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
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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.”
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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
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