4/EDITORIAL CAPITAL TIMES September 4, 1992 Family values? Whose? It looks like "traditional family values" will be the rhetorical issue of this year's presidential campaign. Each canditate presents the argument that regression back to the family values of the Ozzie and Harriet years will cure our nation's problems. But, while vice-president Quayle preaches about the dangers of Murphy Brown's ficticious out-of-wedlock pregnancy, and Bill Clinton brags about his down-home roots in a small southern community, they both overlook some details. Neither candidate actually defines traditional family values. Perhaps they can't define it, because it's only a mythological movement intended to detract from important issues such as unemployment, inaccessible health care, a failing basic education system, and a growing population living in poverty. Another factor to consider is the diversified cultures that comprise today's America. If we need to bring back traditional family values, whose traditional values will we follow? American Indians, blacks, hispanics and caucasians each follow their own traditions, which produce various value systems. What we do need from our candidates is leadership in managing government effectively, which should help protect us from greedy bankers, insurance shysters, and polluters. What we don't need from our leaders is interference into our private lives. There is no need for our political leaders to establish morals -- we have religion to carry out that job. Just, please, keep it in the pulpit and out of the political campaigns. CORRECTION: An article in the April 20 issue Capital Times erroneously described a contract between the city of Harrrisburg and Penn State Harrisburg. The city's contract is with the Institute of State and Regional Affairs. The contract with the Institute does not include the survey described in the story. The city of Harrisburg itself is carrying out that survey. The Institute is developing a background report that collects information Harrisburg is using to Capital, Times EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NEWS EDITOR PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR PoOaL 0,1001:1 Capital Thrum is published by students of Penn State Harrisburg. Concerns regarding the con tent or any Issue should be directed to the editor In room W-341 of the Olmsted Building or by call- ing 944.4970. Opinions expressed are those of the author and are not representative of the college administration, faculty or student body. Capital Times welcomes signed letters from readers. No unsigned submissions will be printed; however, a writer's name may be withheld upon request. Ann Feeney-llcaovern Midway( Stone Stacey Simmers nickaet Starkey Trev Stair COPY EDITOR STAFF ARTIST Tim Snow,' Jason Scmdkaus Matt Hunt Lisa. 71.atask. Notate Zeckman. 13r. Peter Parisi ADVISOR Ann reeney-Ttcaovern td,i,tor-tn-Chtef develop a comprehensive plan to make the city a better place to live. The institute report gathers secondary information, such as census data, state fiscal reports, the state and Harrisburg budgets, reports from organizations such as the Capital Region Economic Development Corp., Tri-County Planning Association and comprehensive plans from the counties involved in the survey. Those counties are Dauphin, Cumberland, Perry, Lebanon and northern York. Nobody's perfect Michael Stone Capital Times Staff I have never been one to write an editorial, but circumstances have forced me to become vocal. A story ran in our final edition last spring (April 20, 1992) which contained some errors. We have attempted to rectify the situation by running a correction. However, we received a letter to the editor which contained some sobering comments which I would like to address. The letter mentioned that, "[the story] had significant errors....[the reporter] did a very poor job in his/her interview..." and was "based on a story in The Patriot- News." It further went on to say that we should "impress on our reporters that accuracy in reporting is imperative. Printing correct ions does not overcome an impression that is left when something is wrong." The letter concluded with: "If your people aspire to a career in journalism, one of the first qualities they should develop and cherish is pride in their work. And that means getting the facts, getting them right and presenting them accurately. In this story, your reporter failed on all counts. That does not inspire one with a great deal of confidence in the Capital Times." I would like to address some issues we, as student journalists, face working for this campus newspaper. First of all, funding is limited (as it is everywhere on this campus), and this prevents us from using up-to-date computers, printing with colors and publishing more than once every three weeks. Since it is not feasible for us to publish daily, weekly, or bi-weekly, we must search for significant stories--stories which involve a lot of work and research, not just reporting what the weather was like yesterday or what the dining hall is serving as a daily paper would. And when we must research the stories we want to cover. we run into problems. The "big name" subjects in our stories, not to mention a good portion of the univeristy faculty, are uncooperative when we request information or interviews. Companies see us as a "once-every three-weeks, small-campus paper" and make us resort to leaving hundreds of unanswered phone calls. Some of the campus and university faculty and staff are above giving us an interview or information for reasons beyond my understanding. Now, there are some very nice and very cooperative people that we Woo no ftir G 13e,HIND ft; BY FAR ou. GREATEST" 01101ENT IS THE ONE IN THAT Coßia. deal with and have used in the past. But it's the few that spoil our minds when we are challenged. When we travel to the Heindel Library to do research, we are met with the overcrowding and lack of materials that. students face everyday. It is very discouraging to be told the information we need now can be sent to us from University Park next week. You'll see stories that say ho'w funding is so low and that the library must wait, but the Pattee Library at State College and Beaver Stadium have no probleMs getting the millions of dollars for expansion. It also seems that our mistakes are viewed as intentional and we slither away via a correction. I read of •• ii today and saw the correction box filled with four items. I consider that a fine publication and do not hold minor errors against °it. And unlike "real" newspapers (even the Collegian), we are not paid for our efforts. Most of us do not receive class credit for our work, either. Yes, we do it out of the love we have for news and the desire we have to write. Some of our reporting occasionally contains an error. Errors happen. Jour nalists are human, and when a mistake occurs, it sometimes passes the "no less than" ten people who will read it before it makes it to the final print. I welcome new staff people that are scared to enter the world of journalism, but accept the challenge so they might learn through their efforts. After working hard on a story, the greatest award is to see it in print the following day. We, as journalists, want the same from ourselves that you expect from us. It is sometimes difficult to live up to every expectation when the outside world, like our families, the election, school work, the job situation and the economy, come crashing through the defense walls we put up. I hope that our occasional, un intentional mistake does not ruin the integrity of our staff or the newspaper we work so hard to keep alive, even when most people tell us to pack it in. I shudder to think what our world would be like if renowned journalists such as Art Buchwald, William Buckley, Nancy Eshelman, Dave Barry, Tony Perry, Jimmy Breslin, Edna Buchanan, Jack Anderson, Jean Kirkpatrick, and Mike Royko, gave up after erring once or twice, instead of trudging on through the pressure and persevering to the road of success. Star
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers