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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 1985)
Page 2AThe Battalion/Thursday, September 5,1985 Prejudice behind the printed pages Because of journalists’ roles as social monitors and govern mental watchdogs, it’s easy for them to feel removed from prob lems that plague other occupations. With self-images of guardi ans against social injustice and protectors of the “little guy,” journalists often fail to realize that mass communications is not above social problems such as discrimination. The September 1985 issue of the Washington Journalism Review says 40 percent of minority newspaper journalists “ex pect to leave the profession because of (the) lack of opportunity for advancement.” A study by the Institute for Journalism Education at the University of California — Berkeley found that the total num ber of minorities in journalism vyas on the rise. But “relatively few have risen to positions of significant influence.” The study found that the reasons for the lack of upward mobility are being “pigeonholed” in race-related assignments and institutional rac ism. Newspapers, like other businesses, are concerned with hir ing minorities but seem to forget about them once the quota is filled. As more women and minorities enter the news industry, this hire-and-forget attitude will have to change. Journalism is no longer an all-male, all-white profession. Discrimination is distas teful and in an industry that prides itself on bringing such dis crimination to the public’s attention, it is especially revolting. The Battalion Editorial Board Putting a little happiness back in the Big Apple "/ Wqxome toTexa*? /] THI5 FAKKIklG LOT 15 NOV/ A TTAFF LOT. >T IjTET TT AKF FEOUESTET> To TAKK. IN ONE OF THE A/£V FEMOtT TTUTEKT LOT~> LOCATT1T !KJ LieAKfrY UAVAOOTA, HEAZNE CALPWELL Ah/P TDKTH ZULCN L 85 By ART BUCHWALD Columnist for The Los Angeles Times Syndicate (Whilst Art Buchwald is on vacation we reprint some columns from the past.) I was in New York recently and took a ride with a friend in a taxi. When we got out of' the cab, my friend said to the driver, “Thank you for the ride. You did a superb job of driving.” The taxi driver was stunned for a sec ond. Then he said, “Are you a wise guy or something?” “No, my dear man, and I’m not put ting you on. I admire the way you keep your cool in heavy traffic.” “Yeah,” the driver said and drove off. “What was that all about?” I asked. “I’m trying to bring love back to New York,” he said. “I believe it’s the only thing that can save the city.” “How can one man save New York?” “It’s not one man. I believe I have made that taxi driver’s day. Suppose he has 20 fares. He’s going to be nice to those 20 fares because someone was nice to him. Those fares in turn will be kinder to their employees or shopkeep ers or waiters or even their own families. They, in turn, will be nicer to other peo ple. Eventually the good will could spread to at least a thousand people. Now that isn’t bad, is it?” “But you’re depending on that taxi driver to pass your good will to others.” “I’m not depending on it,” my friend said. “I’m aware that the system isn’t foolproof. I might deal with 10 differ ent people today. If, out of 10, I can make three happy, then eventually I can indirectly influence the attitudes of 3,000 or more.” “It sounds good on paper,” I ad mitted, “but I’m not sure it works in practice.” “Nothing is lost if it doesn’t. It didn’t take any of my time to tell that man he was doing a good job. He neither re ceived a larger tip nor a smaller one. If it fell on deaf ears, so what? Tomorrow there will be another taxi driver I can try to make happy.” “You’re some kind of a nut,” I said. “That shows how cynical you have be come. I have made a study of this. The thing that seems to be lacking, besides money of course, for our postal employ ees is that no one tells people who work for the post office what a good job they’re doing.” “But they’re not doing a good job.” “They’re not doing a good job be cause they feel no one cares if they do or not. Why shouldn’t someone say a kind word to them?” We were walking past a structure in the process of being built and passed five workmen eating their lunches. My friend stopped. “That’s a magnificent job you men have done. It must be dif ficult and dangerous work.” The five men eyed my friend suspi ciously. “When will it be finished?” “October,” a man grunted. “Ah! That really is impressive. You must all be very proud.” We walked away. I said to him, “I haven’t seen anyone like you since Column writing isn’t as simple as it sounds Marcy Basile Columnist The first day at the newjob. Panic. Strange thoughts begin to meander a ; ~ through my brain. What am I doing here? My God! Do I really have to dress like that? When does the first happy hour begin in this town anyway? These thoughts, and a few I refuse to acknowledge, came to me when I sat down to write this column. Oh, I sup pose most people think writing off the top of your head is easy and I agree — to a point. I don’t see what is so hard about sit ting in a slightly uncomfortable chair in the newsroom designated by some an cient Trekkie as Captain Kirk’s Chair, compiling a concise set of thoughts and word processing them into comprehens ible statements. No problem. Ha! First of all, I’m no newshound. Sure I followed the summer’s major stories such as Ray Childress’s childish antics with the Oilers and Rock Hudson’s health dilemma. Of course, I found out about these things three days after the rest of the world. , Second, I do all my complaining at the scene of my distress. Several people witnessed this when I discovered the “slight inconvenience” bestowed upon my bank account by the Financial Aid Office, Oh. I’m sorry. My grant isn't here because I neglected to turn in a form I didn’t know existed. Silly me. Heaven forbid anyone attempt to cross my path and evade the inevitable question. “What tion that the last remnants of cereal are seldom eaten due to an excess of goo. Despite all of the wonderful sugges tions I received I still don’t know what this column is actuallyabout. Childress reared his ugly head a few times, and Rock made an appearance my can I write column on?” This week, my first as an honest-injun columnist, I asked that ques tion a lot. An swers ranged from the recog nition of frater nities to a col- u m n on nothing. One discussion began on voicing my opinion of Chil dress and his in ability to accept the bunch of bucks placed ever so gently in his oversized lap and, by way of tangents, ended with the realiza- along with the Financial Aid Office. Funny how writing off the top of your head turns out sometimes. Marcy Basile is a senior journalism major and a columnist for The Battal ion. United Feature Syndicate T ©1985 HOOSTOH POST £X ‘The Man of La Mancha.”’ ‘When those men digest my w they will feel better for it. Somti the city will benefit fron/their ness.” “But you can’t do this all alont protested. “You’re just one man “The most important thing is noi get discouraged. Making people city become kind again is not am job, but if I can enlist other peoplt my campaign...” “You just winked at a very looking woman,” I said. “Yes, 1 know,” he replied. “An! she’s a schoolteacher, her class will in for a fantastic day.” The Battalion USPS 045 360 Member of Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Conference The Battalion Editorial Board Rhonda Snider, Editor Michele Powe. Managing Editor John Hallett, Kay Malletl, News Editor Loren Steffy, Opinion Page Editor Karen Bloch, City Editor Travis Tingle, Sports Editor The Battalion Staff Assistant City Editors Kirsten Dietz, JerryOsi> Assistant News Editors Cathie Anderson, Jan Pern Assistant Sports Editor Charean Willis® Entertainment Editors Cathy Riely, Walter Stnill Staff Writers ....Tamara Bell, Meg Cadiga” Ed Cassavoy, Ann Cervenkl Michael Crawford, Cindy Gay Doug Hall, Paul Herndoa Tammy Kirk, Jens Koepk Trent Leopold, Marv McWhorter June Pang, Tricia Parker Lynn Rae Povec, Marybeth Rohsner Gigi Shamsy, Kenneth Sun Copy Editors Mike Davis, Rebecca Adair Wendy Johnsor Make-up Editor SaraOaiH Columnists,...Camille Brown, Marcy Basile John Hallett, Karl Pallmeyei Photo Editor Wayne Grabeia Photographers GregBaile) Anthony Casper, Frank Hada Kyle Hawkins, Jaime Lope! Michael Sanchfl Editorial Policy The Saltation is a non-profit, self-supporting ntwiptfi operated as a community service to Texas MM " Bryan-Collegc Station. Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those oil Editorial Board or the author, and do not necessahlftt resent the opinions of Texas AScM administrators, hot or the Board of Regents. 'The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspapt Students in reporting, editing and photography claitt 1 within the Department of Communications. The Battalion is published Monday through Friday daf ing Texas AScM regular semesters, except for holiday in' examination periods. Mail subscriptions are f 10.75per # rnestcr, S33.25 per school year and S35 per full year. M vertising rates furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonrf Building, Texas A&M University. College Station, W 77643. Editorial staff phone number: (409) 843-3316. vertising: (409) 845-2611. 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