EDITORIAL
Chung violates
code of ethics
When Connie Chung recently interviewed Kathleen
Gingrich, the mother of Newt Gingrich, the new Speak
er of the Mouse, she made a cardinal journalistic error.
She betrayed her source in favor of a non-story.
Chung asked Kathleen Gingrich what opinions her son
had of the president. While Newt Gingrich had told his
mother nothing but good things about the president, she
told Chung that she couldn't tell her what he said about
Miliary Clinton.
Chung persisted, asking her to whisper the word to
Chung, "just between you and me." Kathleen Gingrich
said that her son had callod the First laidy “a bitch."
Chung, in search of a big story that she could splash
all over the media, lied to Kathleen Gingrich. There's
just no other word to t all it. She deceived her source and
ran with the story, never looking back.
While Chung obviously thought that she had made a
journalistic coup of sorts by finding dirt on the now
Speaker, she broke the trust between herself and her
source — something that just wasn't called for.
On occasion, reporters do offer anonymity to sources
or listen to information with the stipulation that it is "off
the record," meaning that it cannot be used in the story.
Sources sometimes say things "off the record" to help
journalists understand something better or to give infor
mation that they wouldn't want published in print with
their name — for a variety of reasons.
While Chung and Gingrich never technically used the
words "oft the record" in relation to their Interview, the
implication of secrecy offered by Chung is obvious. The
statement shouldn’t nave been made public by Chung,
no matter how important she felt the statement was.
The mother of the Speaker is not the proper person to
ask in order to dig up dirt on her son. Mis mother would
definitely have an interest in defending her son, hut
Chung took advantage of her in getting the quote Kath
leen Gingrich is not a politician nor is she skilled in
interviews with the media - unlike her son. She made
a mistake in implying that Newt Gingrich had said
"secret" things about the First iaidy, but that didn't mean
that a professional reporter should step right in to take
advantage of the situation.
The breach of trust by Chung makes interviewing overt
more difficult for journalists. Sources may not speak as
openly now. wondering whether their "secret" infor
mation will wind up on the front page the following day
It also tarnishes the media in the eyes of the public, who.
unfortunately, begin to expect such antics from journal
ists.
The issue of the alleged statement by Newt Gingrich
about the First Uuly isn't relevant. It's not the issue. The
real issue is that of Chung and her broken promises.
It's sad that Chung, a TV news am hor and longtime
journalist, would pick such a trivial thing like name-call
ing to stain her reputation as a responsible and ethical
journalist But it's even worse that the rest of America
has to put up with it
Oregon Daily
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■ OPINION
Conspiracies, CIA inspire letters
Robbie Rusks
Once in a while, on a dark,
stormy afternoon. I like to
look through our files of
letters that we've received here
at the Enwrald over the jwst year
or two. Ms favorite file is that of
letters that we don't run
This, my friend*, is a Journey
to the depths of thu "no-go" file
There are only a few reasons
why the Emrrald won't run a
letter l etters that are too long
(more than 250 words) or have
nothing at all to do with the
University (neither the letter
writer nor the subfi* t of the let
ter are University-related) gener
ally don't run Neither do
lilxdous letters.
There are other reasons why
we won't run a letter Some let
ters come in without a name or
phone number, and we can't run
those Sorry, but we just can't
If you have an opinion, have the
guts to put your name behind it
Hut these are the obvious rea
sons, and this is where the fun
begin*.
1 can’t use the names of the
author* of these vignettes, but if
your opinion* look like some of
the following, write us some
more letters. We love 'em.
My favorite letters are the
Ones that have to do with con
spiracies I’m not talking about
the garden-variety conspiracies,
the type that you’ll hear about
from inebriated people down
town or from a friendly well
wisher on an LTD bus. like the
one about the radio transmitter
in the hills that is beaming into
the person's head. I’m not talk
ing about those. Compared to
some I’ve seen, that is relatively
norma!
Mv all time favorite letter i>.
from a man that claimed to he
"the deaf messenger of the Lord."
who claimed that the "system."
as he referred to it. was made up
of bisexuals "Life." he said, "is
merely a game to these people "
The writer, who said that he
wrote a letter in 198V1 that “gave
us 'upheaval in Europe' and
'headless bodies in Peru'” also
said that he has been told that he
owns the system
S< ary stuff I’d havtt loved to
have rnet this person, but he left
no address or phone number on
the letter Hummer Next letter
Ah. another goodie This gen
tleman left us his name and a
phone number Good so far
Here's the good part. “.. In June
of 1992, 1 was abruptly intro
duced to the Central Intelligence
Agency. Initially, I honestly
believed they were going to kill
roe."
Who knows' Were they bisex
uals too'
Unfortunately, the writer goes
on to describe relationships gone
wrong, and the rest of the letter
digresses into a sort of suicide
threat. Had 1 received the letter
(w o got it a % ear ago). I w ould
have called him ! have no idea
what's happening with him these
days Maybe the QA got to him.
Hut in any case, thanks for writ
ing!
I w ant to emphasize that the
Emerald does value letters to the
editor on just about every sub
ject If it's short enough and rel
evant enough, we'll publish
your letter, whether we agree
with what vou say or not. We
just won't publish your letter if
it's too long, libelous, or if it
seems loony Trust me We don't
bite Often
Just bring it tip to Suite 300.
EMU. and bring some IJ) with
you If. like at least one other let
ter writer, you claim to he a
close friend/relation to Jesus
Christ, please show that on your
113 or be able to turn water into
wine We work, long nights and
could use the help
And if, by some chance, you
could get us an on-the-record
interview with God. your CIA
contact or the beings that beam
messages into your head, please
let us know We could always
use an exclusive around here
Theni are other letters that are
marginally interesting, but not
quite off-the-wall, Last year the
Emerald received a bunch of let
ters from people that whined
alenit everything under the sun.
While I don't want to !«• too spe
cific about those (we ran these
letters), they complain about
things as petty as rude people
and bad television commercials
If 1 got a letter from everyone
who ever encountered a rude
person or saw a t heezy televi
sion commercial in their life, I'd
have to come in at 2 a m every
day to start typing your letters!
It's things like that that get me
to wonder why someone takes
the time to w rite a letter to the
editor. Is it to argue a point or to
get one's name in the paper? 1
don't know I've always been
impressed with the fact that
someone cares enough to write,
but when someone claims to
rule the world. I've really got to
wonder.
For the record. I don't support
discrimination against bisexu
als. or against anyone, based on
sexual orientation or anything
else If most anyone else wrote
a letter ripping on bisexuals. 1
would think that the person was
another conservative out to
endorse the latest anti-gay mea
sure on the Oregon ballot
But some of these letters are
just total nonsense, and I nor
mally wouldn't give them the
time of day.
Unless, of course, it's a rainy
afternoon with nothing else to
do.
Hobble Meri t's is editorial editor
for the Emerald.