monday,cpril 2,1979 dally nebraskan
Pamel sniggests closer feniisiiiiess-medisi
pags 13
By Diane. Andersen
Five journalism students from a
senior-level mass media and society class re
cently presented research concerning the
roles of business and the news media to a
team of General Motors judges.
Hie project, in conjunction with the
1979 General Motors Intercollegiate Busi
ness Understanding Program, is a competi
tion among 21 selected universities.-The
first place panel will receive a $5,000 prize,
and the second- and third -place winners
$3,000 and, $1 00 respectively.
The GM. guidebook for the contest asks
participants ta.probe roles and responsi
bilities of business and the news media in
contributing to aninformed citizenry ,
and to specifically examine attitudes of
business and the media toward each other,
making recommendations for future
cooperation.
Lance Hernandez, a senior broadcast
ing major and moderator of the panel, said
they found bias on the parts of both media
and business people. ,;
Immense power
"Both have immense power and a re
sponsibility toward each other and the
relationship
public," he said.
Other panel members were Susan Friehe
and Rob Barney from broadcasting, Deb
Davis and Jeff Thurmond from advertising,
and Lynn Paustian from the newsditorjal
sequence.
J .Hernandez said a telephone survey of
businessmen and journalists showed' that
the two groups have little social interac
tion, which may create a lack of
understanding of each other;
Both groups said the media showed no
bias in business reporting, although busi
nessmen were split almost evenly on the
issue, Hernandez said. He added that
businessmen said both media and business
have a responsibility to support the free
enterprise system, but that journalists were
reluctant to answer thit question.
The panel also conducted a survey of
the content of national newspapers, maga
zines and broadcasts to determine how
much the media deals with business news.
Business news
Hernandez said they found that 10 per
cent of the total general news is related to
business, but only 8 percent of radio and
television broadcasts concern business.
He said the group defines business news
as any news "related to business or the
economy, excluding ads, comics, and
stock reports.
Hernandez said national magazines such
as Time and Newsweek treat business
favorably, while newspapers and the dec
troniQmedia generally treat it unfavorably.
Major city newspapers, such as the
Omaha World-Herald, the Los . Angeles
'Tones and Xht Washington Post, along with
the three television networks and nation
wide radio networks were surveyed, ac
cording to Hernandez.
He said the panel made several recom
mendations to the judges, who represented
business and media concerns.
More accessible executives
They told the judges that "businessmen
should be more open and accessible to
reporters, he said, by letting them talk to
top executives of companies rather than
public relations personnel.
Hernandez said other suggestions in
cluded approval of plans for a toll-free
Nebraska telephone line for citizens to ask
executives about policy, and encourage
ment of journalists to take business courses
and business people to become more in
formed about media.
Hernandez said the panel also expressed
interest in corporation scholarships for
journalists allowing them to work a year
for the businesses they may be covering.
He said the panel is in favor of television
programs being made more available to
civic groups and schools.
Bias found
"I was kind of shaky at first," Hernan
dez said, although he added that the
presentation went well.
' Friehe was in charge of an NETV panel
discussion still 'to be aired between some
major U.S. business and media figures,
including executives of Beatrice Foods,
Burlington Northern, Knight-Ridder, the
Pulitzer Corporation and Mutual of
Omaha.
"We did find a bias,' she said.
The panel will find out if its presenta-
tion was one of the top 10 semi-finalists
on April 9, when it will present its formal
treatise to GM, according to Tom Spann,
one of the instructors of the Mas? Media
and Society class.
If the UNL group wins the competition,
it will travel to Detroit in May to make a
formal presentation to the company. .
Foreign grant applications now available
Students interested in studying in other countries may
obtain help in competing for study and research abroad
grants through UNL's Institute of International Studies.
Roberto .Esquenazi-Mayo, director of the Institute for
International Studies, said information and applications
for the 1980-81 competition conducted by the Institute
for international Education now are available at his office
in 1033 Oldfafher Hall.
About 500 awards for study and research in 50 coun
tries will be made. The purpose of die grants is to increase
understanding between people of the United States and
other countries through exchange of persons, knowledge
and skill.
Selection is based on academic and professional record,
study plans, language preparation and personal
qualifications.
I
liilgJIJifr'JiJE
REASONABLE PAY AND
CHALLENGING EXPERI
ENCES ARE AVAILABLE
TO QUALIFIED UNDER
GRADUATES WHO SERVE
AS CHEMISTRY TAS. AL
THOUGH APPOINTMENTS
ARE NOT MADE UNTIL
AUGUST, OR JANUARY,
THE SELECTION PRO
CESS BEGINS NOW WITH
APPLICATION AND IN
TERVIEWS. PRE-CLASS-ROOM
TRAINING WILL
be provoed during
mid-august.
INTERESTED STUDENTS'
SHOULD INQURE AT 227
HAMILTON HALL FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
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