The American Editor, January-February 1997

Table of Contents

A note from the president

• First Amendment again under fire in Congress, by Robert H. Giles

The liberal press?

• Liberal reporters, yes; liberal slant no!, How professionalism and the profit motive inoculate the news from blatant political bias, critics notwithstanding, by Everette E. Dennis

• Recommendations for combating liberal or other political labeling of the press, by Everette E. Dennis

• 5 reasons the press isn't slanted, by Everette E. Dennis

• ASNE survey: Journalists say they're liberal, by Everette E. Dennis

• Why editors are dumber than mules, by Stan Tiner

Diversity

• If you want a minority perspective, ask for it, APME report on white, minority perspectives led a manager to ask a black staffer what he thought; the man, who had never been asked before, said the report was dead right, by Andrew Alexander

• The APME report, by Andrew Alexander

On public journalism

• Three steps to improve public journalism, Stop taking money from the Pew Center for Civic Journalism, remain cautious of 'defining the agenda,' stay competitive with other newspapers, by Richard A. Oppel

• Pew Center is about listening, not handouts, Let's not be cynical, the center for Civic Journalism doesn't fund day-to-day expenses for participating newspapers and the average contract amounts to $28,000, by Ed Fouhy

Reconnecting

• To cover the community, we must be a part of it, Reporters need to get out of the newsroom and into groups they are interested in; not only will it generate story ideas, but it will keep staffers closer to their readers, by Cindy Stiff

Press and the law

• Editors hear the roar of the Food Lion case

• Angus McEachran

An American Editor

• Santos redefines editor's role in Colombia, Displaying some of the boldness displayed when his brother was held by Pablo Escobar, El Tiempo's editor forges ahead in changing the role of the Colombian newspaper editor, by Edward Seaton

• About El Tiempo, by Edward Seaton

• Rafael Santos, by Edward Seaton

• When kidnapping gets personal, by Edward Seaton

The Write Stuff

• Houston editor lets success go to his heads, by Brian Cooper

• Hank Glamann, by Brian Cooper

What would you do?

• A conversation overheard at the courthouse, by Kathy Silverberg

Good writing

• Suffering from writer's block? Take a flying leap, by Kevin McGrath

ASNE on the move

• 1997 candidates for the ASNE board, nominees for the ASNE board of directors, April 1997

• Distinguished writing award winners announced

• Convention plans are coming along

• New media report now on the Web