Nicole Barker | Photographer
Jay Harris speaks about "Ethical Stewardship in the News” at the 2005 Ruhl Lecture on Thursday afternoon in the EMU Ballroom
The lecture caps off a week of events sponsored by the School of Journalism and Communication.
Public must demand media
accountability, speaker says
Jay Harris spoke at the 29th-annual Ruhl Lecture,
hosted by the School of Journalism and Communication
BYAYISHAYAHYA
NEWS EDITOR
The public has a responsibility to
demand accountable media that serve
the citizenry’s interests, a media schol
ar Jay Harris said Thursday. Harris, di
rector of The Center for the Study of
Journalism and Democracy at Univer
sity of Southern California and former
publisher of the San Jose Mercury
News, delivered the 29th-annual Ruhl
Lecture hosted by the School of Jour
nalism and Communication.
“Who better to judge the perform
ance of the institution of democracy
than the audience citizens,” Harris
said during his lecture, titled “Ethical
Stewardship in Media.”
Journalists must realize their role as
stewards of an institution created for
the public good, he said.
“The press at its best, a press com
mitted to public interest,... is an insti
tution of democracy, and it is in fact
our democracy,” he said. “We in some
way share responsibility of what is
happening in the press. ”
Harris said the nation’s founding fa
thers had recognized freedom of
speech as vital to the democratic re
public and viewed free press as the
“bulwark of liberty. ”
But in contemporary times, gov
ernment leaders, corporate impera
tives and skilled propagandists with
various interests undermined the
media, he said.
Journalists also despair about the
increasing challenges newspapers
face from corporatization to declin
ing readership and Internet compe
tition, he added.
“I worry most about the growing
despair among journalists, because
if journalists cease to believe tfre
higher purposes of journalism, the
central role of journalism in our
democracy, then the noble flame at
the heart of the journalistic enter
prise just might go out,” he said.
Those in the media must not lose
faith in journalism, Harris said.
“Journalism still makes a differ
ence,” he said. “It makes differences
large and small, in ways seen and un
seen, in the lives of millions.”
Harris said he still believes there is a
future for what he called the “journal
ism of consequence” but said journal
ism for public interest will not survive
if important ethical decisions are
discussed only within a corporate
agenda. Instead, to be ethical stewards
of the institution of journalism, jour
nalists have to defend and raise the
standards of excellence in their field.
The public must take an active
stance in holding the media account
able, because citizens must be capable
of judging those who are stewards of
the public trust, he said.
“If a community can benefit from lo
cal good-government and community
watchdog groups, certainly a commu
nity could benefit from local good-jour
nalism groups,” Harris said.
Senior Hillary Manton said she ap
preciated Harris’ insight on the need
for community involvement in ad
dressing media problems.
“If you don’t have the interest, you
need to create the interest,” she said.
Journalism Professor Tom Bivins
also agreed with Harris’ charge to the
public to help change journalism.
“It’s up to us,” Bivins said. “If we
want change, we have to make it. ”
Tirfi Gleason, the dean of the School
of Journalism and Communication,
said the focus to make changes often
falls on the journalists themselves but
that Harris is extending that responsi
bility to the public.
“This is a shared responsibility, and
we have an obligation to demand good
journalism,” Gleason said.
ayishayahya@dailyemerald.com
DINNER
LIGHT PLATES
DESSERTS
COCKTAILS
MICROBREWS
WINE BAR
541.485.6268
OPEN DAILY 5P
TRIOMPHE MIDTOWN
1591 WILLAMETTE
EUGENE
Learn • Grow • Explore
Together as Ducks
ISO
International Student Orientation
Leadership
Building
Opportunity!
Help New Ducks and
: Bo dll ISO • Gain Valuable Experience!
leader! Make Friends!
/ Earn University Credits!
MANDATORY TRAINING SESSION
@ Many Nations Longhouse (food and drinks provided)
May 14th (Sat) 10 am to 4 pm
Sign up today!
http://oip.uoregon.edu/iss/orientation/volunteer.php
Office of International Programs • 330 Oregon Hall
GOT A STORY IDEA?
give us a call
at 346-5511 .£<1
_Q2Z
— poppl/ —
^/4n&4olt&
Lunch
Monday through Saturday
Dinner
7 Nights a Week
992 Willamette
Eugene, Or 97401
343-9661
Packaging and Shipping INC.
1733 Pearl Street • Eugene, Oregon 97401 • 541-345-8200 • 1-877-341-8200
We can solve
all your packaging
and shipping needs
Small Parcel - Motor Freight
Free pick-up
for freight shipments