"You will be told to cover stories which you know are ridiculous, but only you can protect your dignity." - Russ Mitchell, CBS reporter
"Irresponsibility is no longer a dirty word" among many journalists, says Russ Mitchell, a CBS political correspondent who spoke Sept. 9 in Salomon Center to an enthusiastic audience of approximately 200 students. Mitchell's main theme, which he illustrated with anecdotes from his own career, was the mostly lamentable changes which have come over the media and the political process as a whole since his first television appearance in 1981. In his talk, Mitchell stood up for old-fashioned journalistic integrity, and warned aspiring reporters that it is a "strange time in the business of journalism."
The audience consisted mainly of students in Professor Darrell West's course on campaigns and elections, and Mitchell therefore addressed himself primarily to future journalists and other "political junkies." The lecture was followed by a long question period, and Mitchell stayed late to talk to students individually, suggesting books they could read and answering questions about his own experience.
In his lecture, Mitchell described new pitfalls which confront reporters today, especially reporters on local TV news programs. For example, most local news is preceded or followed by tabloid-like programs such as "A Current Affair," and must therefore compete with them in delivering entertainment. Furthermore, viewers increasingly do not know the difference between such programs and legitimate news. News reporters are therefore pressured to cover what Mitchell refers to as "bad stories" - stories of questionable veracity which often rely on paid informants. To future journalists, Mitchell offers the following advice: "You will be told to cover stories which you know are ridiculous, but only you can protect your dignity."
Mitchell also urged viewers to call or write their local TV station to praise good journalism and complain about shoddy reporting. Because ratings unfortunately dominate the news industry today, viewers should "vote with their remote control" by watching news programs and shunning trash. According to Mitchell, the negative trends in journalism are ultimately the fault of viewers who prefer sensationalism to honest reporting.
A second topic of Mitchell's lecture was the election process. He described his own experience this year, mainly covering Pat Buchanan's campaign, which he said was far more interesting than Dole's. Dole's campaign was "like a well-oiled machine," while Buchanan appeared to genuinely believe in his message and was willing to engage reporters in discussion and admit errors. Mitchell also emphasized that campaigns are often a matter of luck, citing Richard Lugar's misfortune in declaring his candidacy on the day of the Oklahoma City bombing.
Mitchell's lecture was organized by the John Hazen White Sr. Public Opinion Laboratory of the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Public Policy
Millie Niss is a graduate student in mathematics.