The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications greeted one of the fathers of the most widely-read newspaper in the country and was treated to a speech addressing concerns many communications students will face in the near future.

John Siegenthaler, a noted reporter, editor and one of the founding editorial directors of USA Today, spoke Friday in the Newhouse building of the problems of ethics and values that face the media in a discussion he entitled ‘The Media Mirror: Is It Cracked?’

‘He wasn’t just my mentor, wasn’t just my inspiration,’ said Joel Kaplan, assistant dean of the graduate program at the Newhouse school, who introduced Siegenthaler. ‘He’s not just an editor; he is a courageous man who will fight what is worth fighting for.’

Kaplan had always had Siegenthaler in mind when he thought of speakers to bring to Newhouse, he said.

‘There was the notion of having an editor’s lecture to talk about the state of journalism,’ he said. ‘I always had (Siegenthaler) in mind.’

After entering the journalism field as a reporter in 1949, Kaplan said, Siegenthaler became the youngest editor in the country. He also founded the First Amendment Center, an offshoot of The Freedom Forum, an organization geared toward protecting and preserving the First Amendment. He is also a senior advisory trustee for The Freedom Forum and headed the investigation of Jack Kelley, a former veteran reporter for USA Today who was caught plagiarizing several articles.

Much of Siegenthaler’s lecture consisted of his involvement and outlook on the recent damages done to the media by reporters such as Kelley, Dan Rather, a former news anchor for CBS’ nightly news program who invented information about President Bush’s military career and Jayson Blair, a reporter for The New York Times who, like Kelley, is guilty of fabricating quotes, sources and whole stories.

‘It’s not journalists being duped by a source,’ Siegenthaler said. ‘It’s an example of a bent journalist.’

Not only The New York Times and USA Today have experienced scandals brought upon by ‘shoddy journalism,’ Siegenthaler said.

‘If you look at the last five years, there have been at least 42 newspapers that have suffered these same wounds: fabrication and plagiarism,’ he said. ‘Magazines have been affected in the same way.’

Siegenthaler attributed the bulk of the problems in the media today to the idealization of ‘star reporters,’ a category Siegenthaler said both Blair and Kelley belonged to. The newspapers’ reliance on ‘star culture,’ Siegenthaler said, ultimately led to the downfall of the reporters, because their stories were not exposed to the rigorous editing the rest of the reporting staff experiences.

‘I think there has been a gradual, subtle but certain change in newsroom culture,’ Siegenthaler said. ‘Kelley’s role as a star helped him to fool his editors.’

Though the reporters were initially responsible for compiling and reporting factual information, Siegenthaler said, the editors and lack of communication within the newsroom also contributed to the growth of the problems.

‘The complaints were there, and they were ignored,’ he said. ‘As a result of all of these scandals, journalism is poor.’

Though he had much to say in criticism of how today’s media handle situations like Blair’s and Kelley’s, Siegenthaler also said he holds hope for the future, which he said lies within students such as those studying at the Newhouse school.

‘Determination by the industry to expose and address the problem will serve beneficially long term,’ he said. ‘Credibility has been damaged, but I have confidence, with the help of a new generation, that credibility can be maintained.’

Stacy Pearsall, a student involved in the military photojournalism program at Newhouse, said she would apply certain aspects of Siegenthaler’s speech into her own future career as a journalist.

‘I completely agree that, whether a star or not, you should hold ethics in high regard,’ she said. ‘(Newhouse) is a good example, because they keep ethics courses until you leave senior year.’

Listening to someone who played a major role in Kelley’s investigation also enriched her experience at Newhouse, Pearsall said.

‘I feel that having the man directly involved in the investigation kind of reaffirmed what I’ve learned in my ethics courses,’ she said.

Published on February 13, 2005 at 12:00 pm