PAGE SIX
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
MARCH 6,1947
Kansan Comments...
Engineer Blames The Kansan
We asked for it.
If you have suggestions for improving the Daily Kansan, we said, tell the staff. John Sells, junior in engineering, accepted our offer in a letter to the editor. He says he has overheard scores of comments to indicate that many students agree wih him.
It would be a strange community if 10,000 persons all liked any particular thing. But we appreciate frank opinions, and should like to explain our position, in sincere respect for Mr. Sells' stand.
As an illustration of the opinion that the Daily Kansan is "truly a poor example of a school paper," he analyzed last week's issues.
"On Monday three huge advertisements are only a part of the extensive space devoted to paid advertising. Should not the Daily Kansas be primarily interested in getting news to the students? Certainly many newsworthy items have been omitted to make room for the revenue-producing advertisements."
Later the letter says "If you need so much advertising space just to pay for the paper, then immediately find a new financing plan so that you will have room for student news."
Advertising as well as news is a service to readers, or at least has been so considered since early journalistic history. And if you can find a new financing plan without it, Marshall Field and several thousands and other publishers undoubtedly would pay you well for the idea. Advertising pays more than half of the cost of publishing the Daily Kansan—about $160 every day.
The Daily Kansan is an independent business. It hires its printing from the University of Kansas Press, and pays its own expenses. The only contribution from the University is the office space and furnishings, in return for which the newspaper provides a laboratory for journalism students. The required subscription (at less than half price) through activity fee should be at least as fair as the required Union activity fee or admission to athletic events which both go to similar nonprofit corporations.
News is only one side of journalism; advertising has its specialized courses as well, and the Daily Kansan offers laboratories for both Training in selling, writing, and making up ads is as important a part of the department as training in gathering, writing, and arranging news.
News While It's New
"Tuesday—in a corner of page three is an item about the 'dismal flop' of the previous Saturday night's card party ('news'—while it's new'). This expose is definitely a slap at K. U. student interest (or lack of it) in sponsored activities. Isn't this a serious consideration which deserves more than a small, poorly-placement item?"
One of the detriments of the worth of a news story is how many persons are interested. If only 12 couples attended the party, the story shouldn't have merited great space, should it?
Because of our publication dates, Saturday news cannot help being slightly stale by Monday; and depending on its importance by other criteria, it must be crowded into the
background by Monday's news. Even though the lack of K. U. student interest in activities is admittedly an important problem, it's not exactly news. Therefore this story should seem about as good Tuesday as it would have been on Monday.
Who's Important Here
"A large Kansan ad on Wednesday tells us what a good paper we receive. Is that the way a newspaper gets supporters?
"Thursday—another large, egotistical Kansan ad while the All-University Junior Prom got a lick and a promise, and a livestock story (what school do you think this is-Kansas State?) got almost a column."
Yes, that is one way a newspaper gets supporters. If advertising is of any value at all, then self-promotion in selling the space and circulation it offers should be a legitimate expense of this business as of any other. House ads are part of the Daily Kansan's promotion program.
The Junior Prom was given about the same play as is usual for such activity. Variation from time to time depends on the comparative importance of other news for the day. In view of the disinterest in dances as well as in other University activities which Mr. Sells mentioned, it appears to the staff that such stories warrant no more attention.
Didn't someone miss the point on the livestock story? It appeared to us to have economical significance, and being a wire story, contained information unavailable here. What do you think this is—a society of vegetarians? Surely some persons on the campus are interested in what is going to happen to meat prices.
"Friday — three articles of very limited interest."
In whose opinion? The very things which one group says the Daily Kansan lacks are called "too much of that stuff" by another.
For A Better Life
"The Daily Kansan is betraying the students of the University of Kansas. Being a monopolistic institution, our newspaper has adopted one of the greatest evils of such a system—it has forgotten whom it is supposed to serve. At a time when student interest is at its lowest ebb in years, the Daily Kansan has deserted the cause for a better life at our University."
We'll make a bargain with you. If you 9,000 students can get together and agree on what is a better life, the Daily Kansan will give it to you. Our newspaper, being a University institution, tries to represent the many facets of student interest in as accurate a relationship as possible. Its policy toward publicity, often criticized by groups who feel that their cause is a good one, arises from that duty.
If you have any constructive plan to overcome student inertia and irresponsibility, you have what this editor has been seeking for three years. We shall be more than glad to plead, patter, or preach on this subject if any of these will help.
"No doubt you will pass the buck to the reporting students when it's necessary to answer for the poor quality of your news stories. If that's your excuse, then it's time
the journalism department uses a strong right foot on a good many students who are not able to evaluate and write a good news story at this stage of their training.
"It is very evident that you do not make sufficient news assignments or that you fail to use the results obtained; and that you make no concerted effort to glean the field of facts in order to produce interesting and informative news stories."
We make mistakes, plenty of them. The Kansas City Star and the New York Times also make a few. That is no excuse for us, of course; but we are learners and try sincerely to do our best. After one puts in six or more hours a day on the paper for no pay and little or no credit. he often feels that he has used up all his ability.
As for reporting students who cannot evaluate and write a good news story in the first or second semester of their professional training, let us ask "Can you build a bridge at this stage of your training. Mr. Sells?"
Part of the buck we pass to news sources on the campus. They may give inaccurate impressions; they may refuse to talk or even be courteous to a reporter on subjects which the student body has a right to know about; they may spend an hour telling how they always co-operate with newspapers and then give the reporter a one-inch story. Fortunately, most persons are very helpful and sympathetic to the problems of the "cub" reporter, however.
You're welcome to come over any time and see how many news assignments are made—and how many of them run into dead ends after the reporter has spent considerable time on them. Sometimes we do miss news; we know that, and always would appreciate tips. If you care to work on the paper yourself, you are welcome to try out for the staff. Even the editorship of this newspaper has been held by students who were not journalism majors.
That Mr. Sells bothered to offer detailed criticism, especially when he knew we would have the last word, shows a most commendable spirit, and one which this campus needs. The Daily Kansan hopes to try even harder to be the best possible newspaper, and shall appreciate such outside help at all times.
The University Daily Kansan
Member of the Kansas Press Assn., National Editorial Assn., Inland Beach, Florida. Represented by Collegiate Press. Represented by the National Advertising Service, 420 Madison Ave., New York.
Student Newspaper of the UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Managing Editor ... Billie M. Hamilton
Editor in Chief ... Alamanda Bollier
Asst. Man. Editor ... Marcella Stewart
Editor in Chief ... Reverdy Cobb
City Editor ... William T. Smith JR
Assistant City Editor ... John Finch
Telegraph Editor ... Martha Jewett
Telegraph Editor ... Martin Minor
Art Editor ... Eloise West
York City.
Business Manager
Manager
Almany
Bob Bonebrake
Circulation Manager
John Beach
Classified Adv. Man.
LaVerne Keevan
Nat. Adv. Manager
Kenneth White
Atomic Energy Explodes Hope For Cutting Government Expense
BY FREDERICK C. OTHMAN
United Press Staff Correspondent
So you add (as the members of the Appropriations committee added) $254.812.87 for the committee and 500 million dollars for the buildings, and a budget nearly five times as big as that of the Justice department. Six times bigger than the Labor department.
Washington—(UP)—The economical senators of the appropriations committee settled down for a congenial afternoon of chopping the O.P.A. into chowder.
Sen. Hickenlooper went on to say that the lawmakers in charge of commissions in charge of atoms would need as starters a director, a deputy, five section chiefs, 10 secretaries, four investigators, five auditors, a clerk and a messenger.
Sen. Hickenlooper said atoms were tricky things and nobody had much experience with 'em, so his guess would have to be rough: somewhere between 250 and 500 million dollars a year. (Mr. Truman budgeted 444 million dollars for the commission.)
commission and you get an organization, with thousands of scientists, technicians and clerks, vast
They had Maj. Gen. Philip B. Fleming and all his helpers crammed into a small room with fat, pink cupids on the ceiling. They were figuring on saving a million here and a million there and maybe even sprinkling the ashes of O.P.A. on the sea, when a disconcentting thing happened.
Bourke B. Hickenlooper, the softer-faced senator from Iowa, dropped in. He said he had a matter to present, if the OPA-ers kindly would pardon him. He proceeded then to atomize (an appropriate word) all hopes of saving much. His was the matter of the atom, one of the smallest things in the universe, the most dangerous and one of the most expensive.
They also want 15 consultants to work five days a month at $50 a day.
"And how much do you figure the commission, not the committee, will need a year?" asked Sen. Richard B. Russell, Georgia.
Developing the atom and keeping a fence around it apparently is going to cost as much as the Labor, Commerce, Justice, and Interior departments combined. Unless Hickenlooper is guessing wrong, and he admits about all you can do about atoms is guess, they soon may be one of the most costly items in government.
He eased into the subject gently with a request for a little dough to run the congressional Atomic Energy committee. He is the chairman and he said it looked like the committee would need about $254.-821.87 a year to supervise the workings of the Atomic Energy commission. (That's the one involving the fight about David Lilienthal as chairman.)
"And where are you going to put all this staff?" demanded Sen. C. Wayland Brooks, Illinois. "In the capitol?"
Sen. Hickenlooper said that was the idea. Where, asked Sen. Millard Tydings, Maryland, did he intend to put senators?
Sen. Tydings foresaw the day when every city has its atomic power plant and atoms are running such things as airplanes, steam-
MORMONS PRESENT SPECIAL PROGRAM. In a Continental observance of their historic rock to the West; the Mormon pioneers will be honored with a program of Pictures and "A Story in Granite and Bronze" at the regular Sunday Services of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
March 9, 11:00 a.m. Myers Hall Chapel. You Are Welcome
ships, locomotives, and the Othman furnace.
"Why," he said, "In about five years you're going to need the whole senate office building to hold your atom staff."
Hickenlooper said that was the way is looked, all right. He then beat it to another committee to worry about Lilienthal some more. The Appropriations committee returned to Gen. Fleming, his OPA, and how to do a little economizing, but it's heart wasn't in its work.*
Dreyer To Speak On Hawaii
At Geology Fraternity Smoker
Sigma Gamma Epsilon. geology fraternity, will hold its annual spring smoker at 8 p.m. March 11 in 426 Lindley hall.
Dr. R. M. Dreyer, associate professor of geology, will speak on "The Geology of Hawaii." Dr. Dreyer studied this area while in the armed forces. The lecture will be illustrated with slides.
N.L.R.B. Wants Some Labor Practices Outlawed
Washington—(UP)—The National Labor Relations board suggested today that congress prohibit some jurisdictional strikes and other union activities as unfair labor practices. It asked the lawmakers to beware of most proposals for overhauling the Warner act.
The U.S. chamber of commerce has asked the house labor committee for a general overhaul of the Wagner act.
Although there is no less rainfall in the United States today than there was 200 years ago, there is a growing shortage of water, with the disappearance of topsoil and forest cover.
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