Oregon daily emerald., May 12, 1981, Page 3, Image 3

Press ethics improving,
encouraaina. savs Drof
By ANN PORTAL
Of tfw Emerald
Journalistic lapses and defects still abound,
but hopeful signs of a renewed integrity among
journalists also can be found, Stanford commun
ications prof. John Hulteng said Monday night.
Hulteng, a University journalism professor
emeritus and former writer, editor and foreign
correspondent, presented the keynote lecture of
the sixth annual Ruhl lecture series.
The award-winning author of numerous arti
cles and books, Hulteng said his research of
journalistic ethics has convinced him that the
press can be viewed as either a half-full or half
empty glass of water.
But a renewed ethical vigor among jour
nalists at all levels may be enough “to persuade
us to view the glass as half-full,” he said.
“There has been a sensitizing, a conscious
ness-raising among journalists generally.
In the wake of the ‘‘tumultuous and
momentous” decade that demonstrated the
power of the press through Vietnam coverage and
the resignation of a president, press critics and
observers “raised voices in alarm,” Hulteng said.
And the resultant self-scrutiny and examina
tion of motives have continued and intensified, he
said.
“There is, I believe, a good deal more self
criticism and cross-media analysis going on than
was the case a decade ago.”
Hulteng cited several examples of the soul
searching occurring among journalists, including
journalism publications that are devoting more
articles to press performance analysis, candid
media investigations of media transgressions and
daily corrections columns to deal with errors.
But another reason for the continued im
provement of the press is "found in the motiva
tions of the men and women who staff the news
media,” he said.
Although journalist’s motivations "vary wide
ly,” Hulteng said he believes the majority are
attracted by the opportunity to perform a public
service.
However, even as ethics seem to improve,
Hulteng said he is concerned about two trends
that may work to diminish the effectiveness of the
public service journalists.
One of these trends, the concentration of
news media ownership by chains, groups and
conglomerates could mean the dilution of public
service journalism ‘‘as the decision-making
center becomes more corporate and more
remote,” he said.
Quality control is crucial in journalism, Hul
teng said, although group ownership is not "al
ways and inevitably a bad thing.”
Some group-owned papers — such as those
in Medford and Salem — are admirable examples
of papers owned by chains, he said. Nearly two
thirds of American daily newspapers now are
group-owned, Hulteng said, and one New Eng
land editor has predicted that “all dailies will be in
chains by the year 2,000.”
The other trend, still at an early stage, is the
movement toward the replacement of present-day
information media by a home communication
center.
Hulten said such centers could allow viewers
to select only those areas of information that they
are interested in.
But if the viewer only knows what he has
asked to be told, how does he know what to ask in
the first place?
Hulteng quoted Richard Salant of NBC as
saying, "Smaller and smaller groups may come to
know more and more about less and less.”
Yet Hulteng said he is convinced that in spite
of the awesome technological changes to come,
as long as there are journalists who believe in
their convictions, the cause of ethical journalism
will continue to survive and be well served.
Higher ed cuts look inevitable
Analysis
By GREG WASSON
Of the Emerald
SALEM — Whether for or against higher
education cuts, both sides agree on one thing:
there won’t be enough money next biennium to
continue the programs at current levels.
The major contention now has shifted from
“will cuts have to be made?” to “who will make
them and by what process?”
University Pres. Olum has said that if further
reductions are called for, it will mean the closing
of three professional schools and six to eight
departments.
T.K. Olson, executive director of the educa
tion coordinating commission agrees.
“As a generalization, the commission would
support that kind of a specific approach," Olson
says. "Targeting the reductions at those things
which are less central to the mission of the
University of Oregon is exactly the right ap
proach.”
But, adds Olson, the University doesn’t exist
in a vacuum.
"Depending on the nature of the schools to
be closed, there are some considerations which
transcend the University of Oregon. That is, it isn’t
appropriate that the decision be made only by the
University, nor by the University and the (higher
education) state board.”
As an example, Olson points to the business
administration program. Given the way higher ed
funding works, that program generates propor
tionately more money for the state system than
other programs at the institution.
"What that means," points out Olson, “is that
the other colleges and universities would have
their dollars affected by the loss of that program."
So, legislators like Rep. Vera Katz, D-Port
land, a member of the committee dealing with the
higher ed budget, are demanding some concrete
answers from the state board of higher education.
“I want to know now where the cuts are going
to occur. I don't want to go home and then have
them make the cuts.”
But, responds Chancellor Roy Lieuallen, that
request is impossible to comply with.
"I've told them repeatedly that those deci
sions will have to be worked out cooperatively
between the institutions, the board’s office and
the board. And it will take some time. You just
don’t eliminate programs overnight.”
Lieuallen warns that unless usual academic
processes are followed, "You are going to do
irreparable harm to the institutions.
"By usual academic procedures I mean dis
cussion within the institutions, development of
proposals — with those proposals coming to the
board’s office for review — and finally to the
board. This is the way that it’s always been done
and I believe this is the way it has to be done.”
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