Iowa Public Television

Narrator: FUNDING FOR "IOWA PRESS" WAS PROVIDED BY "FRIENDS" OF IOWA PUBLIC TELEVISION; AND BY THE IOWA BANKERS ASSOCIATION... FOR PERSONAL, BUSINESS, AND COMMERCIAL NEEDS, IOWA BANKS HELP IOWANS REACH THEIR FINANCIAL GOALS.

STATEWIDE IOWA PUBLIC TELEVISION IS CELEBRATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF "IOWA PRESS," NOW SERVING THE STATE AS IOWA'S LONGEST RUNNING NEWS INTERVIEW PROGRAM. WITH THIS WEEK'S EDITION OF "IOWA PRESS," HERE IS DEAN BORG.

Borg: FOR AS LONG AS THERE'S BEEN A PROCESS AND A MEANS TO BROADLY DISSEMINATE INFORMATION, THERE HAVE BEEN VARYING OPINIONS ON THE MEDIA'S ROLE IN OUR SOCIETY. TO DATE, AROUND-THE-CLOCK DELIVERY SYSTEMS PROVIDE IMMEDIATE COVERAGE LIKE NEVER BEFORE. AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT JOURNALISM ENTERPRISE HAS GOTTEN BETTER, IT MEANS ONLY THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION, THE NEWS, MORE QUICKLY, AND WITH THAT SPEED, WE HOPE CLARITY AND ACCURACY ARE PRESERVED OR EVEN ENHANCED. LOCAL AND REGIONAL MEDIA HAVE CHANGED OVER THE YEARS, AS SOME PEOPLE HAVE TURNED TO TELEVISION INSTEAD OF LOCAL NEWSPAPERS. LOCAL RADIO, ANOTHER STORY. SOME RADIO STATIONS HAVE ABOLISHED NEWS DEPARTMENTS TO HONOR THE BOTTOM LINE. WELL, IT'S IN THAT FRAMEWORK THAT WE'VE ASSEMBLED A PANEL OF SEASONED EXPERTS ON THE NEWS MEDIA. JOINING US IS BARBARA MACK, AN ATTORNEY SPECIALIZING IN MEDIA MATTERS AND A PROFESSOR OF JOURNALISM AND MEDIA STUDIES AT IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY; HERB STRENTZ IS THE FORMER DEAN OF DRAKE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION, AND HE'S ACTIVE IN FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ISSUES; CHUCK OFFENBURGER, KNOWN TO MANY AS THE "IOWA BOY," IS AN AUTHOR AND VETERAN REPORTER AND COLUMNIST, AND HE'S TAUGHT AT BUENA VISTA UNIVERSITY IN STORM LAKE; GRANT PRICE DIRECTED BROADCAST NEWS DEPARTMENTS IN EASTERN IOWA, INCLUDING CHANNEL 7 AND 2 IN THE WATERLOO/CEDAR RAPIDS MARKET. HE NOW TEACHES JOURNALISM. I'M SURE THAT'S RIGHT, ISN'T IS, GRANT, UP AT WAVERLY AT WARTBURG COLLEGE?

Price: RIGHT.

Borg: WELL, YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR PANEL IS LONG ON EXPERIENCE IN THE CLASSROOM, AND WE'RE GOING TO ASK FOR A REPORT CARD IN JUST A MOMENT. BUT I NEED TO TELL YOU, TOO, THAT I'M WITH WSUI, THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA'S RADIO STATION, AND REPORTING THERE FOR THE NPR NEWS STATION. HERB, WHAT IS THE REPORT CARD ON JOURNALISM IN IOWA? HOW ARE WE DOING AS FAR AS BROADCAST AND NEWSPAPER OUTLETS?

Strentz: WELL, I TOOK ADVANTAGE OF GIVING FOUR GRADES. ONE, A FLAT-OUT "F" IN SPELLING AND GRAMMAR, WHICH I THINK IS ATROCIOUS WHEN YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THAT. ANOTHER GRADE WOULD BE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE NATIONAL MEDIA. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE PROBLEMS IN IOWA THAT ARE PECULIAR TO US. WE MAY BE BETTER THAN A LOT OF STATES, BUT I THINK WE'VE FORFEITED A LOT OF NEWSROOM LEADERSHIP TO THE MARKET. AND WHETHER YOU GIVE US AN "A" FOR THAT OR A "D" OR AN "F", DEPENDING UPON YOUR OWN PREDILECTIONS. I'D GIVE A SOUND "A" TO THE STATE ASSOCIATIONS WE HAVE. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THE IOWA NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION AND THE IOWA BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION ARE TWO OF THE STRONGER SUCH ASSOCIATIONS IN THE NATION, AND THEY DO A LOT ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US. THE FOURTH ONE IS A DISCONNECT GRADE THAT WILL TROUBLE ALL OF US, I THINK, IN THAT WE SEE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE PEOPLE WE KNOW, LOVE, AND HAVE AFFECTION FOR IN THE MEDIA, WHO ARE WORKING HARD, DEDICATED, AND YET WE SEE THE PRODUCT. AND I HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS WEARING THAT. AND SOMETIMES MY CRITICISM OF LOCAL AND STATE MEDIA IS MUTED A LITTLE BIT BY THE FACT THAT I KNOW THERE ARE DECENT, HARD WORKING PEOPLE THERE. AND I JUST CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING WRONG. I HAVE SOME SUSPICIONS THAT WE'LL DISCUSS TODAY. BUT OVERALL, GRADES OF "F" ON SPELLING, MIDDLE-OF-THE-ROAD GRADES ON MEDIA PERFORMANCE, AND THE CURIOUS THING OF GRADES OF A'S AND B'S TO THE PEOPLE AND GRADES OF C'S AND D'S OF THE PRODUCT.

Borg: GRANT, I FAILED TO MENTION THAT YOU WERE ALSO WITH KXEL YEARS AGO, SO YOU'VE GOT A RADIO BACKGROUND, AS WELL AS RADIO IN THE CEDAR RAPIDS/WATERLOO MARKETS. BROADCAST NEWS GRADE?

Price: WELL, "C" AVERAGE, MAYBE. CERTAINLY I WOULD -- THERE WOULD BE A SCATTERING OF A'S, AND I WOULD HAVE TO INCLUDE THAT, RELATING IT TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A REALLY REDEEMING PERFORMANCE BY THE NATIONAL MEDIA IN COVERING THE ATTACK ON AMERICA. THE REALLY TROUBLESOME GRADE, OF COURSE, IS HOW OWNERSHIP HAS CHANGED THE ABILITY OF NEWS DEPARTMENTS TO EXERCISE INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT. AND I'M SORRY I'D HAVE TO -- I'D HAVE TO GIVE THAT "F" TO OUR FRIENDS IN COMMERCIAL RADIO FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO NEWS.

Borg: WELL, I WANT TO EXPLORE THAT JUST A BIT FURTHER, NOT ONLY WITH YOU BUT WITH OTHERS. THANKS FOR THE IDEAS. BARBARA, YOU APPROACH IT FROM A LEGAL ASPECT, AS WELL AS MASS COMMUNICATION. HOW DO YOU GRADE IOWA MEDIA?

Mack: WELL, IF I HAVE TO GIVE ONE GRADE, AS WE DO AT STATE INSTITUTIONS, I'M PROBABLY GOING TO GIVE IT SOMETHING LIKE A "C+." I THINK WE HAVE SOME GOOD PEOPLE WORKING HARD, TRYING HARD TO PUT OUT A PRODUCT, BUT FACING SOME HUGE HANDICAPS IN TERMS OF BUDGET, TIME ALLOWED. AND I THINK THAT'S POSING SOME REAL PROBLEMS THAT ARE SHOWING UP IN THE PRODUCT, AS HERB SAID.

Borg: AND, CHUCK, YOU APPROACH IT NOT ONLY FROM -- YOU'VE BEEN WITH "THE REGISTER." YOU'VE BEEN WITH THE "IOWAN MAGAZINE" AND IN COMMUNITY JOURNALISM TOO, SO YOU HAVE A BROAD PERSPECTIVE.

Offenburger: I'M GOING TO LUMP ALL MEDIA TOGETHER, DEAN. I'M AN OLD SOFTY BUT I'M GIVING THEM A "B-," BUT IT'S HEADING SOUTH. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT A NUMBER OF ISSUES, BUT OVERALL A "B-." AND I'M LIKE HERB, I'M EASY ON THE PEOPLE BECAUSE I KNOW THEY'RE TRYING HARD, THOSE THAT ARE IN THE MEDIA.

Borg: LET'S GO BACK AND TAKE THIS CATEGORICALLY NOW. DAILY NEWSPAPERS: I WOULD BREAK IT UP BY BROADCAST NEWS, COMMUNITY JOURNALISM. BARBARA, BACK TO YOU. IN DAILY NEWSPAPERS, HOW DO WE RANK ACROSS THE STATE IN HOW WE COVER STATEWIDE NEWS? THAT IS, IOWA'S STATEWIDE NEWSPAPER FORMALLY WAS, MAYBE STILL CLAIMS TO BE, "THE DES MOINES REGISTER." I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SAY THAT'S TRUE ANYMORE, BUT I'LL LET YOU GRADE DAILY NEWSPAPERS AND COMMENT ON THE JOB THAT THEY'RE DOING IN COVERING.

Mack: I THINK IT'S INTERESTING THAT WE STILL TEND TO THINK OF "THE REGISTER" AS IOWA'S STATEWIDE NEWSPAPER WHEN CLEARLY IT ISN'T. "THE REGISTER" HAS WILLFULLY CHOSEN TO GIVE UP CIRCULATING ON A DAILY BASIS THROUGHOUT THE STATE BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T FOUND IT PROFITABLE. I THINK WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS A MEDIA ORGANIZATION THAT PRETTY CLEARLY REFLECTS THE ORGANIZATION AROUND THE STATE. YOU HAVE LARGE DAILY NEWSPAPERS SERVING THE CENTRAL METROPOLITAN AREAS AND, FRANKLY, GIVING SHORT SHRIFT TO ANYBODY THAT LIVES IN A COUNTY THAT HAS LOWER POPULATION DENSITY.

Borg: HERB, EXPAND ON THAT, IF YOU WILL, FOR ME, OR ANYBODY ELSE CHIME IN HERE TOO. "THE REGISTER" FORMERLY HAD BUREAUS: QUAD CITIES, CEDAR RAPIDS, DUBUQUE, AMES, WATERLOO. JACK HUBBLESON WAS IN THE WATERLOO AREA. ALL THOSE BUREAUS, WITH THE EXCEPTION MAYBE OF AMES, HAVE CLOSED. WHAT EFFECT DOES THAT HAVE?

Strentz: OH, I THINK WHAT IT DOES IS IT FRACTURES THE STATE A BIT. I THINK THERE WAS, FROM THE SOCIOLOGY OF THE MEDIA, THERE WAS A TIME IN THIS STATE'S HISTORY WHEN PEOPLE WERE ALL ON A COMMON AGENDA. PEOPLE SITTING IN A COFFEE SHOP IN SIOUX CITY, IF YOU WILL, WERE HAVING THE EXPOSURE TO THE SAME MEDIA AND THE SAME CONVERSATIONS AS PEOPLE IN DAVENPORT AND BURLINGTON. AND IT WAS, I THINK, A FEELING OF WHOLENESS AND TOGETHERNESS THAT YOU LOSE BUT, AGAIN, THAT IS -- THE "MINNEAPOLIS TRIBUNE," THE "CHICAGO TRIBUNE," THE "LOUISVILLE COURIER JOURNAL," THE "ATLANTA CONSTITUTION," THAT'S THE SAME STORY WHERE WE HAD ALL REGIONAL PAPERS, AND WE'VE LOST THAT. AND I THINK THAT HAS BEEN THE IMPACT, THE LEDGER APART. WE ARE, IN MANY RESPECTS, A LESS UNIFIED STATE, AND WE JUST DON'T HAVE A COMMON AGENDA. NOW, IN SOME INSTANCES, THAT'S WHERE IOWA PUBLIC TELEVISION AND IOWA PUBLIC RADIO CAN COME IN AND FILL THAT VOID AND GET US BACK ON THE SAME PAGE.

Borg: BUT HAVE THEY? HAVE PUBLIC TELEVISION AND OTHERS FILLED THAT, DO YOU THINK, CHUCK?

Offenburger: I THINK THEY'RE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF IT. I'VE PUT A LOT OF HOPE IN PUBLIC TELEVISION, PUBLIC RADIO STILL TYING THE STATE TOGETHER. I THINK IOWANS WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE -- PEOPLE IN THIS STATE WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE ARE TUNED IN TO THOSE NETWORKS. GENERALLY, IN THE DAILY NEWSPAPER BUSINESS, I WOULD SAY THAT THOSE SECOND-TIER NEWSPAPERS, THE WAY WE USED TO THINK OF THEM -- "CEDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE," "DAVENPORT-QUAD CITY TIMES," "WATERLOO COURIER," "SIOUX CITY JOURNAL" -- MOST OF THOSE PAPERS HAVE GOTTEN BETTER THAN THEY ONCE WERE. "THE REGISTER" HAS GOTTEN WORSE, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN STATE NEWS. THE BIGGEST INDICTMENT, IN MY MIND RIGHT NOW, ABOUT DAILY JOURNALISM IN IOWA IS NOBODY IS IN AFGHANISTAN. I'M NOTICING THAT.

Borg: WELL, WOULD YOU EXPECT -- WHO WOULD BE IN AFGHANISTAN AND WHY SHOULD THEY BE?

Offenburger: I THINK CERTAINLY "THE DES MOINES REGISTER" SHOULD HAVE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE IN AFGHANISTAN. THE NUMBER OF IOWANS THAT ARE OVER THERE NOW. THAT'S A STORY THAT NEEDS TO BE TOLD, AND IT'S NOT BEING TOLD.

Strentz: LET ME PICK UP ON ONE THING THAT CHUCK MENTIONED. IN SOME RESPECTS, "THE REGISTER" BECAME A VICTIM OF ITS OWN SUCCESS. "THE GAZETTE" IN CEDAR RAPIDS, THE "DAVENPORT CITY QUAD TIMES," THEY HAD TO IMPROVE TO COMPETE AGAINST "THE REGISTER." AND "THE REGISTER'S" STATEWIDE INFLUENCE DID IMPROVE IOWA MEDIA AND TO THE POINT WHERE PEOPLE COULD THEN RELY ON "THE GAZETTE" AND "THE QUAD CITY TIMES," THE "IOWA CITY PRESS CITIZEN" FOR NEWS THAT AT ONE TIME THEY HAD TO TURN TO "THE REGISTER" FOR.

Borg: WELL, WOULD YOU SAY THAT "THE REGISTER" IS AT A CROSSROADS NOW, OR HAVE THEY PASSED THAT CROSSROADS? AND MY REALLY BASIC QUESTION IS, THEY JUST APPOINTED, DURING THIS PAST WEEK, A NEW EDITOR. WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR, BARBARA, AT "THE REGISTER" IN APPOINTING A NEW PERSON TO LEAD "THE REGISTER" THROUGH WHAT ARE CHALLENGING TIMES?

Mack: I THINK THIS EDITOR IS GOING TO HAVE TO KNOW IOWA. IT IS AN UNUSUAL JURISDICTION AND I THINK THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE A REAL COMMITMENT NOT JUST TO THE DES MOINES MARKET AND THE DES MOINES ADVERTISERS THAT SUPPORT "THE REGISTER," BUT ALSO TO THE STATE, IF "THE REGISTER" IS REALLY GOING TO BE AN ENGINE FOR SOCIAL CHANGE. NOW, TO ITS CREDIT, IT CLEARLY HAS TAKEN INTEREST IN THINGS LIKE THE LOESS HILLS AND URGING THAT A NATIONAL PARK BE CREATED IN THE WESTERN SLOPE OF IOWA. I'D LIKE TO SEE "THE REGISTER" TAKE THAT KIND OF LEADERSHIP ROLE IN OTHER TOUGHER AREAS, INCLUDING THE STATE'S BUDGET.

Borg: WOULD A NEW EDITOR, CHUCK, AND I HAVE TO SAY HERE THAT YOU ARE A FORMER "REGISTER" PERSON. YOU MAY NOT WANT TO COMMENT, BUT COULD YOU AT LEAST COMMENT WITH THAT BIAS. IS THIS NEW EDITOR GOING TO HAVE TO STAND UP TO CORPORATE INFLUENCES, AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED HERE, OR IS THAT A FORGONE CONCLUSION AND YOU CAN'T DO IT?

Offenburger: THE NEW EDITOR IS A MAN NAMED PAUL ANGER, AND HE WILL HAVE TO STAND UP TO SOME CORPORATE PRESSURES. GANNETT'S OPERATION IS REALLY, BASICALLY, YOU CAN BE ABOUT AS INDEPENDENT AS YOU WANT AS THE EDITOR OF "THE DES MOINES REGISTER" AS LONG AS YOU MEET THEIR PROFIT EXPECTATIONS, SO HE HAS TO DO THAT. BUT THERE IS A LONG TRADITION OF INDEPENDENCE IN THAT NEWSROOM THAT THEY PROBABLY HAVE MORE TROUBLE LEANING ON THE EDITOR OF "THE DES MOINES REGISTER" THAN THEY DO ON THE EDITORS OF OTHER PAPERS.

Borg: LET'S SWITCH TO BROADCAST NEWS, GRANT, AND THEN OTHERS HERE TOO. BUT, GRANT, YOU LEAD THE SUCCESSION, IF YOU WILL. YOU TALKED ABOUT MULTIPLE OWNERSHIP AND HOW WE'RE SUFFERING BECAUSE OF MULTIPLE OWNERSHIP. DO YOU WANT TO EXPAND ON THAT?

Price: WELL, WHEN ABSENTEE OWNERSHIP BEGAN ENTERING THE PICTURE, WHEN YOU AND I WERE STILL BOTH EMPLOYED AT CHANNEL 7 WITH THE FIRST TRANSITION OF THE WMT STATIONS INTO OUTSIDE INTEREST HANDS, THE CONSULTANTS ALSO CAME INTO THE PICTURE AT THAT TIME, AND THAT'S BEEN A LONG TIME AGO NOW. THAT'S BACK IN THE '70S, BUT THAT INFLUENCE HAS NOW BEEN AMPLIFIED AND EXAGGERATED TO THE POINT WHERE THE ISSUE THAT CHUCK JUST WAS DISCUSSING OF INDEPENDENT NEWS JUDGMENT WITHIN BROADCAST FACILITIES HAS, I'M SORRY TO SAY -- AND THERE ARE SOME EXCEPTIONS -- BUT HAS JUST ABOUT DISAPPEARED.

Borg: WHAT'S THE RESULT? IS IT IN WHAT'S BEING COVERED AND PRESENTED ON THE AIR?

Price: WELL, IT'S -- THE RESULT COMES IN SEVERAL WAYS. FIRST OF ALL, IN ORDER TO BE A LEGITIMATE NEWS ORGANIZATION, YOU HAVE TO HAVE ADEQUATE STAFF. YOU HAVE TO HIRE PEOPLE WHO ARE QUALIFIED TO BE JOURNALISTS. BUT BEYOND THAT, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO EXERCISE NEWS JUDGMENT THAT CAN RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO BOW DOWN TO ADVERTISER INTERESTS. THE BARRIER THAT YOU AND I WERE FAMILIAR WITH AT CHANNEL 2 BETWEEN THE SALES DEPARTMENT AND THE NEWS DEPARTMENT, WHICH WAS SUPPORTED BY TOP MANAGEMENT, HAS LARGELY BEEN BROKEN DOWN IN CONTEMPORARY BROADCASTS.

Borg: THAT IS, THERE WAS NO INFLUENCE BY ADVERTISERS OR PEOPLE SELLING ADVERTISING AT THE STATION ON NEWS JUDGMENTS. YOU COVERED -- IF THERE WAS A STORE THAT HAD A BAD STORY, YOU COVERED IT WITHOUT REGARD TO HOW MUCH THEY WERE ADVERTISING IN THE STATION.

Price: YOU COVERED THE STORY ON ITS MERIT. AND IF THE USED CAR DEALER WAS POUNDING ON THE BOSS'S DOOR, THAT WAS NOT TELEGRAPHED TO THE NEWSROOM.

Borg: BARBARA, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BROADCAST NEWS ISSUES AT HOME AS A CONSUMER? DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE? ARE YOU INFORMED OR ARE YOU ENTERTAINED?

Mack: I THINK WE'RE SEEING A REAL QUESTION BEING RAISED AS WHAT ACTUALLY CONSTITUTES BROADCAST NEWS. CERTAINLY IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE SPEND SEEING LOCAL NEWS, IT'S INCREASED EXPONENTIALLY. BUT WHILE IT MAY BE PACKAGED AS NEWS, THE REAL QUESTION IS HOW MUCH OF IT IS NEWS AND HOW MUCH OF IT IS REGURGITATED FEATURE MATERIAL, MATERIAL THAT I WOULD CALL "NEWS LIGHT," MATERIAL ON HOW TO MAKE A NEW CHICKEN DINNER OR HOW TO MAKE A NEW DESSERT PRODUCT, AND IT'S SHOWING UP AS PART OF THE NEWS PROGRAM.

Borg: BUT, HERB, IF THE BOTTOM LINE IS DRIVING THIS, AREN'T YOU REALLY GIVING PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT? AFTER ALL, THEY'RE AFTER VIEWERS.

Strentz: SURE, TWO QUICK POINTS IN ONE. JIM KERRY, FORMER IOWA JOURNALISM COLLEAGUE IN ILLINOIS AND OUT IN COLUMBIA, JIM HAD A DESCRIPTION OF BROADCAST NEWS AS THE BASTARD CHILD OF VAUDEVILLE AND THE FAIRNESS DOCTORATE, AND TRIED TO COMBINE THOSE. AND WE HAVE MAY HAVE GONE TOO MUCH TOWARDS VAUDEVILLE. YOUR QUESTION ABOUT GIVING PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT, LET ME DRAW AN ANALOGY TO A PHYSICIAN'S WAITING ROOM WHERE THE DOCTOR COMES OUT AND SAYS, "WELL, WHAT DISEASES DO YOU WANT TO BE TREATED FOR TODAY? I DON'T HAVE TIME TO DIAGNOSE YOU OR TREAT YOU, BUT MIGRAINE HEADACHES SEEM TO BE POPULAR AMONG MY PATIENTS. I'VE GOT A LOT OF BLUE PILLS HERE. YOU MIGHT ENJOY THOSE. ANYBODY HERE WANT TO BE TREATED FOR KIDNEY DISEASE?" I THINK WE'VE REACHED THAT SAME POINT IN NEWSROOMS WHERE NEWSROOMS HAVE LOST CONTROL, FORFEITED CONTROL, GIVEN UP CONTROL, OVER WHAT WE'RE TRAINED TO DO, MAKE JUDGMENTS ABOUT INFORMATION VALUABLE TO PEOPLE. INSTEAD WE SAY, "WHAT DO YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM US," AND WE GIVE IT. AND THAT IS VERY TROUBLING.

Borg: GRANT, THOUGH YOU'RE TEACHING FUTURE JOURNALISTS, AND YOU ALSO, BARBARA, ARE YOU TRYING TO REMEDY THAT?

Price: WELL, I TRIED -- YES, I'M TRYING TO REMEDY IT. IT'S A FEEBLE, FEEBLE EFFORT. I STAND UP THERE AND SAY, YOU KNOW, "I PLEAD FOR YOU TO BRING SOME IDEALISM INTO WHAT YOU DO," BUT I HAVE TO TELL THEM REALISTICALLY THAT THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE -- THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE WORKING IN.

Borg: BARBARA, YOU'RE AN AGGRESSIVE PERSONALITY. DO YOU -- I SAY THAT AS A COMPLIMENT BECAUSE JOURNALISTS HAVE TO HAVE THAT IN ORDER TO BE INVESTIGATIVE AND CARRY-OUT THEIR FOURTH-ESTATE ROLE. DO YOU ENCOURAGE THAT?

Mack: ABSOLUTELY.

Borg: BUT IS IT DIMINISHED ONCE IT GETS INTO THE REAL WORLD?

Mack: I THINK IT BECOMES TOUGH BECAUSE THERE IS SUCH PRESSURE TO PRODUCE A HUGE VOLUME OF NEWS AND INFORMATION AND, FRANKLY, THAT DOESN'T CHANGE BETWEEN NEWSPAPER AND BROADCAST. YOU HAVE NEWSPAPERS SAYING, "HOW MANY STORIES HAVE YOU HAD ON THE FRONT PAGE THIS MONTH?" AND THE NUMBER OF STORIES, NOT THE QUALITY OF THE STORIES, IN SOME MEASURE MAY DETERMINE WHAT YOUR RAISE IS: HOW MANY STORIES HAVE YOU HAD THAT LED THE NEWS? WERE YOU THE FIRST ONE TO THE SCENE OF THE FIERY CAR CRASH? NOT WERE YOU THE ONE WHO WROTE THE GREAT PIECE ON HOW THE NEW TAX STRUCTURE IS GOING TO AFFECT YOUR KIDS' ABILITY TO GET AN EDUCATION.

Borg: CHUCK, I WANT TO -- AND WE MAY GO BACK TO SOME OF THIS, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IN OUR DISCUSSION HERE WE INCLUDE COMMUNITY JOURNALISM, WHERE YOU HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE, AND OTHERS CHIME IN HERE TOO. WHAT'S THE STATE OF COMMUNITY JOURNALISM IN IOWA?

Offenburger: THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR IT TO GET MUCH BETTER IN A NEW WAY WITH THE INTERNET USE. EVEN THE "STORM LAKE TIMES" CAN BE A GLOBAL NEWSPAPER IF IT WANTS TO BE TODAY, IN CONTACT WITH FORMER MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES SCATTERED WORLDWIDE DOING INTERESTING THINGS. ON THE OTHER HAND, WE'RE SEEING A REAL EROSION OF THE BUSINESS BASE IN SMALL COMMUNITIES IN IOWA, AND THEY NEED HELP. AND THAT EROSION, THAT BUSINESS BASE IS GOING TO IMPACT THE ADVERTISING REVENUE OF ALL SMALL NEWSPAPERS AND RADIO STATIONS. AND THAT'S GOING TO MEAN THEY'RE GOING TO STRIP THEIR STAFFS DOWN EVEN MORESO, AND THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE GOOD. MANY TIMES -

Borg: WHY ISN'T THAT GOOD? I MEAN, WHAT WILL BE THE OUTCOMES? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SEE DIFFERENTLY?

Offenburger: WELL, THEY'RE BUSINESSES. THEY'VE GOT TO BE PROFITABLE TO BE INDEPENDENT AND HAVE A GOOD STRONG VOICE.

Borg: I UNDERSTAND THAT BUT WHAT HAPPENS THEN TO THE NEWS? WHAT'S THE --

Offenburger: IT DOESN'T GET COVERED. IT JUST GOES AWAY. GOVERNMENTS DON'T GET WATCHED. NOBODY GETS CRITICIZED, CONSTRUCTIVELY EVEN. MANY OF THOSE LITTLE PAPERS JUST LOSE THEIR EDITORIAL VOICE BECAUSE THEY CAN MAKE A LITTLE MORE MONEY DOING THAT, AND ALL OF THAT IS BAD. THERE ARE SOME EXTREMELY GOOD SMALL NEWSPAPERS IN IOWA, THOUGH, AND ONE UP IN NORTHWEST IOWA THAT I SUBSCRIBE TO, THE "NORTHWEST IOWA REVIEW" COMING OUT OF SHELDON, VOTED ONE OF THE BEST SMALL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS IN AMERICA YEAR AFTER YEAR.

Borg: ISN'T THERE A TREND, PANELISTS, HERE, THOUGH, FOR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS TO GET SOME OF THEIR ECONOMIC LIFEBLOOD NOW FROM LARGER NEWSPAPERS, SUCH AS "MASON CITY GLOBE GAZETTE" BUYING-UP COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS? AND THERE MAY BE OTHER EXAMPLES. WHAT'S -- WHY THAT AND WHY WOULD, IF THE ECONOMIC BASE IS DISAPPEARING THERE, WHY WOULD REGIONAL NEWSPAPERS, DAILIES, BUY UP WEEKLIES.

Offenburger: I'LL JUMP INTO THAT. I THINK WE'VE SEEN THE "OMAHA WORLD HERALD" GET REAL AGGRESSIVE THAT WAY. "THE DES MOINES REGISTER" HAS DONE THAT THROUGH CENTRAL IOWA. YOU MENTIONED MASON CITY. I THINK THE "CEDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE" HAS DONE SOME OF THAT, AND THE "WATERLOO COURIER" DID IN THE CASE OF CEDAR FALLS. I THINK TWO THINGS ARE GOING ON THERE. ONE, SOMEWHAT CONTROL THAT LITTLE BIT OF COMPETITION THEY GET FROM THOSE INDEPENDENT VOICES AROUND THEM. BUT I THINK THE BIGGER THING IS TO KEEP SOMEBODY ELSE FROM DOING IT. DES MOINES DOESN'T WANT THE "OMAHA WORLD HERALD" LAPPING-UP THESE PROPERTIES IN CENTRAL IOWA, WHICH THEY'VE DONE. SO IT'S A DEFENSIVE MOVE, I THINK. AND THEY CAN RUN THEM. THERE'S PROFITABILITY IN SCALE THERE THAT THEY CAN MAKE PURCHASES OF NEWSPRINT AND OTHER THINGS. THEY MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT.

Mack: WELL, IT'S NOT ONLY PURCHASES IN NEWSPRINT, IT'S ALSO PURCHASES OF INFORMATION.

Offenburger: SURE.

Mack: YOU BUY THE SAME SYNDICATED COLUMNS. YOU BUY THE SAME COMICS AND YOU SAY WE CAN RUN THEM IN "THE REGISTER" AND WE CAN ALSO REPACKAGE THEM IN THIS PAPER, WE CAN RUN THEM IN "THE WORLD HERALD" AND PRINT THEM IN THE "AMES TRIBUNE."

Price: THERE IS, PERHAPS, A REDEEMING OPPORTUNITY HERE, ALTHOUGH IT'S A LITTLE BIT FRIGHTENING, AND THAT IS THAT I WOULD AFFIRM WHAT WAS EXPRESSED EARLIER THAT THESE REGIONAL NEWSPAPERS, "THE GAZETTE" AND THE "WATERLOO COURIER," ARE -- I THINK ARE THE ENTITIES WHICH ARE STILL AGGRESSIVELY REPORTING LOCAL NEWS. AND THEY, AT THIS POINT, STILL HAVE A PRETTY GOOD BASE OF RESOURCES. SO IF THEY COULD STRENGTHEN SOME OF THESE SMALL-TOWN PAPERS IN THEIR REPORTING THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES, AGAIN, THAT'S KIND OF AN IDEALISTIC VIEWPOINT, BUT I DON'T SEE WHERE THAT -- AFTER ALL, YOU DO HAVE TO HAVE A FINANCIAL BASE UNDER ANYTHING YOU DO, AND EVEN NEWS DIRECTORS UNDERSTAND THAT. WE DON'T ALWAYS WANT TO HEAR IT, BUT WE DO UNDERSTAND.

Strentz: BUT ISN'T IT A QUESTION OF FINANCIAL BASE WHEN IT COMES TO THE MEDIA? IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF WHETHER YOU SHOULD MAKE A PROFIT OR NOT --

Price: IT'S HOW MUCH.

Strentz: -- IT'S A QUESTION OF HOW MUCH. AND WE SEE REPORTS OF EARNINGS BEING DOWN. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE LOSING MONEY; THEY'RE STILL MAKING MONEY. SO IT'S A QUESTION OF WHETHER YOU'RE WILLING TO LIVE WITH 15 OR 20 PERCENT OR YOU WANT TO GO FOR 25 OR MORE PERCENT PROFIT.

Offenburger: I THINK I ALWAYS HEARD THAT IN THE GLORY YEARS OF "THE DES MOINES REGISTER," WHEN IT WAS OWNED BY THE COWLES FAMILY, WE WERE BUMPING ALONG AT A PROFIT OF ABOUT 4 TO 5 PERCENT A YEAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND THEN GANNETT GETS AHOLD OF IT, AND THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, IT'S MAKING 27, 28 PERCENT PROFIT.

Mack: SURE. AND THE EASY WAY YOU DO THAT IS REDUCE YOUR NEWS STAFF BY 50 PEOPLE.

Borg: NOW, AND THAT CAUSES ME, ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE YOU'VE SAID HERE -- WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE ABILITY, HERB, OF LOCAL ACCESS TO MEDIA? IS THAT DIMINISHING OR DO WE HAVE JUST AS MUCH LOCAL ACCESS AS WE FORMERLY DID.

Strentz: BY LOCAL ACCESS, DO YOU MEAN LETTERS TO THE EDITOR OR PEOPLE REACHING OUT? I THINK THAT CUTS TWO WAYS. I THINK THERE'S MORE LOCAL ACCESS, BUT IN SOME INSTANCES, IN OBSCENE WAYS -- THE TELEVISION STATIONS HAVE POLLS ALL THE TIME, PHONE IN. WELL, IS THAT LOCAL ACCESS OR NOT? WELL, YES, I CAN PARTICIPATE. "THE REGISTER" INCREASINGLY HAS "SEND US YOUR MATERIAL VIA E-MAIL," GET ALL THESE COMMENTS IN. SO I THINK THERE IS CERTAINLY OPPORTUNITY FOR A LOT MORE ACCESS OF -- THE FIRST SECTION OF "THE REGISTER" I INVARIABLY READ IS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. I ENJOY THAT AND I THINK THAT'S A SIGN OF LOCAL ACCESS. IT'S NOT GOING THE OTHER WAY SO MUCH. CHUCK IS CONCERNED THAT THE REPORTERS AREN'T IN AFGHANISTAN. I'M CONCERNED THAT THEY'RE NOT COVERING THE URBANDALE SCHOOL BOARD AND ATTENDING MEETINGS.

Borg: LET ME GO TO FREEDOM OF INFORMATION, THEN, BECAUSE THAT'S A PASSION OF YOURS.

Strentz: SURE.

Borg: IS THAT IN GOOD SHAPE IN IOWA, OR DO YOU HAVE THE ACCESS THAT MEDIA SHOULD HAVE HERE?

Strentz: WELL, I THINK QUESTIONS LIKE FREE EXPRESSION, ACCESS, ARE ALWAYS THREATS AND YOU'RE ALWAYS FIGHTING THE BATTLE. THAT'S NEVER REALLY RESOLVED. I THINK, AGAIN, RELATIVELY SPEAKING, COMPARED TO OTHER STATES, WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE. THE BROADCASTERS IN IOWA ARE LEADERS IN FREEDOM OF INFORMATION MOVEMENTS. THEY AREN'T IN MOST OTHER STATES IN THE NATION.

Borg: GRANT LED "CAMERAS IN THE COURTROOM," THAT PANEL THAT CAME TO THE AGREEMENT WITH THE COURT SYSTEM IN ORDER TO GET CAMERAS IN. GRANT, THAT WAS GROUNDBREAKING. ARE YOU SATISFIED?

Price: WELL, I'M SATISFIED THAT IT WAS ACCOMPLISHED. AND CERTAINLY HERB DESERVES A LOT MORE CREDIT THAN I DO. I HAPPENED TO BE THE FIRST REGIONAL MEDIA COORDINATOR UNDER THAT SYSTEM, BUT HERB WAS OUT IN FRONT IN GETTING IT APPROVED BY THE IOWA SUPREME COURT. THAT IS AN ACCESS THAT WE HAVE NOW, WHICH I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL THAT WE DON'T ABUSE BECAUSE WE COULD VERY -- WE COULD VERY EASILY LOSE IT. BUT I'D LIKE TO GO TO THE POINT OF ACCESS. I SEE THE CUTTING EDGE OF ACCESS IS THE REPORTER IN THE FIELD. AND THE LEVEL OF COMPETENCE AND THE WILLINGNESS OF THAT REPORTER TO ATTACK BARRIERS TO COVERAGE IS WHERE ANY REAL DEFENSE OF FREEDOM OF INFORMATION STARTS. IT HAS TO BE SUPPORTED BY THE EDITOR AND EVENTUALLY BY THE OWNER IF IT GETS DOWN TO THE NITTY-GRITTY. BUT UNLESS THAT REPORTER IS WILLING TO START THAT FIGHT, BEING SHUT OUT OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, IT WILL SHUT DOWN RIGHT THERE.

Mack: ABSOLUTELY. I FAULT NOT THE PUBLIC OFFICIALS WHO AREN'T RELEASING THE RECORDS AS MUCH AS I TEND TO FAULT THE MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES WHO AREN'T ASKING FOR THEM. THE IOWA NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION WORKED WITH A NUMBER OF PUBLICATIONS IN THE STATE TO GO TO VARIOUS COUNTY AND STATE OFFICES AND ASK FOR RECORDS, AND THEY REPORTED ON IT AND THAT WAS GREAT. AND TOM MILLER, THE IOWA ATTORNEY GENERAL, STARTED A PROGRAM TO BEGIN EDUCATING OFFICIALS. BUT A ONE-TIME EFFORT IS NOT GOING TO CREATE THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT OPENNESS MEANS AMONG PUBLIC OFFICIALS AS THE SAME -- IN THE SAME WAY THAT HAVING A REPORTER STOP BY EVERY DAY AND ASK TO SEE THE POLICE BLOTTER. THAT'S WHAT CHANGES THE MINDS OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS.

Borg: BARBARA, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE LAST WORD HERE BECAUSE WE HAVE ONLY A FEW SECONDS REMAINING. AS MULTIPLE OWNERSHIP OF MEDIA OUTLETS, ARE WE SUFFERING, ARE WE IN DANGER, OR IS THAT GOOD FOR IOWANS?

Mack: THE FCC IS LOOKING AT DOING AWAY WITH SOME OF THE OWNERSHIP RULES THAT HAVE STOPPED NEWSPAPERS AND TELEVISION STATIONS FROM BEING CO-OWNED IN THE SAME MARKET. I HAVE A FEELING WE'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE CONCENTRATED OWNERSHIP, AND I FEAR THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE FOR THE BETTER.

Borg: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ALL, FOR YOUR INSIGHTS. I HOPE THAT BY NOW YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH OUR NEW BROADCAST SCHEDULE, FRIDAY NIGHT AT 6:30, SUNDAY AT NOON. IN RECOGNIZING THAT THIS PROGRAM IS NOW IN ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR HERE ON IOWA PUBLIC TELEVISION, WE CLOSE WITH A CLIP FROM OUR ARCHIVES. IN MAY OF 1985, CONGRESSMAN JIM LEACH FOUND HIMSELF AT ODDS WITH FELLOW REPUBLICANS AND WITH PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN AT THAT TIME, OPPOSING BOTH DIRECT AND COVERT AID TO NICARAGUAN REBELS. CONGRESSMAN LEACH INTRODUCED A MEASURE THAT WOULD PROHIBIT AN ADMINISTRATION-BACKED PLAN TO RAISE PRIVATE FUNDS FOR SUPPORTING THE CONTRA WAR. I'M DEAN BORG. THANKS FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY.

Leach: WHAT'S AT STAKE IS A MAJOR CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE. PEOPLE CAN HAVE ONE SIDE OR ONE PERSPECTIVE ON ANY CONFLICT IN THE WORLD OR THE OTHER, BUT THE CRUCIAL THING IS THAT WE FOLLOW OUR OWN LAWS AND OUR OWN CONSTITUTION. AND THE CONSTITUTION SAYS THAT THE WAR MAKING AUTHORITY IS DEPOSITED IN BOTH THE CONGRESS AND THE EXECUTIVE. AND YOU DON'T HAVE PRIVATE CITIZENS EMBARKING ON WAR MAKING VENTURES AND, IF YOU DO, YOU HAVE THE EQUIVALENT OF INTERNATIONAL VIGILANTISM. BACK IN 1794, CONGRESS PASSED SOMETHING CALLED THE NEUTRALITY STATUTES, MAKING THAT PRECISELY ILLEGAL. THE APPROACH THAT I'VE INTRODUCED IS ONE SAYING THAT AMERICAN CITIZENS SHOULD BE PRECLUDED WHEN CONGRESS PROHIBITED ASSISTANCE TO ONE SIDE IN A MILITARY CONFLICT FROM BEING INVOLVED. I THINK THAT'S VERY PROPER BECAUSE, AMONG OTHER THINGS, YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE THE SITUATION WHERE YOU PRIVATIZE WAR, WHERE YOU HAVE PRIVATE CITIZENS MAKE DECISIONS FOR THEIR GOVERNMENT AND POTENTIALLY LEAD THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE INTO A CONFLICT WHICH IT OTHERWISE MIGHT NOT HAVE ENTERED INTO.

Narrator: FUNDING FOR "IOWA PRESS" WAS PROVIDED BY FRIENDS OF IOWA PUBLIC TELEVISION; AND BY THE IOWA BANKERS ASSOCIATION... FOR PERSONAL, BUSINESS, AND COMMERCIAL NEEDS, IOWA BANKS HELP IOWANS REACH THEIR FINANCIAL GOALS.