Monday, April 27, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section A ยท Page 5
Bernstein discovers the missing truth
By Marcelo Vilela
mwilela@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Carl Bernstein signs autographs in Wescoe Terrace after his speech at Budig Hall. The event was sponsored by Student Union Activities and the William Allen White School of Journalism. Photo by Roer Nomer/KANSAN
The man whose reporting helped uncover Watergate secrets is trying to open people's eyes to the faults of the press.
Journalist and author Carl Bernstein shared his views on modern journalism with about 150 people who attended his informal presentation Saturday night at room 120 in Budge Hall.
The lecture was sponsored by Student Union Activities and the William Allen White School of Journalism. SUA spent $8,600 to bring Bernstein to campus.
Bernstein became famous as a reporter along with Bob Woodward when they wrote a series of investigative stories for The Washington Post on President Richard Nixon's administration. Their investigation led to the Watergate scandal in 1974.
Bernstein was played by Dustin Hoffman in All The President's Men, a movie depicting his reporting efforts in the Watergate era. He also unraveled mysterious connections between the Pope and President Ronald Reagan. Recently, he became an analyst for CBS news.
"We teach our readers and viewers that the trivial is significant, that the lurid and the loopy are more important
than real news," Bernstein said. "We don't serve our readers and viewers, instead we give them what we think they want."
Bernstein spoke for one hour about media scandals, sensationalist TV shows and the press' apathy and arrogance.
"One of the things that's always bothered me the most about the press is our pretension of omniscience." Bernstein said. "It's time for the press to begin finding some humility, recognizing its immense power and the responsibilities that go with it."
He defined good journalism as the best obtainable version of the truth.
Bernstein said the picture of society
that was rendered in the media was illusionary and disconnected from the true context of people's lives.
"We're losing sight of the ideal journalism that has to do with the truth, or reality, or content," he said.
Bernstein attacked celebrity worship, gossip, sensationally and manufactured controversies as the main triumphs of what he calls "idiot culture."
He said that even with all its faults, the American press was still the best in the world, but that it was losing its quality standards fast. The intense coverage of cases such as the Monica Lewinsky situation and the O.J. Simpson trial, consumes decent journalism and trashes the media in general, Bernstein said.
"We're arrogant, we're not forthcoming in acknowledging error and misjudgements, we fail to open our own institutions to the same kind of scrutiny that we demand of other powerful institutions." Bernstein said.
Bernstein said that he didn't consider himself a muckraker, because his criticism of the media didn't follow a social agenda.
Preston Rensone, Lawrence resident, said he admired Bornstein because he was still famous 25 years after Watergate.
"I would like him to have talked more," Rensone said. "He just got warmed up."
Quality of GTAs draws mixed responses
By Gerry Doyle
gaoyle@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
A report grading the quality of undergraduate education said several aspects of teaching may be lacking in the nation's universities.
But at the University of Kansas many of the problems cited in the report โ such as too many GTAs or GTAs with little teaching experience โ might not be a problem, said associate provost Kathleen McCluskey-Fawcett.
needed for a good education.
The report, called "Reinventing Undergraduate Education: A Blueprint for America's Research Universities," was produced by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The report said undergraduate students were not receiving the attention they
"Baccalaureate students are the second-class citizens who are allowed to pay taxes but are barred from voting, the guests at the banquet who pay their share of the tab but are given leftovers," the report said.
One of the major problems cited in the report was that many courses were taught by graduate teaching assistants, not professors.
At the University, GTAs do not hinder the quality of education, McCluskey-Fawcett said. In many cases, GTAs actually could help students, because they are closer to students' age level, she said.
If nothing else, the sheer number of underclassmen necessitates the use of GTAs, she said.
"Frankly, I think it's part of the educational experience," she said.
"We get many fewer complaints than we used to. If you have 3000 freshmen, and there are 22 per class โ you do the math. You can see how many sections are needed."
McCluskey-Fawcett also said that many students actually preferred GTAs to full-time professors.
"We do a senior survey about what they've liked," she said. "A lot of the people listed are GTAs. They provide smaller classes, more attention and are closer in age."
Raven Naramore, Lawrence junior, said that too many classes were taught by GTAs. Naramore said that some GTA-taught classes were satisfactory but that others suffered.
"The level of understanding that a professor has is far beyond a GTA," she said. "The GTA is fumbling around a little bit. It's hard to learn under someone who is learning
themselves. But it depends on the GTA. I've had some that are incredible and some that are pathetic."
James Woelfel, director of the humanities and western civilization program, said that while his department utilized many GTAs, they were experienced and competent. Woelfel said that although a GTA might look inferior in terms of education, that did not make them less effective teachers.
Woolfel said he did not see any problems with GTAs teaching classes.
"Often, there are not the resources to have full faculty members teach as many sections as need to be taught," he said. "I look upon the GTAs as junior colleagues. I came to KU years ago without ever having taught. A new Ph.D. might not have as much teaching experience as a GTA."
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JAYHAWKER YEARBOOK
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The University Daily Kansan opinion page is seeking concerned students to compose the editorial board this fall. Columnists and cartoonists are also needed.
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