Legendary journalist criticizes media’s assault
■ Daniel Schorr, of National
Public Radio, decries
television for “making an
assault on reality”
By Emily Gust
Oregon Daily Emerald
At the 1939 World’s Fair, Daniel
Schorr tried out RCA’s newest tech
nology: The television. After seeing
himself on screen, he remembers
walking away somewhat skeptical
of the device’s potential.
“It’s a nice stunt,” Schorr said.
“But it won’t go very far.”
Now the senior news analyst for
National Public Radio, Schorr real
izes his judgment was a bit off. But
that doesn’t stop him from wishing
he had been right.
In a keynote address to a crowd
of around 450 students, faculty and
community members Tuesday,
Schorr talked about the increasing
fuzziness between reality and non
reality invading today’s news me
dia, especially television.
Schorr’s speech highlighted the
University’s Convocation, which
took place in the EMU Ballroom.
The centuries-old tradition of Con
vocation is the ceremonial begin
ning of the academic year, while
also giving the University a chance
to recognize faculty members for
their accomplishments.
Schorr’s “work and life are the
epitomes” of the learning pursuits
engaged by all those in the Univer
sity community, University Presi
dent Dave Frohnmayer said in his
opening remarks before Schorr’s
speech.
In a career spanning more than a
half century, Schorr covered many
of the biggest events in the past 50
years and worked for a variety of
media organizations, including
CBS, and helped set up the Cable
News Network.
He is also a journalist who has
consistently worked to preserve
honesty and integrity in reporting,
to the point of being threatened
with jail time for refusing to reveal
the name of a source.
And so it bothers Schorr when he
sees television news reporting in
creasingly based on twisting what
is real and presenting “virtual reali
ty” instead.
Take the fact that during Dan
Rather’s report from Times Square
last New Year’s Eve, a billboard in
the background was replaced with
a CBS logo, when in reality the sign
advertised Budweiser and NBC.
This was just some of many ex
amples given by Schorr of how “tel
evision is making an assault on re
ality.” His speech — entitled
“Forgive Us Our Press Passes” and
delivered without the use of notes
— focused on this assault.
His critique also included the In
ternet, which blurs the lines even
more. Schorr said with this tech
nology, someone can be a writer,
editor and publisher all in one.
“You can also have your own
ethical standards,” Schorr said.
Schorr, for his own part, has
spent his career telling people what
they don’t know, and trying to dis
tinguish reality from virtual reality,
he said.
Some audience members seemed
to appreciate his efforts. Near the
crowd of people approaching
Schorr for autographs after the
speech, Elizabeth Steffensen, a Eu
gene resident and one of the coor
dinators for the Million Mom
March, said she and her six chil
dren have spent a lot of time listen
ing to the NPR analyst. She said if
everyone listened to Schorr, some
of the world’s problems could be
lessened.
“He’s worth listening to for any
problem [people] might have,” Stef
fensen said.
The final story he shared Tues
day shows exactly how much he
has invested in telling the truth.
After CBS refused to air a Mike
Wallace interview with a cigarette
company “whistle blower,” it was
later revealed that the company’s
president actually owned a ciga
rette company.
It was only after this conflict of
interest had gone public that CBS
decided to air the interview. By
then, however, Schorr saw the real
moment of action — the moment
when Wallace could have made a
stand for his journalistic integrity
— had been missed.
In the film “The Insider,” which
dramatized the incident, the char
acter playing Wallace was asked
Dan Brunell Emerald
National Public Radio’s Daniel Schorr speaks at the University’s Convocation on Tues
day- Schorr reflected on his storied career and discussed the future of the media.
why he didn’t threaten to resign if
the segment was not aired. Schorr
said the character answered: “And
wander for the rest of my life in the
wilderness of NPR?”
Schorr’s response to that com
ment at the end of the speech paint
ed the difference between the two
men, consequently drawing a line
between Wallace’s field — televi
sion — and Schorr’s, which is now
radio.
“You’ve got it wrong, Mike.
You’re wandering in a very affluent
wilderness,” he said. “I have found
the promised land.”
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OPEN MON-SAT 10-6 6, SUN 12-5
Blood drive draws needed supply
■The Lane Memorial Blood
Bank will be in the EMU’s Fir
Room from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
By Bennett Lacy
for the Emerald
Let’s face it, we can’t live without
blood.
That’s why the Lane Memorial
Blood Bank is back on campus this
week with its third-annual Univer
sity Blood Drive. Tuesday was the
first of a two-day effort to increase
Lane County’s blood supply. Today,
you can go to the Fir Room in the
Erb Memorial Union from 10 a.m.
to 3 p.m. to help saves lives and for
your efforts, receive free snacks.
Zoe Jones, a senior double-major
ing in art history and romance lan
guages, is the Blood Drive Chair for
the Student Alumni Association
and has been working hard to make
the drive a success.
“The SAA brings the blood drive
to campus to give students a chance
to give blood who usually would
n’t,” Jones said. “I am planning on
giving blood today and I hope that
more students do the same.”
The blood bank is encouraging as
many students as possible to help
out. Donors should be in good
health, at least 17 years old, weigh
more than 110 pounds and have
had no body piercings or tattoos
within the past year.
Chris Stockdale, donor recruiter
for the Lane County Memorial
Blood Bank, is anticipating a large
turnout for the drive.
“We hope to get at least 200
donors over the two-day draw,”
Stockdale said. “We have a bigger
draw at the University because we
are here for a longer period of time
throughout the day. Plus it’s more
convenient if the opportunity is on
campus for the students.”
Although the blood bank rou
tinely goes to other businesses and
hospitals to raise blood, the reason
for the greater success at the Uni
versity is because they bring all of
the equipment from the blood bank
Dan Brunell Emerald
Registered nurse Liz Snake prepares to draw blood from Nathan Pietsch in the Fir Room
on Tuesday. The Red Cross reports that the country’s blood supply is at an all-time low.
to the University so that it can serve
more people.
Another reason for the blood
drive is to prepare for the upcoming
holiday season. The increase in car
accidents attributed to big holidays
increases the demand for blood.
“Summer holidays also see a de
mand in blood transfusions,”
Stockdale said. “Big three-day
weekend holidays such as the
Fourth of July bring an increase in
the demand for blood.”
Jessica Humphreys, a junior soci
ology major, came on Tuesday to
show her support.
“I give blood because its am easy
way to help people,” Humphreys
said. “I have given in the past.”
For those donors who are unsure
about the safety of giving blood,
Stockdale assures everyone that do
nating blood has never been safer.
“Every needle we use is new,
sterile and disposed of after usage,”
Stockdale said
The Lane County Blood Bank
will be back winter and spring
terms with two-day drives similar
to this week’s. The drives are
scheduled for February 6 and 7
along with May 1 and 2.
“SAA has put on the drive for as
long as I can remember,” Jones said.
Jones said that the actual experi
ence of donating blood might be
something that causes students to
turn away.
“I think it’s hard for students to
donate because it takes a lot of en
ergy out of a person,” Jones said. “I
hope more people will take the
time out to realize how much it tru
ly is needed.”
Located at 2211 Willamette St.,
the blood bank is always in need of
donors and volunteers to help run
drives such as the University Blood
Drive.
“This is the largest off-property
drive we put on,” Stockdale said.
“When we go to businesses or
churches with our bloodmobiles
and limited supplies, we usually
only get approximately 20 people
over a three hour stay.”
If you or anyone you know is in
terested in donating blood, you can
contact the Lane Memorial Blood
Bank at 484-9111.