I
Register-Guard fails
a test of objectivity
Without wanting to launch a media war” between
Eugene's two daily newspapers, we feel a series that ap
peared in the Eugene Register-Guard earlier this week
warrants a little scrutiny
The three-part series, written by Guard reporter Mike
Stahlberg and published in the Sunday, Monday and Tues
day editions of the paper, purports to take an in-depth look at
the two Fourth District Congressional candidates — Jim
Weaver and Ross Anthony
The articles focus on Weaver s effectiveness in Con
gress, Anthony's background and idealism and the charges
and counter-charges that have been flying between the two
candidates for weeks
To us, the articles appear to be more of a hatchet job on
the feisty, four-term congressman than an objective look at
the two politicians
One University journalism professor (admittedly a
Democrat) said he would have flunked a student who turned
in such a series
Tactics like the unnamed sources in the Weaver article,
the emphasis on Anthony’s ‘‘impressive” health project in
Nepal (which was conceived, funded and critiqued by
Anthony), and the misleading treatment of Anthony's cam
paign financing a!! appear to bend — if not break — common
standards of objectivity
In the Anthony article, folks from his past came forward to
sing the praises of "a good guy who has his heart in the right
place — who wants to better the world.”
In the Weaver article, nearly every quote castigates the
representative for superficial personality flaws that sup
posedly cripple his effectiveness in Congress.
There are other "questionables "
Anthony’s staff was invited to submit photos for the
series, from which the Guard chose the picture portraying
the benevolent Peace Corp worker cuddling sad-eyed chil
dren
Weaver's staff members asked if they could provide a
photo, according to Weaver staff assistant Ron Eachus, but
were told that using any photos but those taken by the Guard
would endanger objectivity
The reporter got to know Anthony, in part, by traveling
around the state with him for a couple of days. He gathered
information on Weaver by attending political events and
talking to him on the phone
The Weaver article played on congressional colleagues'
criticism of his flamboyant style, his occasionally emotional
outbursts, his lack of “congressional" style
The Anthony article, while stressing his six years of
Peace Corps experience in Nepal as an indication of his
abilities and character, failed to complete the biography by
pointing out he had lived longer in Nepal than Oregon
Near the beginning of the Anthony article, the University
economics professor was saluted for stretching his
$18,000-a-year faculty salary to cover his costly campaign
Much further into the lengthy article, the reporter pointed out
that Anthony is, conservatively, worth half a million because
of stock in his family's department store chain
But in spite of numerous phone calls and letters to the
editor, Stahlberg and Steve Weiner, the Guard's city editor,
aren’t about to recant
Weiner dismissed critics of the series as Weaver sup
porters who wouldn't be happy with any type of objective,
critical analysis of the congressman's record
According to Weiner, "We think we did a heck of a good
job of reporting and writing ”
What do we think? We think we know who the Guard will
endorse in the Fourth District race — based on their objective
coverage
opinion
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your turn
defend University interests
Last Saturday I went to can
vass against Ballot Measure 3 —
the property tax limitation mea
sure modelled on California's
Proposition 13 Proposition 13
has caused enough damage in
California — a state with a huge
budget surplus when "13'' was
passed
It would be devastating in
Oregon, and not just for the
schools, police and public ser
vices funded directly from
property taxes Such state pro
grams as higher education
would also be caught in the
general budget crisis — a crisis
which Ballot Measure 3 would
exacerbate through its require
ment that any new taxes
receive approval by two-thirds
of each house of the legislature
All of the Eugene canvassers
against Measure 3 met in the
cafeteria of South Eugene High
School When I arrived shortly
after 9:00 am, that huge space
was packed It was standing
room only for canvassers:
primary and secondary school
teachers and administrators,
county employees, policemen,
firefighters, L C C teachers and
staff and many who were just
concerned citizens But there
was one group conspicuously
underrepresented the faculty
and staff of the University
I did not think much of the low
University turn-out when I was
canvassing Frankly, I was en
joying myself I had purposely
chosen a North Eugene
precinct because I thought it
would be relatively conserva
tive Perhaps it was, but that was
not reflected in the responses I
got only two people committed
to Measure 3, several times that
number already convinced that
it must be defeated, and dozens
of pleasant and open-minded
citizens willing to accept the
literature I was distributing and
listen to a few arguments
against Measure 3
With the latest polls showing
voters statewide favoring the
measure by a five to three mar
gin, that was encouraging But
just as important for me was the
opportunity to escape the Ivory
Tower for a while, and interact
with the good citizens of
Eugene
After I got back, however, and
after talking with some other
canvassers who had noted the
low University turn-out, I gave
trie matter a little thought and it
began to bother me
We do a lot of complaining
around the University about the
level of support we get for
higher education in Oregon
The gripe is, of course, justified:
the slippage in funding for
higher education is deplorable
It could cripple any meaningful
attempt to promote real econ
omic development in the 1980s
But, I wonder if we members
of the University community
should not share a little of the
blame We often complain that
in comparison to other states,
Oregon ranks far lower in the
level of funding for higher
education than it does in fund
ing for basic education Is not
one reason for this the fact that
the Oregon Education Associa
tion mobilizes thousands of
teachers to do things like work
against Ballot Measure 3?
Those teachers make the
political process work for them,
while we too often sit around
feeling sorry for ourselves Re
grettably, a large proportion of
our students fail even to register
to vote
There are still two weeks until
the election It is a little late, but
there is still time to make a dif
ference in a number of contests
on the Nov. 2 ballot.
There will be another leaflet
ting against Ballot Measure 3 on
Saturday, Oct 30 There are
local legislative candidates like
Margie Hendriksen who have
been strong defenders of the
University You could work on
Ted Kulongoski's gubernatorial
campaign: the last four years
have shown how much Atiyeh
cares about higher education
Or you can fight Reaganaut as
saults on federal funding for
education by working for Jim
Weaver for Congress (Anyone
who thinks that Ross Anthony
as a freshman Republican con
gressman will stand up against
Reagan's budget priorities has
not been watching where his
well-funded campaign is getting
all that money.)
It does not matter so much
how you get involved What
matters is that members of the
University community — faculty,
staff and students — get in
volved
If we will not go out and use
the political process to defend
the interests of the University
and higher education in
Oregon, we can hardly expect
someone else to pull our chest
nuts out of the fire If higher
education takes another beat
ing in the next round of budget
cuts, don't blame the "unen
lightened' people of Oregon —
blame our own inaction and
apathy!
Joseph Esherlck
Associate professor, history
Protestor Esherlck teaches the
History of China.
Oregon daily _ _
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