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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 1998)
The Ba Battalion inion Page 11 • Tuesday, November 10, 1998 HS IT LIVE, OR IS IT MeMOREX? 'Wlecent news reports appear to repeat stories, issues, cycle through familiar patterns r epresentatiw ■ the fairto 'ing, summe.' nd cooperative [unities. 'id professoij m the College ?ge of Libera! gricultureand College of Er- among those uss questions ons. Jems can talk about caree; le said, lid students vith advisers look for their to gain mar- ; has been a good heveral months for journalists. The media have had a [table field day with rent events — leaping pi hurdles to publish is, throwing the blin at President Clin- |and turning a be- ctacled lawyer into a lazzled track Starr. ip CALEB MCDANIEL llournalists have been most success- however, at throwing the merang. For if the recent parade of dlines has proven anything at all, it shown what goes around once es around again. The cycle of cur- history has started to become as notonous as Peter Jenning’s voice. 0 re du n d ant are the themes on the ^ . Mning news one sometimes wonders J^^^S»ether the broadcast is a rerun or a es c ^ ivp taping. From week to week, month the fair willW^Hth, the same headlines, the ' leaders, the same video footage , 0 . V Rear in the press. Little changes, and job of the journalist is easy. , !ven a little fun. 0 P^®W«rherefore, in the interest of even fur- it lightening the journalist’s load (Old ■nese proverb: Always cover your own |ar), it is high time to create a formulaic pt for the media. Conservation, after is the buzzword of the day. Perhaps recycling and reusing news stories, s can be saved for more noble means e students,' Affairs fpisposal such as incineration in the htin’ Texas Aggie Bonfire. ■And if not, at least it would be worth laugh. ISo members of The Associated Press, Ire is the answer to your prayers — a AdLibs news story. Forget daily editions Ibewspapers. Just publish the following interactive press release. When readers |me to the parentheses, circle one of the erms. Which term you choose should |t change the report much. It all gets re lated anyway. ^Imagine — a front page of The New 'k Times that looks like this: “Circle the word of your choice in each set of parentheses to write your very own piece of investigative reporting! “Today White House Press Secretary (Mike McCurry/The New Guy) an nounced that (Saddam Hussein/Presi dent Clinton) refuses to cooperate with (UN Weapons Inspectors/The Office of the Independent Counsel). In a surprising related development, (Republicans/Democrats) on Capitol Hill have been clamoring for the president’s (impeachment/censure), (in spite of/be cause of) the fact that a shocking (major ity/minority) of (Americans/Iraqis) have expressed their (approval/disapproval) of the proceedings in Congress. “In other Congressional news, the House of Representatives has voted to re lease the (lewd/salacious) details of Pres ident Clinton’s escapades for broadcast on (the Internet/television/bathroom stalls across America). “In other news, (tropical storm/hurri cane) (Bonnie/Mitch/Monica) continues to wreak millions of dollars of damage in (Honduras/Nicaragua/Little Rock). “Also, (George W. Bush/Jeb Bush) was elected governor of (Texas/Flori da), and his dad is former President George Bush. Political experts say this is really neat. “In still other news, (astronaut/na tional hero/really old guy) John Glenn ate (tuna fish/Vienna sausages/dried ice cream) for (breakfast/lunch/din ner) (yesterday/today/tomorrow). In a televised press conference that cost taxpayers millions of dollars to be broadcast from outer space. Glenn said, ‘I think every American should have the opportunity to eat (tuna fish/Vienna sausages/dried ice cream) in zero gravity. It sure is swell.’ > “The names of the other crew mem bers on Glenn’s historic voyage are (not available/not important). “And in brief news, renewed violence in the Middle East has many (Israelis/Palestinians) wondering whether peace is still a possibility. “Oh, and Newt Gingrich resigned from Congress, leaving vacant his position as the bearer of the most (colorful/laugh able) first name in the House of Repre sentatives.” Journalists (interested in purchasing this script/deeply offended by anything tongue-in-cheek) should (contact news bureau/contact news bureau). Who knows? Maybe this is the dawn of a new era in passive media. After all. BRAD GRAEBER/The Battalion history repeats itself. Why shouldn’t headlines? Why shouldn’t headlines? Caleb McDaniel is a sophomore history major. bnumbH EDITORIAL Battalion Editorials appearing in The Battalion reflect Ihe views of the editorials board members. They io not necessarily reflect the opinions of other attalion staff members, the Texas A&M student body, regents, administration, faculty or staff. Columns, guest columns, cartoons and letters ex press the opinions of the authors. Editorials Board Mandy Cater Grabber Editor in Chief Aaron Meier Managing Editor Dave Johnston Opinion Editor Jennifer Jones City Editor Gore’s support of striking workers serves political aspirations DAVE JOHNSTON b Place Like Home omeless population faces disdain, isunderstanding instead of assistance ege The recent fire that swept through Dorm 9 should remind tudents how easy it can be to ecome homeless. The homeless population is of- held in disdain by those who re more fortunate. Many perceive lomeless individuals as lazy peo ple who choose not to work and decide to live on the streets. The re- lity is different and much sadder. The homeless population has ieen victimized by closed minds for oo long. The homeless are conve- tient to ignore. They are difficult, if impossible, to count in the cen- us, they possess no political power nd the entire issue is discomforting. Although it may be an exagger- tion to say everyone is “one pay- heck away from being homeless,” string of poor luck can put any- itie on the streets. Aside from the somber reminder Tovided by the recent residence fire, recent news from Nicaragua and Honduras describes housands of people whose homes fere destroyed by Hurricane Jitch. Closer to home, recent bods washed away many central feas homes, Other homeless may have lost ^eir savings trying to pay medical Is that followed a serious illness, Kthey may be coping with mental iess or chemical addictions. The National Coaliton for the Homeless ports 50 percent of women and lildren on the street are fleeing bmestic abuse. Any number of tragedies can fad to homelessness, and once omeone has lost his or her home, can be very difficult to climb back J ff the streets. By the time someone is force to move unto the streets, he or she is usually without trans portation as well. With no way to get around, keeping a job can be tough. Resumes without ad dresses or phone numbers look at least suspicious. Homelessness can become a downward spiral offering no hope of escape. There are, however, many pro grams designed to aid the home less population, and these orga nizations deserve the attention — if not the support — of the en tire community. Groups ^uch as Habitat for Hu manity provide materials and vol unteer labor for building or repair ing houses or homeless shelters. Food banks and homeless shelters collect food and clothing through out the year to help provide for those in need. The Christmas season brings out Salvation Army foot soldiers ringing bells and collecting do nations for the needy. And as the holiday season approaches, there are more opportunities to help the homeless. With dropping temperatures, shelters will see a high demand for blankets and warm clothing. Locally, Twin City Mission is al ready making preparations to pro vide a Thanksgiving meal to the area’s needy. The opportunities are great, but so are the needs. Instead of flippant attitudes, the homeless population requires seri ous help. Instead of merely offering disdain, it is time for Americans to begin offering substantial help. L abor unions have al ways had significant politi cal clout, now they have proven their ability to use it in new, innova tive ways. There is noth ing wrong with the creative strategies an ABC network work ers’ union employed last week, but Vice President A1 Gore’s re sponse was less than admirable. Last week, technical crews for the ABC network staged a one- day strike. When they tried to re turn to work the next day, they found themselves locked out by network management. Uncontent to stage the stan dard protests and picket lines, the workers’ union used a more un usual technique to influence their employer. Union representatives urged politicians to refuse inter views with the network — even though last week’s elections were the top news story. The request was honored by some political leaders, most no ticeably Gore who cancelled a scheduled appearance on “Good Morning America. ” Unions can use whatever tools they have available in an attempt to reach their goals, and when the displaced ABC em ployees found they had less leverage than they expected, it was time to call in the favors. The first day after the strike, most network production proceed ed unhindered. There were reports of “Good Morning America” hosts looking into the wrong cameras, and a few daytime dramas post poned filming. For the most part, however, the public did not miss the locked-out workers. Not to be forgotten, the union played to Gore’s political prowess. Unions are traditionally strong supporters of the Democratic par ty. Consequently, pandering to a union — any union — will aid his campaign for the Oval Office. With union support, Gore can count on thousands of votes and plenty of cash — two essential as sets for a successful campaign. Gore’s decision served his in terests and the out-of-work ABC staff, but it did not benefit the rest of the nation — the majority of the nation. Political heavyweights have meddled with labor disputes in the past, but the situations were vastly different. When airline pilots went on strike prior to the holiday sea son, President Clinton called for federal arbitration to settle the dispute as quickly as possible. The airline strike warranted such action. Holiday travel problems would have affected most Amer icans. Striking cameramen, on the other hand, would have a much smaller impact. Internal disputes at a media or ganization do not deserve atten tion from the American vice presi dent, especially when the dispute is only a few days old. Gore is, of course, a private cit izen who can make personal deci sions based upon his moral con victions. However, opting to cancel a media interview in this manner could create a trouble some precedent. If Gore begins denying inter views to ABC because the net work is fighting with a supportive union, the next step might be re fusing White House press infor mation to media outlets running unfavorable news stories. L1C *ACHM£NT WIR SLAVES DID . k . moRE mn Cook Anp CLEAN FOR YOU, DIDNT -fflEY PRESIDENT JEFFERSON ?? The vice president is a busy person. He cannot honor every media request. That discrimina tion, however, should be based on considerations such as expo sure, topics of discussion or scheduling. Instead, Gore is pur suing a personal agenda and not the national interest. If Gore felt an interview on ABC worth his time before the one-day strike, the event would have been just as valuable after the lock out. Gore’s public ap pearances offer him an opportuni ty to present the Clinton adminis tration’s point of view and address the American people. When he cancelled the interview, he threw away an opportunity in exchange for making a statement few people even noticed. The drafters of the Bill of Rights considered the press a valuable asset, choosing to pro tect its freedom. Gore’s action in dicates he considers the press unimportant. He chose to manip ulate a media institution instead of aiding journalists who work to serve their consumers. Dave Johnston is a senior mathematics major MAIL CALL Kind act helps Aggie in need On Nov. 6,1 missed the bus for my afternoon class. A young girl who witnessed what had happened stopped and gave me a ride to cam pus. I had a test that day, and be cause of a random act of kindness by a complete stranger I made it to my test with plenty of time to spare. With all the problems in the world it is comforting to know some people are still kind. Thank you. Brian van Staveren Class of ’99 The Battalion encourages letters to the ed itor. Letters must be 300 words or less and in clude the author’s name, class and phone number. The opinion editor reserves the right to edit letters for length, style, and accuracy. Letters may be submitted in person at 013 Reed Mc Donald with a valid student ID. Letters may also be mailed to: The Battalion - Mail Call 013 Reed McDonald Texas A&M University College Station, TX