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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 1987)
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And while some may criticize Anderson and other journalists for using secret or sensitive information, Anderson said he does it because he believes the public is entitled to know what is real ly going on. Anderson was largely respon sible for breaking the Iran/Con tra affair in the United States, even though he sat on the story for about seven months. He first published the story in April PURE COTTON TURTLENECKS ORIG. 15.00 All time favorites at a great price - and, in an exciting array of 18 basic and fashion colors! Sizes S, M, L. CAMPUS 485-1581 1986 The issue did not reach the forefront of the Amercian media until Novemeber of that year. “I sat on it (the story) because (’resident Reagan personally, and high government officials pursuaded me that they were trying to get our hostages free and that premature disclosure of their attempts and their deal ings with Ayatollah Khomeini could disrupt the negotiations and could even lead to the death of the hostages. I didn’t want that on my conscience, so 1 sat on the story," Anderson said. He eventually released his in formation because of moral con cerns. Anderson believed "the Reagan administration was deceiving the American people about what was going on. And I thought the time had come to tell the whole story — to tell it because the American people are the real soverigns and are entitled to know what's hap pening," he said. When the government misleads, when the government lies to the people as the govern ment did in the Iran/Contra af fair. then I believe my obliga tion must be to the people and not the government,” he continued. While Anderson is sure the White House didn't like his publishing the story, it hasn’t affected his flow of information, he said. "My sources are my sources, they do not belong to the White House.” Anderson said. "I call the White House, not to find out what’s happening, but to tell them what's happening and ask them to comment.” In the wake of controversy surrounding their treatment of Sens. Gary Hart, Joe Biden and Judge Douglas Ginsberg, the media have come under fire as being unfair and prying too far into the private lives of public officials. "I think America’s reporters are the most objective in the world. They are trained to be objective and they are trained to be accurate," Anderson said. However, he does admit that journalists have some biases, which may influence what they write. That's a human quality and reporters are human, he ad ded. "I think it's almost im possible to write stories com pletely aloof from your own background, and your own beliefs and your own convic tions." he said. As for prying into public figures' private lives, Anderson sees the press as having an im portant role in screening poten tial candidates and public officals. "The flaws and misdoings of public officals should be expos ed. People who seek high office — the president of the United States, or Supreme Court justice — must be screened," Ander son said. Because a candidate is asking to be a leader, the American people have a right to know if his or her record is clean, he continued. If the press makes a poor judgement call or reveals something that is too secret or sensitive, Anderson said public response is often enough to cur tail that kind of reporting "The public will respond and will respond with such anger that the press will behave, but I don't want to give the govern ment power to suppress the press," he said. Freedom of the press is the Constitutional right that helps preserve all others by enabling the press to expose when those rights have been violated, Anderson said. It is this aspect that draws the most criticism from people who want to curtail that freedom, he said. Anderson has a staff of about 12 reporters who work for him and dig up stories that become material for his daily column, which is read by an estimated three million people. The reporters receive some training from Anderson on how to get reluctant sources talk, he said. "We specialize in getting the stories that others cannot get,” Anderson said. "And some of my reporters have more guts than others.” he added. Anderson’s speech is spon sored by the Cultural Forum. He will be in the EMU Ballroom at 8 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are available at the EMU Main Desk at a cost of $3 for students and $5 for the general public. LTD. *4 Adventure Travel Series "John Rotkolloy on Nanda Dovi" 7:30 pm on WED.. Nov. 12 ATOMIC SKI PACKAGE Atomic AL? Skis Tyrolia 177 Bindings San Marco Turbo Boots Reflex Poles * m maac now $19995 total value of 1400.00 86-Blizzard. 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