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Editorial Policy Letter Policy
Unsigned editorials are the opinions of
the Spring 1998 Daily Nebraskan. They
do not necessarily reflect the views of the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, its
employees, its student body or the
Unweisity of Nebraska Board of Regents.
A column is solely the opinion of its author.
The Board of Regents serves as publisher
of the Daily Nebraskan; policy is set by
the Daily Nebraskan Editorial Board. The
UNL Publications Board, established by
the regents, supervises the production
of the paper. According to policy set by
the regents, responsibility for the editorial
content of the newspaper lies solely in
the hands of its student employees.
The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief
letters to the editor and guest columns,
but does not guarantee their publication.
The Daily Nebraskan retains the right to
edit or reject any material submitted.
Submitted material becomes property of
the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be
returned. Anonymous submissions will
not be published. Those who submit
letters must identify themselves by name,
year in school, major and/or group
affiliation, if any.
Submit material to: Daily Nebraskan, 34
Nebraska Union, 1400 R St. Lincoln,
NE. 68588-0448. E-mail:
letters@unlinfb.unl.edu.
Tim
KARSTENS
Yellow journalism
Recent incidents hurt industry, but reporters still strive to be unbiased
TIM KARSTENS is a gradu
ate student, news editorial
major and Daily Nebraskan
columnist.
As an aspiring journalist, I feel it
serves me well to keep up with the daily
news. I read two - sometimes three -
newspapers a day, watch CNN and
Headline News and listen to news-based
radio stations. Not only is it important to
stay informed on current issues and
events, but much can be learned by
observing others.
Of the media professionals I am
exposed to every day, few leave much of
an impression on me. Like many other
people who love what they do, there are a
select group of people I admire and those
who don’t quite cut it. Those I do admire
have the ability to blend core journalistic
principles with a creative delivery. Just
because it is news doesn’t mean it’s bland.
But as I creep closer to graduation
and my second entry into the “real world”
(see escaping college dreamland and
working every day), I am somewhat
apprehensive. Why? Because I might
earn more respect as a personal-injury
lawyer. Or a used car dealer. Perhaps a
pornography producer. That’s because in
many opinion polls, journalists usually
rank towards the bottom. In one poll,
journalists came in last - behind lawyers
and sales people - in professionals that
Americans trusted. Lawyers and sales
people? Is this correct? Unfortunately,
yes. Is it deserved? ABSOLUTELY
NOT!
Recently, I was accused of being
unfair by a source in a story I wrote. This
person claimed I had made enoneous
statements and had been biased in my
reporting. Given that I had woriced hard
and been as thorough as I possibly could,
I felt somewhat hurt. When this person
asked that I apologize, I became angry.
What should I apologize for? I was stren
uous in my effort to get both sides of the
story and succeeded in doing so. Should I
admit I was biased and apologize? Myself
and the editors of The Daily Nebraskan
were satisfied we had a story and had met
all of these criteria. Is that to say my
source knows more about being fair? Do
they think I fabricated information know
ing they would read the story? If this per
son simply feels hurt or slighted by what
was reported, I will not apologize.
u
In one poll, journalists came in last - behind
lawyers and sales people - in professionals
Americans trusted. Lawyers and
sales people? ”
Contrary to popular public opinion,
journalists couldn’t be biased if they
wanted. You see, opinion has no place in
the news. (That is why you are reading
this in the OPINION section and you will
find news in the NEWS section) Any
words or statements deemed to be of the
reporter’s opinion are not allowed. And
bias? One of the basic elements taught in
Reporting 101 is that all stories need at
least two sources. That is, two sources to
represent both sides of the story.
Unfortunately, recent incidents have
further tarnished journalism. The
CNN/Time report on the gassing of
American defectors in Vietnam was
exposed as fraudulent. A few people lost
their jobs and apologies were issued. The
Cincinnati Enquirer/Chiquita Banana flap
resulted in a firing and a front page
retraction and apology. A Boston Globe
columnist and a New Republic contribu
tor both admit to fabrications. To say
American journalism is suffering an
image crisis would be an understatement.
But that is one year and I don’t think jour
nalism will become Matt Drudged. I can
assure you that every credible media out
let is concerned about its image and
would do anything to preserve and
improve it even in the face of increased
public demand and competition. The bot
tom line is that when it comes to informa
tion dissemination, the media has an
obligation to be responsible and would
not exist if it were not. After all, we are
not a class different from you. It is not the
journalist’s media, it is yours.
Emily
MILLS
Pick it up
Finding that special someone is easy with the proper introduction
EMILY MILLS is a senior advertising
major and Daily Nebraskan colum
nist
Well, in the grand tradition of summer speeding
by, I believe that this summer may have been one of
the fastest. It has gone so fast that many of the
things that summer is meant for have passed. I was
talking to a friend of mine, discussing how we think
the summer is all about finding some good looking
men and partying! However we realize that the sum
mer is coming to an end and we have yet to find any
worthy men.
Now is the time to start the mission, and I feel
that many of you are in the same situation. So here
is the game plan. The plan is to hit the kickin’ “O”
street bars. Now, I know that not everyone is smooth
at just going up and talking to new people, so I have
organized some good, as well as forbidden, pick-up
lines for you.
Some promising lines would be:
1) Hi, my name is chance, do I have one?
2) Do you have a quarter? My mother told me to
call home when I met the guy/girl of my dreams.
3) The ever popular, Don’t I know you? Cheesy,
yes, but it works.
4) Excuse me, do you have your phone number?
I seem to have lost mine.
Okay, so these should get you in the clear and, at
the very least, start a conversation. Then it’s all up
to you. Now the bigger idea is to make sure that you
don’t make a fool out of yourself and avoid the real
ly bad pick-up lines. As a rule, make sure that you
do not, under any circumstances, no matter how
many drinks you have had, use these lines.
1) 1 may not be the best looking guy/girl here,
but I am the only one talking to you.
2) Can I buy you a drink, or do you just want the
money?
3) I enjoy doing maintenance, and you look like
someone I would like to “tinker” around with.
4) I wish you were a pony carousel outside
Walmart so I could ride you all day long for a quar
ter.
5) Oh, I’m sorry, I thought that was a Braille
name tag.
6) I can’t find my puppy, can you help me find
him? I think he went into this cheap motel room.
Avoiding these bad pick-up lines and all other
cheap lines, you should be OK. However, if you are
unlucky and are going to get rejected, keep this sce
nario in mind:
Guy: “Would you like to dance?”
Girl: “I don’t care for this song and I surely
wouldn’t dance with you.”
Guy: “ I ‘m sorry, you must have misunderstood
me, I said you look fat in those pants”
That is a great come back line. If you ever need
one, use it!
Now, if the situation is reversed and you are not
looking to meet someone, rather you are being
bombarded by someone who is looking to meet you.
Here is what you can do:
Say you are approached by an individual who
you are not the least bit interested in, and they say,
“Haven’t I seen you some place before?” You reply,
“Yes, that’s why I don’t go there anymore and now I
am going to have to stop coming here.”
While you are out and looking for the special
someone, make sure to watch out for the avoidable
things.
1) Never hit on someone who seems to be on a
date or is with a boyffiend/girlfriend.
2) Watch out for “that guy/girl”, you know the
one, who has had way to much to drink and no one
wants to talk to.
3) People with beepers that keep going off. They
are trouble because they are probably already
attached.
4) Watch for wedding rings. Sad, but I know it
happens.
5) Mike Chatterton. Ladies, as a word of wis- '
dom, and I know many of you have encountered this
smooth gentleman, but stay away. He is trouble!
Well, good luck, have a great rest of the summer
and I hope these tips will make your social life a
whole lot more exciting!