THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2006
NEWS
SPEAKER
3A
Former NBC exec: media should improve
BY KIM LYNCH
Journalists need to combine personal issues with issues of policy better and put resources into covering what happens after the candidates are elected, Neal Shapiro said in a speech Tuesday.
Shapiro, president of NBC News from 2001 to 2005, said while the media do several things well when covering politics, they still need to improve.
Journalists could do better in paying attention and talking about the issues themselves rather than the people who are making them issues, he said.
Another problem is that networks put all their resources in covering pre-election and election issues and then don't cover the candidates as intensely after that. More of an emphasis should be placed on talking to the voters and hearing what they have to say, rather than talking about what they think, he said.
Although some improvement is needed, Shaprio said the media, and television in particular, do a good job conveying experience by showing the character of politicians.
He gave an example of Dan Quayle misspelling potato. The general public then had the idea
that he was no intellectual, Shapiro said.
Another thing the media does well is covering elections, Shapiro said. There are fewer and fewer surprises on election night in terms of who won what state.
Being able to change is important, and the media does that, Shapiro said. The political coverage is different and better than before.
A challenge the media faced was moving content onto multiple platforms, he said.
Minhtu Pham, Overland Park junior, said she liked the question and answer portion of the speech when Shapiro discussed the blurring between entertainment and
news with shows such as CSI.
Melissa Johnson, Joliet, Ill., freshman, said she thought what Shapiro spoke about was relevant and that he was good at pointing out the failings of the media.
Jackie Kostek, Minneapolis sophomore, said Shapiro did a good job of balancing the reality of the failings of the media with what the media did well.
Kansan staff writer Kim Lynch can be contacted at klynch@kansan.com.
Edited bv Brett Bolton
Sarah Leonard/KANSAM
Neil Shapiro, former president of NBC News, answers questions after lecturing on politics and media Tuesday night. Shapiro's lecture was a part of the Muncy Journalism & Politics Lecture 2006 series.
STUDENT SENATE
Resource preservation topic of task force's proposal
BY NATE MCGINNIS
The Sustainability Task Force is waiting for a response from Provoist Richard Lariviere after it presented him with a proposal last week for a sustainability center to promote environmental research on campus.
If Larviere approves funding for the project, it will end nearly two years of work by the task force.
Lariviere was unable to be reached for comment before press time.
Stacey White, associate professor of urban planning and sustainability task force member, said the goal of the center would be to support research activities by students and faculty to promote sustainability on campus. Sustainability is the concept of conserving resources in the present in order to provide them in the future.
ties. White said.
The center would provide opportunities for students and faculty to use their research skills in the University and Lawrence communi-
"We really see this as a place where all sectors of the University could find some useful benefits," White said.
Nicole Reiz, Wichita senior and president of KU Environs, said the center would primarily act as a liaison to connect researchers from different departments who wanted to work on similar projects. She said another major component would be helping those researchers find funding for their projects.
Reiz said if Lariviere approved funding for the center, it would be used to hire a full-time staff member to coordinate projects.
Reiz said KU Environs showed support for the project by passing out and collecting green cards signed by students stating their support for the project. She said Environs collected around 1,300 cards and presented them to the Provost.
Studie Red Corn, Shawnee junior and chairman of the Student
Environmental Advisory Board, said he thought a sustainability center would bring great things to the University.
Red Corn said the University's environmental policy lacked tangible goals and a sustainability center would set real goals to cut waste and cost.
Anton Bengston, Salina senior and sustainability task force member, said the idea was first initiated by former Provost David Shulenburger in 2004.
Bengston said Shulenburger created the task force to study the feasibility of creating a coordinated hub on campus for sustainability-related activities.
The task force gave its final report to Shulenburger in 2005 that outlined what it would take to create a sustainability center on campus.
Bengston said Shulenburger was unable to approve the proposal before he left office in June 2006 but was helpful in moving the project forward and passing information along before he left.
Many college campuses, such as the University of Colorado Boulder, University of California Santa-Cruz and University of Northern Arizona, have either campus sustainability centers or policies that support sustainability on their campuses.
The society for college and university planning has designated today as campus sustainability day. The is the fourth year the society has sponsored such an event which annually discusses ideas for sustainability on college campuses nationwide. This year the society will sponsor a Webcast featuring faculty and student representatives from four colleges across the nation.
Kansan staff writer Nate McGinnis can be contacted at nmcginnis@ kansan.com.
Edited by Jacky Carter
KU SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WELFARE
The University of Kansas
Career Carnival
October 27, 2006
Kansas Union, Ballroom 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Photo by. Earl Richardson, University Relations
- See what social workers do!
- Meet with BSW, MSW & Ph.D. admissions staff.
* Find out about career options in social work.
For more information go to: http://www.socwel.ku.edu/careercarnival/
*** **** **** ****
Take Advantage of Pre-Social Work Group Advising Sessions: Thedetectives are:
The dates/times are:
Tues., October 24th, 12-2 pm, 208 Twente Hall
Wed., November 1st, 9-11 am, 208 Twente Hall and
Fri., November 10th, 1-3pm, 208 Twente Hall