Last Updated: December 29, 2000
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A note from the
president
A peek under the hood of the convention
By Richard A. Oppel
ASNE’s Board of Directors and committee chairs met in Austin in late
September, and we had some fun. Lady Bird Johnson, now 87, played host
to the editors in a rare, intimate tour of the Texas White House at the
LBJ Ranch, 50 miles west of Austin.
Now, our esteemed legal counsel, Richard Schmidt, worked in Washington
through the Johnson years. But even Dick had to take Lady Bird’s word for
it when she recalled “Confederate veterans wearing their medals”
showing up at LBJ’s early campaign rallies.
We heard from Prof. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, a leading Hispanic journalism
instructor at the University of Texas; Lt. Gov. Rick Perry, who could succeed
George Bush as governor; and humor columnist John Kelso.
Amid partying and speeches, we accomplished serious work, pointing ASNE
toward our 2001 convention, April 3-6 in Washington, D.C.
ASNE members demand two things from a convention: Usable information
to justify the expense, stuff they can take home and put to work for their
readers and staffers. And exposure to leading voices and trends and issues
in politics, academia, culture and the arts, sports and business.
We will give you both.
Guarantee it.
Diane McFarlin and Earl Maucker are leading the Program Committee toward
a great convention, aided by the vital contributions of other committees.
You will return home with solid ideas for helping or starting high school
newspapers, which historically have been incubators for newsroom talent
and developing civic interest in newspapers. Our school papers are in deep
trouble. Susan Bischoff, Houston Chronicle, is leading our effort to make
good use of a $500,000 initial grant from the John S. and James L. Knight
Foundation.
You’ll return home with a handbook on credibility, giving actionable
information on addressing issues of accuracy and fairness — ideas that
have been researched and field-tested for three years by ASNE. Also, you’ll
receive discussion guides that will help you drive the credibility conversation
deeper into your newsrooms. Peter Bhatia, of the Oregonian, and the Ethics
and Values Committee are shepherding these projects.
Raleigh’s Anders Gyllenhaal, with his FOI Committee, is tackling the
growing sports credentialling problem. How do we deal with sports
teams that limit the access of our online partners, and sometimes our news
reporters and photographers? We plan a panel of sports figures and journalists.
With backing from the Freedom Forum, the FOI Committee will also produce
a report on the survey of public and press views on open public records
in the face of privacy questions raised by the Internet environment.
The Diversity Committee headed by Newsday’s Charlotte Hall plans to
bring you information on retention of minorities. Joe Distelheim of the
Huntsville, Ala., Times will make sure that issues confronting small newspapers
are squarely addressed.
Groundbreaking new research connecting readership with news content
and newsroom cultures will be unveiled at the ASNE convention, promises
the Northwestern University Media Management Center’s John Lavine. The
Detroit Free Press’s Bob McGruder is leading the Readership Committee in
working with the NAA and NMC.
How do we survive multimedia deals and partnerships? People are figuring
that out on committees headed by the Tribune Co.’s Scott Anderson (Interactive
Media) and Sarasota’s Janet Weaver (Partnerships and Diversification).
Leadership is our convention theme. Jennie Buckner, Charlotte Observer,
has scheduled a symposium for December that will yield lessons we think
can be studied at the convention. And the ASNE Foundation has funded
in-depth research on newsroom leadership with results targeted for release
at the convention.
A focus on editors leading change, instead of reacting to it, should
give an upbeat feel to a convention of editors who are experts in our ability
to flog ourselves.
As for taking time out to hear from the nation’s leadership, invitations
are out to both George Bush and Al Gore. We’re also not accepting an initial
“no” from Mexico’s president-elect, Vicente Fox. And other convention segments
— leadership, FOI, readership, multimedia — will afford opportunities to
hear from leading thinkers.
Oppel, ASNE president, is editor of the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman.
