Larry L. Rose

Sunday, May 14, 2000

Facts may surprise paper's critics

Don't send that e-mail! When you send it to third parties, you've legally become a publisher.
   There is a group of "concerned citizens" in town that wants to censor and control what is said and published by a free press.

Caller-Times receives list of demands Demands by Concerned Citizens for Truth, Justice and Equality: 1. The Corpus Christi Caller-Times will recognize and agree to meet with a committee of citizens composed of a cross-section of our community, including members from the surrounding towns, who will meet weekly with the editorial board and staff to address the following issues: Stereotyping Unfair news reporting Misleading stories Unequal treatment of minorities Negative reporting Equal coverage of all sports events, social events, parties, and curriculums whether at schools, colleges and/or universities or chartered clubs. 2. Discontinue endorsement of political candidates by the Caller-Times, printing only a candidate's qualifications, platform, and background. 3. Hire staff employees on a ratio of ethnically based community - Anglo, Hispanics, Blacks, Asians, etc. All positions (Editorial Board, New Editors, Assignments Editors, Reporters, Photographers, etc.) shall reflect the diversity make-up of our community. 4. Require two different opinions or views to be written every time the newspaper editorializes a subject matter. 5. Produce and print paper editions that will address the ethnic make-up of this community. 6. Stop any and all reporting of stories that tend to sensationalize or divide the community. 7. Cease the groundless degradation of members of the judiciary. 8. Investigative reporting of alleged corruption shall be unbiased, exhaustive, fair and equal as to all levels of government. 9. Require all publishers, editors, members of management and decision-making persons to resign from any and all boards, organizations and charitable groups in order to assure fair and unbiased reporting of legitimate news events. 10. Require the editorial board to notify the Citizens Committee of all stories that are not going to be investigated, researched and/or published. 11. Corpus Christi Caller-Times should strive to identify and consult the "true" - "effective" Hispanic/Black leaders in our community who now represent and speak for our people. It's been too long in identifying the "OLD" ineffective leadership in our community. Corpus Christi Caller-Times has continued to consult with the same "OLD" leadership who no longer represent or speak for our people." 12. Teen Pregnancy is a tremendous problem. Assist the families in our community by writing stories that pertain to this problem. Articles on the problems of Teen pregnancies, etc. 13. Do some investigative reporting as to how we can bring more industry (jobs) to our community. 14. Write stories on how to bring this community together. 15. Corpus Christi Caller-Times should sponsor an annual newspaper JOB FAIR to attract more minorities into the job market. 16. Corpus Christi Caller-Times must work together or in union with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas A&M-Kingsville, Del Mar College in highlighting their activities and financial aid opportunities. 17. Continue "Hispanic" Supplement (e.g. Vista, etc.) 18. Highlight the "Forgotten Barrio" activities in your coverage. 19. Include more Hispanic opinions by true Hispanic writers in your "FORUM" columns. 20. Reduce the circulation paper's price. 21. Feature more "Hispanic" opinions by true Hispanic writers in your "Forum" columns. 22. Feature more concentrated YOUTH stories.

   They may not approve of your message. They may want to bring a committee into your office or into your home to approve what you write.
   These "concerned citizens," however, want the constitutional right to freedom of speech and press to apply to themselves. They want the right to protest, the right to dissent, the right not to be limited in what they say. They want the right to express their views in news conferences and in their letters and fliers, as shown by their list of 22 demands that they're circulating around town. They just don't want those First Amendment rights for others. They're calling for a demonstration on May 18 to suppress the right to freedom of speech and press at this newspaper, and in their protest, they're going to exercise the very right they deplore.
   We welcome their exercise of their First Amendment rights even though we disagree with what they have to say and with their attempted intimidation of others who wish to exercise their constitutional guarantees.
   But there's more here than the stifling of free expression.
   Another issue they have with the Caller-Times is clear from their emphasis in an unsigned tract they distributed at a recent Coffee Club session.
   Item 11 by the "concerned citizens" states: "Corpus Christi Caller-Times should strive to identify and consult the 'true' - 'effective' Hispanic/Black leaders in our community who now represent and speak for our people. It's been too long in identifying the 'OLD' ineffective leadership in our community. Corpus Christi Caller-Times has continued to consult with the same 'OLD' leadership who no longer represent or speak for our people." (Underline and capitalization by Concerned Citizens for Truth, Justice and Equality.)
   The "concerned citizens" evidently are livid we don't get our news and information from these self-styled new leaders. And in year 2000 they're still talking about "our" people?
   It's obvious from their 22-item list that the "concerned citizens" haven't been concerned enough to even read the object of their complaint, the Caller-Times.
   We emphasize bottom up, not top-down reporting. We don't ask permission of "leaders" to write about South Texans. We take news tips from anyone, and they're usually "ordinary citizens." We cover everyone and for years have covered the academic and civic accomplishments of youths and young adults - emerging and future leaders. Our newspaper covers and photographs more young people than most. A survey this year of more than 50,000 subscribers showed we have a younger, more ethnically diverse subscriber base than other newspapers. We depend upon these readers' tips, ranging from financial issues at the chief appraiser's office to rats at Cole Park.
   You may recall our series on teen pregnancy. Demand caused us to reprint the series in a tabloid for schools and organizations. The pregnancy series won many awards, including the Sweepstakes Award from the Texas Associated Press as best of the first place winners in the state. But in Item Number 12, the "concerned citizens" are just realizing there's a problem with teen pregnancy in our community. Had they read the newspaper, they'd have known the statistics, the perspective, the human stories. They evidently don't read the newspaper, but they're very comfortable complaining about it.
   And it looks like the "concerned citizens" missed our job fairs too. The Caller-Times Job Fair 2000 on March 30 brought nearly 50 local and Texas employers together, as well as donated space for the Texas Workforce Center. They also missed our co-sponsorship of the April 4 Costars Annual Career Expo, which included all area colleges and universities, the military and businesses.
   Had they read the newspaper, they'd have known about these events and they could have considered a co-sponsorship - if they wouldn't mind putting up some funds to help local people get jobs.
   How could citizens concerned about truth ignore these facts?
   Well, maybe that's why they don't put their names on their letters and fliers.
   Look at their 22-item list.
   They apparently don't read the newspaper, so they wouldn't know we communicate with hundreds of people, almost daily. Readers give us advice by phone, letter, e-mail, in person. We poll the community with scientific surveys (three recently) to learn what the public likes and dislikes about the newspaper. Our series on race and ethnicity alone contained a scientific survey of the attitudes of the community, focus groups, surveys from organizations, and we published the voices of more than 800 people in that community discussion. The series-ending community forum on thoughts to bring the community together was open to everyone, including Mr. and Mrs. "concerned citizen." That series was bottom up, voice-of-the-people reporting.
   Why would the "concerned citizens" be so concerned about the local newspaper asking local people to speak for themselves?
   Back to that e-mail you were about to send.
   Fortunately, the First Amendment is alive and well. So go ahead, publish your e-mail, or send it to the Caller- Times. Even if we may not agree with its content, we respect your right to publish under the First Amendment.
  

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