Press Gives What Readers Want?
twenty percent of the nation’s adults
deeply distrust the media, according to a
recently completed study sponsored by the
American Society of Newspaper Editors
(ASNE).
The study revealed, too, that three
fourths of American adults question the
credibility of newspapers and television
news reporting and that public skepticism
arises largely from what the study called
“media explosion.”
Delivered at ASNE’s annual convention in
Washington, D.C., the study points out that
nearly two-thirds of the 1,600 respondents
agreed that “the press often takes ad
vantage of victims’ circumstances who are
ordinary people” - particularly from the
standpoint of invading the privacy of -
victims of tragedy or disaster.
The study conclusion, in part, urged
newspapers to “enhance their role as a
populist institution” so the public will
develop an attitude and feeling of “my
newspaper” instead of “that newspaper” in
order to regain their position as a “peoples’
advocate.”
The irony of the study’s findings is that it
is the reading and news viewing appetite
and desires of the nation’s adults that
•. primarily influences and determines what
newspapers print and what television news
shows present. It is in fact the somewhat
sadistic and nosey attitude of most Ameri
can news readers and viewers that lead
newspapers and television news reports to
feature stories on tragedy, misfortune and
petty gossip about the personal lives and
lifestyles of famous people. r
Thus, on any given day most news feature
stories deal with the national deficit, bank
failures, war or the threat of war some
where, major tragedy and death such as*
from forest fires and die Union Carbide gas
leak in India. While these may all be “news
worthy” there is too much emphasis on the
misfortune that befalls people. In this
regard, too, most people don’t mind the
news media taking advantage of the other
guy - just not me. For example, in the
“nosey” category, it was bad ewugh that
just because Chris Washburn happened to
be an N.C, University basketball player,
much news copy was made over his theft of
another student’s stereo equipment. Worst
yet, his very low college entrance board
score was included in the new stories, yet it
was in no way related to the criminal
charge against the young man.
The American adults’ news appetite for
gossip is very evident by the major sales
and popularity of such gossip/newspapers
as the Inquirer and the Star. It takes little
reading of stories in such news accounts to
determine the shallowness of such stories
that are often developed from totally
misleading captions under a single picture,
. The relatively low rating of news report
ers and newspaper editors with regard to
honesty and ethical standards arise from
the sometimes unfortunate consequences of
the competition in news, reporting. Too
often, the haste to be first in releasing a
neyrs story leads to the so-called “media
explosion” in which the public gets conflict
ing hews reports. For example, when
presidential press secretary Jim Brady was
shot during the attempt on President Rea
gan’s life a few years ago early news
reports were that Mr. Brady had been
killed. This occurred because reporters
were competing to be first in releasing their
stories and, therefore, did not fully re
search the facts. This is a justifiable
criticism of the media because false or
incorrect information about people or
•4 events can often result in the same con
sequences as if the reports were accurate.
Except for “media explosion” compe
titive news reporting factors which justifi
ably generates some criticism, we believe
that David Lawrence Jr., chairman of the
ASNE’s credibility committee, spoke truth
fully when he told his convention col
leagues “some good journalists would
argue that all this talk about credibility
does our craft no good and maybe some
damage. ’ ’ We agree for the reasons we gave
about the hunger newspaper readers and
television news viewers have an appetite
and desire for.
Adult Appetite
The news reporting industry is in part a
victim of its collective success in providing
v news that people want to read, see and hear
about and yet often having to face the
criticism of individuals or groups who at
times are reported on unfavorably.
We certainly idon’t want to leave the
impression that the news media never
offers any good news or happy ending
stories. Leaving the possible ethical ques
tions aside, recent news reports on heart'
transplants, cancer research and longer life
expectancy are positive and should offer -
some sense of happiness.
“Undoubtedly, too, when a news story of a
family facing hunger — loss of a loved one or
job - often brings response of support from
many sources. This reminds us all that even
in our sadistic and nosey madness we are a
~ nation of somewhat compassionate, loving
people.
For this reason, we are certain that with
all and whatever shortcomings the news
reporting industry has, and presumed
credibility notwithstanding, a free, less
than perfect press is better than any form of
a regulated or suppressed news media
Under the latter the study referred to in this
editorial would have never been allowed to
be developed.
BLACKS RETICENCE TO SEIZE THE INITIATIVE TO ORGANIZE THEIR
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Baby-Boom Generation Taking Charge!
The baby-boom generation
is here and taking charge.
Those born between 1946 and
1964 comprise about one
third of the population af
fectionately known as the
baby-boom generation. The
peak year for these births
was 1957 when 4.3 million
babies were born and the
norm was to have two or
more children per married
couple. The shocker came
when the high birth rate
lasted for almost two de
cades. In 1965 the birth rate
took a nose dive and has
sipce then remained well
below the four million range
for nearly 20 years.
Baby-boomers magnify the
changes in American society
with each occurring stage of
life. Upon entering a specific
age group, boomers redefine
the experience. The objec
tive being - making middle
age where the action is.
it is estimated that be
tween i960 and 1990 those
between the ages of 25 to 45
years old will grow by ap
proximately 30 percent. This
is the group who is starting
families, paying mortgages,
and developing careers while
the nation is moving toward
conservatism.
Boomers malfp nn a oo.
Sabrina
iteration whose education
levels are the highest. Twen
ty-five percept of those 25 to
35 have college degrees
(only nine percent of Ame
ricans over 65 years of age
have a college degree).
Affluence is the name of the
game for this generation;
boomers have real incomes
higher or as high as their
parent generation. Nineteen
ninety will find itself domin
ated by boomers in the labor
force comprising 54 percent
of all workers.
Diversity is their mode of
consumerism. They reshape
the marketplace as they go
from jeans to suits and back
nonlr ___
are the first generation to be
reared on television. Across
the country television has
been the bond that pulled
together boomers with com
mon experiences and sym
bols, from the disturbances
at Kent State in the 1970s to
soft drink commercials
geared toward a new genera
tion. Boomers are the first
generation to grow up under
the concept of nuclear war.
A new ethic comes with the
aging of the baby boom. A
survey done by the Ameri
can Council of Life Insur
ance revealed that boomers
believe and want stronger
family and religious ties and
more respect for authority.
But by the same token boom
ers are a great deal more_
tolerant of diversity and
uniqueness than the parent
and grandparent genera
tions. One major difference
in values is their ideas on ■
marriage and the changing
roles of men and women (a
majority favor women work
ing).
Boomers are marking the
marketplace as they enter
peak spending years. It is
estimated that by 1990 most
households will be headed by
those born between 1946 and
1964. At present, boomers
have more purchasing power
than the parent generation
did at the same age. *
in 1984 the median income
for those aged 25 and 34 was
$22,776; and nearly 25 per
cent of the boomers earned a
minimum of $35,000; with 60
percent of the total boomer
population owning homes.
By the close of the 1960s, it
is expected that the baby
boom generation will ac
count for more than 50 per-,
cent of consumer expendi
tures. Since consumer •
spending represents appro
ximately 75 percent of all
United States economic ac
tivity, executives are reshap
ing and redesigning all of
their consumer products to
appeal to the aging genera- \
tion. Their main objective is
to capture the yuppies with \
their goods and services be
cause their salaries are ra
pidly approaching the $30,000
plus range.
The housing industry is
showing tremendous profits!;
from this generation. During
the next 10 years those peo-b
pie 35 to 55 years of age will
account for 40 percent or
more of total new home pur
chases Compared to the
1970s, when it was less than
25 percent. While this is
occurring, the youngest of
the generation are finding it
difficult to purchase new
homes because of higi in
terest rates and slow appre
ciation.
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From Capitol Hill
Reagan Fighting Rights Battle All Over Again!
By Alfreds L. Madison
Special To The Pest
The Reagan Administration, in its
accommodation to the Heritage
Foundation - to make getting rid of
civil rights a top priority, is pull
ing out all the stops It succeeded in
blocking passage of the 1904 Civil
Rights Acts, through a combination
of the Administration, Howard
Baker, Orin Hatch and Jesse Helms’
strategy.
TT»e Civil Rights Commission,
which has become the Reagan Ad
ministration anti-civil rights advo
cator, appeared before the Joint
Education and Labor Committee
and the House Judiciary Subcom
mittee on Civil and Constitution
Law, to testify on the '88 Civil Rights
Restoration Act. Mouthing the Pre
sident’s views were commission
chairman Clarence Pendleton and
staff director Linda Chaves. Civil
rights commissioner, Dr. Mary
Berry, who opposes the Adminis
tration’s determination to return to
the pre-civil rights days, also
testified.
MHiunniee chairman Rcprescn
UUve Augustus Hawkins called the
enure panel of witnesses to the table
at once. Mr. Hawkins called on Dr.
Berry to be the lead-off witness. She
stated that she would like to speak
after Bill Taylor, Center for Nation
al Policy Review and the Lead
ership Conference on Civil Rights
Mr. Taylor responded that he had
Just teamed recently on the Mil
that he would rather wait until after
the other witnesses had testified, so
that he could shed some light on
their testimony. So Mr Pendleton
became the first witness. He cited
the six principles adopted by the
Commission at its retreat in San
Diego in January. The panel mem
0
i *'. * ' ' .»
f A Alfred*
bers who spoke at the retreat, on the
Grove City decision were, Eva
Auchincloss, executive director.
Women's Sports Foundation of San
Francisco; Ronald Vera, Mexican
American Legal Defense Fund;
Bruce Hafen, president of Ameri
can Association of Presidents of
Independent Colleges; . the pre
sident of Ricks College of Idaho; and
Patrick Boyle of the National
Grocers Association of Raston, Va.
The Commission's office informed
me that the January meeting was a
planning retreat and that Grove City
was discussed. Dr. Mary Berry said
that no real hearings were held on
the '86 Civil Rights Act with the
- usual Commission variety panel
from around the country.
Pendleton spoke of the March 5,
1985 Commission adoption stand on
legislation to overturn Grove
City. Dr. Berry, Ms. Ramirez and
Mr Guest dissented from the ma
jority report. In his dissension, Mr.
Guest stated that the majority Com
mission has abdicated its responsi
bility and objectivity of respond
ing to civil rights. He says they are
o• \ f.
4
talking out of both sides of their
mouths by saying on one hand that
they are for civil rights and on the
other hand they are for a loose
construction of civil rights. Dr.
Berry and Ms. Ramirex conciHTed
with Mr. Guest’s statement.
r-enoieion s six points were as
follows: first, "some are seizing
upon the Grove City decision to seek
a vast expansion of federal au
thority in the guise of merely
restoring such authority. The Civil
Rights Restoration Act of 1985,
which is the subject of this hearing,
may more aptly be called the Civil
Rights Expansion Act of 1985.”
Second, he believes coverage of the
Act should be limited to the fe
deral agencies which implement the
f«to- statutes Third, the Commis
sion really believes in states rights
for implementation of anti-discri
mination laws. Fourth, Grove City
legislation should differentiate be
tween public and private entities
Fifth, federal financial assistance
should be limited to,the particular
political entity that receives the
funds. Sixth, Congress Should pro
vide an effective religious exemp
tion in Title IX.
Linda Chavez, read a 27-page
statement, in which she highly ex
pressed her anger over the oppo
sition’s stand. She referred to the
Leadership Conference which is
composed of 1M cross ethnic,
religious, race, sex and national
origin lines and its executive direc
tor, Ralph Meas, as radical right
schemers using scare tactics to try
to tar those who dare question a bill
labeled civil rights.
Gordon Jones of the Heritage
Foundation and Mark De Bernard of
the Chamber of Commerce are
opponents of the ’85 Civil Rights Act.
—
They also testified.
Dr. Berry spoke of the milestone
reached in the 1964 Act with Title
VI,which used the receipt of federal
funds as a basis for opening op
portunity to persons who were pre
viously denied opportunity on the
basis of race. In 1972 Title IX,
against sex discrimination, was en
acted, 1973, Section 804, the Reha
bilitation Act, and the Age Dis
crimination Act of 1975. Dr. Berry
stated that since Grove City’s
five complaint cases and one
pending compliance review have
been narrowed by the Education
Department of Commission of Civil
Righto, she related that she and
commissioner Ramirez have tried
unsuccessfully to get their col
leagues and the staff director to
collect additional information on the
enforcement practices in federal
agencies. Berry emphasized how
opponents engaged in arguments
about a state government's right to
discriminate on the basis of race,
sex, age, or handlespp, even when
using taxes paid by all of the tax
payers. She said that this was the
argument before the sixties and that
now we are fighting the pre
sixties battle over again.
f Bm Taylor stated that some cri
ticisms of the » avil Rights Bill
are based on misunderstanding and
the distinction between a broad and
a narrow interpretation, Chaves’s
statement that the present bill will
enter every phase of life, including
the farmers and supermarkets, is
grossly misunderstood, since neith
er is a recipient of federal funds
Congress and the courts understood
this before Grove City, He criti
cised Penleton and Chaves for talk
ing about Invasion of states rights