I thought this would satisfy them, but
they weren’t going to let me off that eas
ily.
A day in the life of Battalion city editor
Having talked
to various leaders
of different
groups on cam
pus, I think it is
necessary to ex
plain how The
Battalion, as a
news gathering in-
strument, func
tions.
As city editor,
Ed Cassavoy
my job is to decide what should be cov
ered on campus, by whom and the em
phasis it should receive in the paper.
Obviously, the Goodrich case receives
page one coverage by an experienced
staff reporter. Except for these types of
extreme cases, the choices become much
more complex.
There are hundreds of student orga
nizations that want coverage on the
campus. The A&M faculty also has to be
kept informed of issues that interest
them. The Board of Regents, Faculty
Senate, Student Senate, elections, and
all other University meetings have to be
covered.
Any special events, such as a concert
or debate, have to be covered. The Bat
talion has to monitor all community
events and meetings to cover any issue
of interest to the University community.
The choices of events and happen
ings on campus are endless, and equally
as varied.
Now for the resources we have to uti
lize.
The Battalion reporting staff is com
posed of two separate groups of report
ers — the ten paid staff writers and the
61 journalism students enrolled in Jour
nalism 303.
Staff writers are broken up into two
categories — full time reporters write
three stories a week, and part time re
porters do two stories a week.
The 303 students have to submit one
article a week — as part of their course
curriculum — for possible publication
in The Battalion.
Unfortunately, like any other news
paper, we never have enough time or an
adequate number of reporters in any
given week. That is the nature of the
beast. My job as cjty editor is to decide
how to spread our limited resources.
In many respects, communication is
The Battalion’s biggest ally and enemy.
It is a two-edged sword.If organizations
let us know in time, we usually can —
time and space permitting — cover the
event or issue. If for some reason we
miss something to be covered, someone
is going to be mad. With good reason.
Everyday I talk to all kinds of organiza
tions and individuals. Most understand
reasonably well how The Battalion
works. But for those who may have
questions, I offer these words of wis
dom.
I am never happy when something is
missed on campus or in the community
because it means I didn’t do my job
properly. Engineers don’t like to see
their bridges collapse and I don’t like to
see stories missed.
• Don’t call and ask (or demand) to a
have an article on a certain date. It
makes me feel like a take-out restaurant.
At the same time, The Battalion is a
newspaper, not a University bulletin
board. Something has to be newsworthy
or of interest to the University before it
will be printed. If you want an advertise
ment, buy an ad.
If you think you have a legitimate
news story, don’t hesitate to bring it in.
The more information you can give city
desk on an event or story, with a list of
people we can contact to talk about the
event, the more chance you have of get
ting your story in the paper.
Never hesitate.
• Please don’t ever assume The Bat
talion knows about an upcoming event.
Always let us know.
• Send a press release or something
written about the event or story as soon
as you can. Advance warning can only
help both sides.
• Make someone available to The
Battalion who would be willing to ex
plain and help the reporter do a more
complete and accurate job of covering
the story.
• And contact The Battalion if you
have a question on our policies. We are
always willing to listen.
Ed Cassavoy is the city editor and a
weekly columnist for The Battalion.
LETTERS:
Refreshing to read
different viewpoint
EDITOR:
I have been aware of a series of letters
your staff has been receiving, attacking
your “liberal” (is that a four-letter
word?) editorials.
I am writing to express support for
the courage your staff shows in continu
ing to share their honest opinions,
whether or not they are “out of step
with mainstream thought.”
I find the editorials a brief moment of
inspiration in a community very intense
about its suppression of anything differ
ent from one’s own beliefs or values.
I am also aware that an editorial is an
expression of personal opinion, not a
duty to reflect society’s values, or to
cover all sides, or even to be objective.!
am also aware that your staff has the
right to print “conservative” editorials,
as well as those that a liberal (oops - us
ing profane language again!) like me
likes to read.
Considering that there is certainly no
lack of opportunity to hear the conser
vative viewpoint in Bryan/College Sta
tion, including in your paper and letters
to the editor, I very much appreciate the
opportunity to hear another point of
view.
It is especially comforting to know
that there really are people in this com
munity who respect the rights of all hu
man beings, including women, gay and
lesbian people, and women who choose
abortion.
(Yes, I know that- last statement will
set off a flurry of letters, admonishing
me that 6-week embryos and human be
ings have equal rights, and that gays are
not quite human beings and so don’t
really have the usual human rights.)
Nevertheless, please accept my ex
pression of support and encouragement
to keep up the good work!
Cathy Wihoff
College of Medicine
Campus walkways
gross and disgusting
EDITOR:
I would like to address a problem that
I’m sure affects every student who has
to pass between the Academic Bldg, and
the Biological Sciences Bldg. In short,
the conditions of the area, walkways and
benches especially, are sickening. The
bird droppings that are piled up make
benches unusable and the air foul. Also
the decomposing feces makes walking
into a true art of pasture skill. I find this
personally gross and disgusting and,
from the wrinkled noses and shoe scrap
ping I’ve observed. I’m sure others will
agree.
I know that the birds are a problem
that the campus has had to live with, but
conditions created by them are factors
that can be dealt with in someway. In
conclusion, I would like to see A&M
maintain its well-kept atmosphere but
mainly I would like to be able to walk
out of class without feeling I’m in a
barn.
Amy M. Heaton
Class of’87
What is petty, rude
matter of opinion
EDITOR:
In response to “Ignoring opponents
petty and rude” (1-30-85).
Dear Mr. Bear,
SIT DOWN BUS DRIVER!
Sharon Jones
(accompanied by 3 signatures)
“I wasn’t in Vietnam at the
replied. “But I have to assume the
ligence figures were fudged to
them acceptable to people on the
front.”
By I
Lately I’ve found myself defending
such varied media outlets as Time mag
azine, CBS and the Wall Street Journal.
“You people at CBS should
checked before you libeled an Amet
general.”
Some years back, when I was on the
road lecturing, I took the coward’s way
out bv claiming I had nothing to do with
a particular story that the public was en
raged about. But I noticed how disap
pointed the people were when I pleaded
not guilty.
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‘Can you guarantee us,” anotheri logue will
son asked, “that it will never hapj
again?”
“Since the trial is still going oi
rather not comment any furtheral
it, other than to say although
nothing to do with the show, h
full responsibility if CBS is founds
in error. When it comes to TV news,
buck stops here.”
“You have my word on it,”1 assn
the entire group. “I have givenalli
networks instructions that when
produce a documentary, I wantti
not only what goes on the air, bui
wound up on the cutting room floo
“You people are drunk withpo*
a man told me.
“Not all of us,” I said defensn
“Some of us are just drunk. But we
a job to do, and although we make
takes they are never done with malia
acquisitio
old autho
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“One more question. Why did'
permit a Wall Street Journal coluitf
to profit from inside information®
ered on his job?”
“If he did it — and until histmjj
over we have to presume innocenci
then I will shake up The Wall
Journal from top to bottom to seif
never happens again.”
Four
men’s ba
at noon 1
This v
ter.
Forwa
represer
I made a lot of people in Phoal
happy last weekend. Not onlydidm
have a chance to voice their grievai)®Lewis at
to someone in the elite Eastern me: | men s te
establishment, but by my behaviorb;
able to reassure them that their pertij
tion of the arrogance and biasofthes
tional press was justified.
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Shelle'
rigi'
Hoekstra, Managing Editor
ey Hoekstra, Managing
Ed Cassavoy, City Editor
Kellie Dworaczyk, News Editor
Michelle Powe, Editorial Page Editor
Travis Tingle, Sports Editor
The Battalion Staff
Assistant City Editors
Kari Fluegel, Rhonda Snidti
Assistant News Editors
Tammy Bell, Cami Brown, John Halleii
Assistant Sports Editor
Charean William
Entertainment Editors
Shawn Behlen, Leigh-Ellen Clark
Staff Writers Cathie Anderson,
Brandon Berry, Dainah Bullard,
Ann Cervenka, Tony Cornell,
Michael Crawford, Kirsten Died,
Patti Flint, Patrice Koranek,
Trent Leopold, Sarah Oates,
Jerry Oslin, Tricia Parker,
Lynn Rae Povec
Copy Editor Kay Malleil
Make-up Editors Karen Blocli,
Karla Marlin
Columnists Kevin Inda, Loren Stelff
Editorial Cartoonist Mike Lane
Sports Cartoonist Dale Smith
Copy Writer Cathy Benneit
Photo Editor Katherine Hurl
Photographers Anthony Casper,
Wayne Grabein, Frank Irwin,
John Makely, Peter Rocha, Dean Salto
Editorial Policy
t he Baimlion in a non-profit, self-supporting nehspapti
operated as a community service to Texas A&M i«l
Bryan-Colleffe Station.
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of lit
' ' ~ rd o '
Editorial Board or the author, and do not necessarily
resent the opinions of Texas A&M administrators, mil/
or the Board of Begems.
The Battalion also serves as a lalxsratory ncwspaperlot
iny clasxi
students in reporting, editing and photography
within the Department of Communications.
Letters Policy
Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in
length. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit lento
for style and length but will make every effort to ma/nuii
the author’s intent. Each letter must be signed and m«9
include the address and telephone number of the writer.
The Battalion is published Monday through Frith!
during Texas A&M regular semesters, except for holidn
and examination periods. Mail subscriptions arc (I6.IS
p>er semester, f33.25 per school year and S35 per fill
year. Advertising rates furnished on request.
Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDomU
Building, Texas A&M University, College Slation, TX
77843. Editorial staff phone number: (409) 845-2630. M
HMHHHmr 2611.
vertising: (409) 843-26
Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 7784).
POS TMAS i ER: Send address changes fo The Baitil-
ion, Texas A&M University, College Station, Tan
77843
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