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Latin Area Report Difficult to Write
Reporting the Latin American situation is a difficult undertaking, according to a special correspondent at the Organization of American States meeting last summer.
In a Faculty Forum talk yesterday, Melvin Mencher, assistant professor of journalism, outlined some of the difficulties the reporter faces in Latin America. He covered the meeting last summer for Newsweek magazine, the Christian Science Monitor and several U.S. radio stations.
He said the appearance of "Castroismo" in Latin America has complicated the reporter's job.
He said that it is necessary to interpret the news to give it meaning. In illustrating his point, Prof. Mencher gave an example of interpretive reporting one of the major developments at the OAS meeting.
"In reporting the news in Latin America, it is insufficient to report merely what someone says." Prof. Mencher said.
At the meeting, the United States charged that the two major Red powers were intervening in Latin American affairs. When the meeting ended American diplomats declared a great victory for the United States.
Prof. Mencher said it was up to the reporter to interpret whether it really was a "great victory" or was it just politically advantageous that the American people and the world think we gained a victory in Latin America.
He said that actually it was not a "great victory" but a defeat for the United States, and he wrote the story accordingly.
The United States draft resolution charged that Cuba was responsible for communist infiltration in Latin America but the final OAS resolution made no mention of Cuba nor did it reprimand Cuba in any way. Prof. Mencher said.
He described the Latin press as having a few reliable newspapers, some corrupt publications and many newspapers which slavishly follow a partisan party line, much like the U.S. press of a century ago.
During one session of the OAS,
said Prof. Mencher, Cuban foreign
Minister Raul Roa made a fierce attack against the United States. The
story was front page news in papers throughout the world. The major Costa Rican newspaper did not print one word of the story "probably because the publisher of the paper was pro-United States and anti-Castro."
This is typical of a segment of Latin American journalism, the speaker said.
In Costa Rica there are four major newspapers, each with its own political viewpoint. If incidents occur that are contrary to the views of a particular newspaper, they simply do not run the story, he said.
"Consequently most people distrust the Latin-American press. The only way to get any sort of accurate picture of the news is to read each of the four newspapers and try to fit the pieces together," Prof. Mencher said.
Another segment of the Latin press sells its news columns. This runs from parents who want to publicize their daughter's wedding to private interests who want to get their viewpoint to the public.
Turning to press coverage of the Cuban Revolution, he said that many periodicals have presented the Cuban point of view. He mentioned the current issue of Harper's Magazine, The Nation and the New Republic.
"Newspapermen have been reporting Communist activity in Cuba, which is unpleasant for those of us who have a great sympathy for the aims of the Revolution," he said.
"But who is right, A. A. Berle who in The Reporter described Cuba as 'an arsenal of insurrection for Latin America' or the writers defending Cuba?
"The liberal's dilemma is that he believes the Cuban criticisms of United States mtreatment of Cuba in the past and feels the Revolution is justified. But newspapers are reporting the direction the Revolution is now moving and those of us sympathetic with the Revolution find this difficult to confront."
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Wednesday, Nov. 30, 1960 University Daily Kansan
The KU Civil Rights Council will meet at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow in the Kansas Union.
Rights Group to See Reports on Housing
Committee reports will be given on policies of the KU housing office toward segregation in women's dormitories and on other housing policies on and off campus.
The meeting is open to all.
Uprising Suspected
BUENOS AIRES—(UPI)—Forty die-hard followers of former dictator Juan D. Peron stormed the infantry barracks at Rosario today in one of two pre-dawn raids and widespread sabotage that might preface a major Peronista uprising.
Four were killed and two wounded in the three-hour battle before the attackers were driven off by army troops. The army said the insurgents who fled were being pursued.
Caracas Riots Cited
(Continued from page 1)
the only time I've seen or heard of any of this, she said.
Miss Jones explained that in her opinion, the riots against Nixon were also agitated by the Communists.
"BUSLOADS of workers of all ages passed by our house carrying well-painted signs reading, "Go To Hell Nixon' in English," she said. "They certainly didn't know what the words meant because most of the working class are uneducated and couldn't possibly know English." she added.
"Ive been called a Yankee Imperialist occasionally. This whole
Mrs. Jones is visiting her daughter until after the Christmas holidays when she plans to return to Caracas.
Called Yankee Imperialist
When asked if she nad met with any student feelings against the U.S., Miss Jones replied;
thing is strange for them because they are so emotionally involved.
"As a good example of the Latin temperament, I was down at the beach one day when a little boy, about 11 years old, started cursing me in Spanish and yelling 'Yankee Imperialist and Gringo.'
"I walked over to him and asked why he was calling me these names. He said he was just repeating what he had heard from others.
"I talked to him for awhile and we became good friends — compadres. He invited me to his house and wanted me to meet his older brother."
"And even more unusual than this turn-about is the fact that the young boy was going to school at a military academy in America.
"This is an example of how people there can go from one extreme to the other without even thinking about it."
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