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University Daily Kansan, February 14, 1983
Opinion
A need for thicker skin
The press is anything but popular in some circles these days. In Washington D.C., journalists came under heavy fire last week.
Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, Budget Director David Stockman criticized the media for "sensationalizing" news about the impact of administration economic programs. Stockman said he was puzzled by the media's portrayal of "partial pictures or misleading generalizations."
Stockman's remarks should come as no surprise. Tension and antagonism between government and the press will always be commonplace as long as governments try to release information in their own time and their own way.
But the Reagan administration's criticism is sometimes reminiscent of former Vice President Spiro Agnew's diatribes against the press.
The administration certainly has reason to be sensitive to lengthy coverage of the millions of unemployed and suffering. They may be reminded of those millions soon enough by election time in 1984.
And Stockman's complaints about generalities seem ironic considering that he works for a man who campaigned for the presidency on generalities and oversimplifications.
No matter what coverage the president's programs have been receiving from the media, the administration must concede that its talk each year of economic prosperity being just around the corner has hurt its credibility.
Until government becomes ideal, and serves all the needs of all the people, then it must expect to be criticized for its policies and its policy errors.
More men enter real world
Real men all over the world are coming out of their shells and admitting, "I am a real man." Most men did not know what they were until this season. Feirstein made all the hubbab about being real
A lot of his societal reflections are profound statements of the quality of life a man finds today in ever-changing trends of male dispositions.
For instance, a real man knows how to work on cars and get real greasy, spit at the appropriate times, drive a car with no hands on the controls, and importantly he never orders quiche at a restaurant.
These are no arbitrary rules. A modern real man has to follow certain traditions to be real. The most important rule is that a man
IAN GUNN
bona fide quiche eaters and real men. No one
ever asked me, but . . .
Real KU men do not carry pink bus passes, especially if they have frivolous white leaves all over them. If the Real KU Man had the choice of not carrying or revealing this pink bus pass, he would hoof it.
At intercollegiate football games, real KU men do not let agricultural students bully them. If apples and oranges start to fly at a Real KU Man, he fights back with plastic cups. Says Bruce Match, aReal KU Man, "only fight when provoked. K-State provokes me."
Real KU Men do not say "get psyched," "omigid," "too sure," "quit it" or "space me out." They do not refer to each other as "space men." They refer to "super," "good-looking" or "John Traylaset."
Four common Real KU Man words: beer, sex, football and women.
Real KU Men admit they stand by nightclub restrooms to see the women' bodies, still try for one-night flings and never order pina coladas or wine coolers at a bar.
Ballet, social therapy, home economics,
theatre costume design, antiquities and English
history. 250-hour training period.
majors for a Real KU Man are dangerous chemical engineering, amatuer gynecology, important business or baseball.
REAL KU Man test No. 1: When a male walks down Jayhawk Boulevard carrying a bouquet of daises and a clutch handbag you call him a) enlightened. a) nature-lover, or c) wimp.
Jim Ryan, the famed KU track star, ate French fries, steak, mashed potatoes, ice cream and corn before a big meet. Could he have run that fast on a diet of diet soda and salad? Bruce Match says, "I eat hearty, and I am real." Match recommends that Real KU Men eates smokehouse beef sandwiches in the log size, foot-long turkey subs at Hawk's Crossing, sides of cows at Don's Steak House and the definitive burger is Burger King's Whopper.
Real KU Men are the KU gymnasium team, Don
Frambrough, Men's Coalition President John
Kendrick.
The wardrobe of a real KU Man distinguishes him from quiche-eaters. A real man never wears his sweats to class unless he jogs to class from Robinson Gymnasium. He understands while KU is a fine academic school, this is the Midwest, and he dresses accordingly.
The standard Real Man uniform is jeans, flannel shirts and hiking boots or tennis shoes. Shoestrings with little frogs or whales on them are gimmicks, and Real KU Men do not fall for
He sticks to the old standard colors in all apparel; jeans are blue, and flannel shirts are red, blue or red-and-blue plaid. A Real KU Man does not carry a lawbook notebook to class. Real Men do not own leather suits and do not admit wearing a leather jacket. They have power been a pullover festival.
Real KU Man test No. 2: No.1 Men eat at a)
Casbah Dahl b. House of Toy, c. Don's.
REAL KU Men watch All My Children, but do not admit that they like it. Other REAL KU Man shows are James Bond Part LX, Charlie's Angels, The Dukes of Hazard, Mannix, Hawaii, the Big Bang Theory, Minnesota, Night Football, Sunday Football, Saturday football and Evil Kill Straits Again.
Even though real KU Men are beginning to understand sensitivity, women's independence, and sharing housework, they still thrive on bravery, chivalry, beer, sex and sports. They are working on appreciation for dandelions, sunsets, children and love ones.
The University Daily
KANSAN
The University Daily Kaman (USPS 600-649) is published at the University of Kaman, 118 Flint Hall, Lawrence, Kan. 60045, daily during the regular school year and Thursday during the summer session, excluding Saturday, Sunday, holidays, and final periods. Second class postage paid at Lawern, Kan. 60044. Subscriptions by mail are $15 for six months or $12 in years through June. Postmaster's fee is $3.99. Postmaster paid through the student activity fee. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the University Daily Kaman, 118 Flint Hall, Lawrence, Kan. 60044.
Editor Rebecca Chaney
Mark Zieman
Michael Robinson
Sabine Carey
Catherine Behan
Sharon Appelbaum, Dong Cummingham
Anne Calovich
Business Manager
Matthew P. Langan
Ann Hornerberger
Susan Cooksey
Ted Masning
Jennick Jackson
Barley May
Kuo Kueita
Laurie Simmons
John Foran, Andrea Duncan Lia Ciow,
Lyme Stark, Jannie Phillips
John Gerkin
Paul Jeas
White House decries criticism
BY HELEN THOMAS
United Press International
WASHINGTON — The Reagan White House wants reporters to focus on what is right with the country, not on what is wrong.
country, not on what is wrong.
The most vocal on the subject has been White House spokesman Larry Speakes, who says that reporters should be more "upbeat" and spotlight
"My question is, have we now arrived at the journalistic standard where good news is no news?" he asked during a meeting with the National Association of Government Communi-
An administration naturally wants to emphasize any gains and trends it sees in the economy.
When the gross national product showed a slight increase, reporters were treated to a briefing by Martin Feldstein, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. And when the unemployment figures dropped a few tenths of 1 percent, President Reagan made an unberalured appearance in the press room to proclaim a triumph and an America "on the mend."
And when the figures are bad, reporters are given one or two sentences by Speakers that an improvement is expected in the coming months or year.
Speakes has a printed slogan on his desk:
"You don't tell us how to stage the news and we don't tell you how to cover it."
That is only half true. There is no question that this administration controls and manages the news to the best of its ability. The problem is it has not had enough people in the responsibility of putting things in perspective.
"It seems that 10.8 percent unemployed is big news, while 89.2 percent of the Americans who have jobs and enjoy the highest standard of living in the world is not news." Speaks said.
"Does the public perception that things are bad come first? or is it that the public only thinks things are bad come first? Or is it that the public only thinks things are bad after they've seen the bad news night after night? Think about it before you talk to wow next caller from a pollster."
This administration is no exception in wanting to play down some of its defeats. It was ever thus. It appears that in all things economic, the administration still is prepared to blame President Jimmy Carter and some of his predecessors.
Not only are reporters expected to report only the upbeat news, from Speakes point of view they are also expected to ignore presidential remarks or to assume that he didn't mean what he was saying.
Such was the case when Reagan said he knew he was going to "kick myself" for saying that the corporate income tax should be abolished and went ahead and said it anyway.
The next day, instead of trying to cut the losses, Speakes accused the press of "jumping up and down, clapping your hands and licking your chops over this statement."
Reagan himself finally put the matter in perspective gracefully by admitting that he goofed and telling reporters that he said he would kick him "and I did."
"During the first year we were in the White House, Reagan victories were news." Speaks conceded. "During the second year, winning was no longer the stuff that makes headlines," he said.
Reagan's second year was not particularly marked by great victories, but rather by retreats. Nor did any of his rosy predictions about progress in the economy come to pass.
Speakes' remarks are the equivalent of Reagan's statement about the television networks working and looking for that one unemployed man in South Succostal.
Only recently there were a spate of stories that Reagan is "out of touch" with what is going on in the country. One wonders whether Speakes reports only the good news to him.
Letters to the Editor
To The Editor.
KJHK music shouldn't be segregated
What does Joe Lewis mean by "KJHK does not play the kind of music that we like"? Does he mean all blacks listen to and enjoy the same music? That, Lewis, smacks of racism.
KJHK plays a variety of music and provides alternatives for a diversity of listeners. As to his statement about KJHK not subscribing to black record labels, that too is rather ambiguous.
If he means the so-called "colored" labels of the thirtes, I'm happy to say they no longer exist. Most contemporary pop records are on major labels such as Warner Bros., Atlantic, Columbia, etc. Of the records in the station's studio and music library one can find all sorts of music from various genres. The Supremes, John Coltrane, as well as various jazz, jazz and blues artists.
Black music for blacks and white music for whites has been relegated to the past. If 'Mr. Lewis doesn't bear what he likes, he can always call JKHK and request his favorites.
Lawrence senior
Mare Burch
KJHK transcends color
I would like to make a few comments concerning charges made by Blacks in Communications President Joe Lewis Jr. on the arrest of someone committing on the KU student radio station, JKHJ.
To the editor.
Judging from his quote in the Feb. 9 Kansan in which he states that black students do not listen to KJHK because it does not play the music they like, Lewis' complaint seems to be based on musical taste rather than a concern for racial discrimination.
Aside from programming a three-hour contemporary soul show Sunday afternoons, KJHK also airs three-hour reggae and blues shows. KJHK dedicates six hours each weekday to jazz featuring such great black artists as Lester Young, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis.
During its regular progressive rock programming, KJHK integrates many soul artists into the format. Music by Grace Jones, Prince, Grand Master Flash and Michael Jackson, to name a few, can be heard on KJHK anytime during regular programming.
Apparently Lewis' main concern is not with whether KJHK features music by black artists. If it were, his complaint would not be with the programming of KJHK.
Perhaps Lewis is upset because KJHK does not play 40 top soul. KJHK is not a top 40 top soul station. KJHK is not a top 40 rock station. KJHK is a progressive rock station and programs music based on its alternative sound format and not on the color of the artist or the listener.
I'm surprised that Lewis does not realize the significance of KJHK integrating soul music into its regular programming. I thought the days of rap were behind us. Separate but equal, right Lewis?
Bob
Ray Velgasquez Overland Park senior
If KJK is forced to carry "minority programs," I imagine the roster could contain programs from Eskimo to Catholics. If KJK is forced to carry minority programs, then it would be possible to demand a quantity of "minority music." KJK has never assigned a color, religion or sex to the music it plays. This, however, would need to be in order to program the "minority music" requested by BIC.
The main concern expressed in the article was the music policy at KJHK. The policy, consisting mainly of progressive rock, jazz, soul, blues and reggae, is the most varied of this area. This is a small minute when one considers that no record label has issued a record label for promotional copies of albums.
BIC labeling music
How does one define "minority music"? Is it music that isn't in Billboard's Hot 100? An all-female band? A Jewish band? A band with one minority member? An all-black band? Perhaps a band with the Pope's blessing? Who is drawn for lines this definition? Certainly not BIC.
I am disturbed by this article because Blacks in Communication seems to find, in its powers, the ability to not only label a minority taste in music, but also to imply a majority taste in music as well.
charges that "black students do not listen to KJHK because it does not play the kind of music we like."
By narrowcasting techniques of today, there is not one station in this area that is not exclusionary in the very choice of a music format. Consider country, rock or all-news. One radio station can't be all things to all people.
A quote from the article titled "Black group charges JKHJ with bias" that appeared in the Feb. 9 issue of the University Daily Kansan
To the editor
Rachael Pirner
Goddard senior
Letters Policy
The University Daily Kansan welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be typewritten, double-spaced and should not exceed 500 words. They should include the writer's name, address and phone number. If the writer is affiliated with the University, the letter should include his class and home town or faculty or staff position. The Kansan reserves the right to edit or reject letters.