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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 1996)
VIEWPOINTS EDITORIALS OPINIONS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ‘Good television’ used as excuse for bad journalism ■ OUR OPINION KVAL and KMTR made a poo decision m collaboration wdh Eugene police journalism ha* Imuim America's favorite fall guy for ail of the country'* ill*. !»'• no wonder When the line between Hard Copy and Thr CBS Bmninfi Newt wim to grow fainter by the week, media consumers begin to question if profits sternal communicator* know the meaning of the word "ethics." Television journalists receive the moat intense scrutiny because they are seen by more people and presumably have a greater impact on public percep tion. limy are also most likely to cm** the line* of journalistic integrity and good taste because they compete for ratings with Rosanne reruns. Local TV news is not exempt from that pressure. Poring the police sting operation in the Whit (taker neighborhood this month, the city's Rapid Deployment Unit set out to make dozens of drug-dealing and prosti totion arrests In an attempt to "raise public awareness” and garner public support, the department offered Eugene's media vehicles the opportunity to participate: us tier ovs Mark Miller of KVAl. TV and Kathy Randall of KMTR-TV posed as a drug buyer and a prostitute respectively, while the RDU caught their interactions with would-be lavs* breakers on film — Rim that found Its way to the tup story on both news programs journalists maintain their integrity by being impartial observers of. rather than actons in the news In addi tion. it is generally consid* ered unethical fur any media professional to mis represent him or herself to new* sources On both counts. KVAI, and KMTR disregarded these standards They defended their decision by saying that they were acting in the best interest of the community and that it was "good television." They're right It was good television; it was just bad journalism. The story would have been equally compelling if the stations would have filmed undercover officers nailing drug dealers and johns. Miller and Randall didn't need to be on the street doing the officers' jobs. It was gratuitous. Any city’s media outlets "serve the public" test as watchdogs of every public occurrence within that envi ronment. They “serve the public*' by providing it with coverage of the day's events without intentional or per ceived bias Thus, even if KVAI. and KMTK (or Randall and Miller) say they will be impartial when covering negative stories about the polite department, whether they tan or not is Irrelevant The public perceives that ihe city's media and public safety department are in cahoots, and they wonder if the news they're getting from these two stations is accurate and truthful in the end. this I# a minor infraction. And as an isolat ed incident, it's not that big of a deal. Hut tl seems that the more these little lines get crossed, the easier it becomes to step over big ones Bit by bit. TV news starts to look more like Cop*, until one day all we ll have is "good television " And no news O'* WWBWt Mm** fMP *«****•>«* «* «*«« p*» Mt ’miMt «M tawkMt «»«•»• warn* *» *» »«*» On* I*m ***B»»«*<® ** •Dto-.nwMttfikttw I<*" -**»» * nwM» « •» «m«M a«* ** IWW am.»m rmtmrnam * M m« «w> «*M» * i*#> WC *» #* # * ttMtww '<M*e »«jmM »«*» IW» a*™*** hwWHH I WKMKWMMWMI •** i *»»» * »****» »«*»* w» mwof •rnmaa m*m&mm » pmmamm *» a* IM» «• «*» “<«*» »«w» ■VMMMr 'M iMa tMa >t»iaw «■» Cow «M> wa **» «/««» «*•. (a^nai (•Mi •••<■* %m -«• «w> at* mmmmm (hk <M* XMfftttl CSMBK ( Mtvw SDNMilMtipMkMnMiiiWM mMo»a unCom*#** rmmuj * mam umt» mm *m **mm*mt, iam Vmmm e**»#w» *4.- . «r •«**«* .«* <*•» on* *»»* *wpM* **•*«*• m »«**■*< tew n«a*.Wa ***» **•» »«*«* n»*i <» <*• oh* <*»«% .a**. •*•»*«■> --..^a--. JJ,,,. A. . ■- -*- Uut'-tMMt T -irlU MI'lTIni' - * —— l* * < ‘ ftilUll Iii> 1 . M fw tmttaam **•auww*^#***■*» ><ut<*pf *u*mbcm* ;*%tiMH*1^**** ***** !***«# **W*»»n It**** •«*>« >||»H «*»»tawm wnw jm* t»ni<» CWWW intut* <*** «>»*■ ^*(***H*®A <** *l*0a**. JB** i B*Bji ****** M»4MJ A. Campaign Theme is Born Mtl! f»M* z o*o** r eo Awy o* OK WO«K L tlTTCnS Don’t vote; un-vote I cannot vote (or either Dwno am Ron Wyden or Republican Gordon Smith in the upcoming U S Senate election Sadly lor Oregonian*. both Senate candidates I* k qualities immaary to carry tit# cut# and the < uuntrv into the nett mil lennlum — qualities such a* courage, integrity. world vision and independent.# (ram tp# cia! interact group* The U S Senate is «onttitu • tonally empowered to ratify treaties with other countries and confirm precidential appu.nteet metw,n Yet we have no knowledge of the can didates positions cm important issues sue h as proliferation of nuclear weapons. the pohiual economic struggles in the Mid die h**i and how they confront American interest* tn the region. In addition, ihe voter* have little or no understanding of how Smith or Myden might approach «ritual domestic issue* of itrtwi decay, drug vio lence and affordable housing Therefore. I ttrongiy urge my fellow Oregontan* to return their ballot* without voting lor either candidate In doing so, w e will every nut our franchise without endorsing the choice* Iteforw us I call this process "un vote " So. let * un vote and be really counted M Rtua Behnam, PhD. Eugene Corrupt burgers Your health may suffer; deserving student* may not fin i*h college, grandparents' mod teal coat* may push them into poveri) rainforest* may disap pear. and wildlife specie* may vanish if you eat hamburgers The cattle lobby help* elect legislator* who trash program* protecting the environment and kill programs not benefiting the wealthy By not helping finance the cattle lobby, the "Hamburg or Kebellio" (people not eating hamburger) aids programs help ing the fessfortunate. the envi riimiumi and good health The "Hamburger Rebellion" opposes the "Sagebrush Rebel lion" (a mnvcmiml iniliilvd by Western ram h»r« lo block rangeland reform and to blot it a raise in grazing fees on our public lands by gaining control of the land.) IfGangne* gives rant hers our public lands by turning control over to the state* and count rim or passes laws to prevent fair grazing fees and prevents rogu tall on to protect the land from overgrazing, the effect is the same Rancher*, who control most rural county governments and many stale governments, will control land that should belong to all American* In the Wild, predators prey on the young, old and infirm — not unlike wealthy congress men selecting budget cut vic tims In a civilized society, shouldn't lawmaker* behave differently? In the courts (and ia iawmak mg bodie*), wealth may cir cumvent truth and justice but enough people saying "no" to hamburgers may counter greed's triumph. Greed has no conscience. l)o you? James Qriftin FaMon. Nevada Not just a career The Oregon Commentator't farrah Bostick felt slighted by the OPT* Lori Bettmeski [ODE. Jan JO) Bettmeski disrespected the Commentator and the V'oicr, she said they don't offer the career potential found at the Emerald {ODE. Dot,, a). If we were attuned to the huge investments of the right. We d roalize the career potential in the rightist campus publics Upn* (see Dtnesh I) Souza. etc ). Also, for business, a portfolio might be as important as the mention of some school paper on one's resumd. Both Bettmeski and Bostick claim careerist credentials; nei ther mentions the University's leftist publication Perhaps with The Student Insurgent. It is obvious that careerism is not the top priori ty. But as media monopolies merge and cut employee expenses with the assistance of new technologies, they narrow the ioumalistir. career path. Therefore, and among other reasons, { schoolers as well as the rest of us should lie con turned with the creation of inclusive socioeconomic: oppor tunities One guns a leftist publication not just because of what it can do for oneself, but for what it can contribute to society as well As for« redentiab. editors at Against the Current. Cnmtuad* and Infusion magazines have worked for The Student Imtir gent Our writers have appeared in publications as diverse as the The Monthly Review, an ti de pendent socialist magazine from New York, to fust Out. the lesbian and gay newsmagazine from Portland Their most sig nificant credential of all. how ever. is their commitment to fundamental social change that benefits ail people. They who belittle this quest support the status quo. Chris Brady The Student insurgent LETTERS POLICY The Oregon Oetfy Emerald srnt attempt to print a» letters containing comments on top ee o» interest to the UnrversKy comnxmity letters to the edaor must be brnaeo to no more than 2S0 words, legible, signed and the tdanbfccahon o* the enter must be verified when the letter i submiBed, The Emereia reserve* the n?* to ad* any letter tor length or style
