Editor discusses freedom of press By Marji Nieuwsma "I consider myself an absolutist regardi ng the Consti tution of the United States. In other wo r ds, this doc ume nt says there s hall be NO l aw abridging the freedom of t he press, and we should abide by that s tatement." Ron Ke nney, editor of the Esco ndido Daily T imes - Advocate, thus adamantly expressed his views in a recent interview about one of the most controversial topics in America today- - the freedom of the press . Havi ng been active in the journalism profession for 21 years, and editor of t he Escondido paper for eight years, Kenney Is c losely involved with an occupation that has p r oduced such debatable figu r es as Bill Farr. "It is an unwritten law of society that doctors, l awyers, and priests a re allowed to keep information confidential that has been given to them within the practice of their profession,~ dec la red Kenney. "In Farr's case, he became a civil pri soner in solitary confinement for some 46 days simply because he r e fused to speak along the lines the judge asked him to.
"The Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, and included in that is the r ight of a reporter not to reveal his sources . We would have no news ifsources had to be exposed- - they would all dry up,' said Kenney emphaticall y. When asked what he wou ld have done if he has been placed in Bill Farr's position, Kenney paused. "I don't know," he replied. ' I really don 't know. I'd ·like to th ink that I would have done the same, but it took a lot of courage for him to stand up like he did. However. if he had revea led his sources, he would have been rendered useless in his profession , and tre ated as an outcas t --a leper.~
reality regulating the lives of the people ," expounded the journalist. "One s hould be entitled to gather and report news as he sees fit, within the bounds of the Constitution and civil law." Much publicity has been given to the re lationship between the Nixon admi nistration and the p ress. specifically the actions of Vice- President Agnew. Although not denying Agnew "the r ight to be a critic ," Kenney charged that, through its comments, "the administration is attempting to veil a threat that if the press doesn't come in line with what the president thinks, there will be reper-
Kenney refe rred to the Farr case as a "victimless crime," des cribing it as "an action against a non- action." Citing an example of someone attacking another person with a club, he pointed out the protection of the government by sending the assa ilant to jail. "But," puzzled Kenney. "if you refuse to tes tify on the stand, the law says you can be put in jail for a year, even though you were the person who was attacked.
The editor pointed out the Caldwell case, a recent Supreme Court ruling r egarding grand jury appearances by the pres s, as an example of new decisions resulting from Nixon policy. "Unfortunately, oftentimes the Constitution means what five justices say it means . In this instance . a 5-4 decision, it was declared that reporters are required to testify before a grand jury,~ expressed Kenney.
Why?
Simply for refusing to testify.
"If you regulate the press, you are in
cuss i ons.~
THE TELESCOPE Palomar College · Volume 26 Number 31 · A Publication of the Associated Students
Typicall y, when freedom of the press is mentioned, it is usually in association with the major newspapers of this country such as the New York Times or the Was hington Post. However , the Escondido Daily- Times Advocate , a "small town" paper with a circulation of 27,000. has not been without its problems and issues . Recently the paper was upheld in a suit against the city of Escondido in regard to the Brown Act. This act states that secre t m eetings by the state can be held only to discuss personnel, pending litigation, or wage negotiations. "One of our reporters was barred fr om attending a Cable TV rate advisory committee m ee ting.~ stated Kenney,"as was the general public . Seeing the conflict with the provisions given in the Brown Act, we took it to court against the city and won." The Daily-Times Advocate has not yet been brought to court in a libel suit. "It is a policy of this paper that any error in fact, judgment or quotation by a reporte r in a story, will have a retraction or correction printed in approximately the same spot on the page within 10 days after original publication," outlined the editor. A prime example of a required retraction occured some yea rs ago during the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower . "One of our reporters hear d a radio-
news br oadcast in whic h ·Congr essm a n John Rousse lot Infer r ed that P r esident E isenhower s hould be treated as a Communist, " r elated Kenney. "Unfor tunate ly for us , the radio br oadcaster was in e r ror, and the s tor y the r eporter had written on what he heard had to be retrac ted at the request of the congressman." Kenney said that the Escondido paper has not been directly affected at all by recent press r ulings . "However , "he emphasized, "we have an interes t in free dom of the press, and we will defend that freedom . Public officials in Escondido may have become awar e of the r ulings, and the r efore, may nothavebeenaswilling to contr ibute info r mation to us, but. this change , if existent, has not been noticable." A Palomar graduate, Kenney started out as a sports writer at the Advocate, and now, as editor, has the responsibility to oversee day-to-day operation of the newsroom, maintain control of the editorial page, and select editorial columnists. A conscientious and dedicated professional , Ron Kenney hopes to continue to present to the peopl e of North County a paper that conta ins "factual , substantial , honest, and objective material.~
In so doing, he will have cont ributed to the strength of the free dom of the press.
Local photographers triumph in competition
Area journalists will explain media career opportunities
Photography students from Palomar took three out of five awards in black and white photography in competition at Anaheim last weekend. Jack Yon took first place and was awarded honorable m ention. Cam Essary was awarded honorable m ention. Palomar students had 25 of their prints displayed among the 90 prints selected for hanging from the 500 prints entered from 11 western states . This was 28 percent of the total show hanging.
Career possibilities in journalism and related fields will be detailed for high school and college students at a workshop scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p .m. tomorrow. Theme of the day's program will be "Freedom of the Press.~ James S. McNutt, chairman of the college communications department, said, "The purpose of the conference is not only to acquaint students of this area with Palomar's programs in journalism, graphic arts and communications , but also to give them a better understanding of the vital importance the communications media play in today's world." He said that in addition to staff members . in those departments, professionals who will participate in the· program includ e Carlton Appleby, publisher of the Escondido Daily Times Advocate; Bruce Dillon, editor of the Encinitas Coast Dispatch, a nd Richard Pollard, former photo editor of Life Magazine. McNutt said the session will also deal with current threats to media freedoms, and discuss the problems,
In the final judging Palomar had four out of six prints in consideration. Students hanging includ ed Yon and Ray Payne, three prints each; Peter Koeleman, Doug Ison, Jenny Knudson, Fred Johnson, Judy Jobe, two prints each; Dave Young, Sharon Kilgore, Gr eg Snider, Don Bonnet, Helen Vita, Tim Beals, Bob Heer, Cal Evans and Ess ary, one print each. All are students in various classes supervised by Tom Young. . In ad dition, in another contest over the weekend, Essary received honorable m e ntion in East Los Angeles Cit y College photo competition in the Color Special Techniques Division.
Ceramics sale here Thursday Flute soloist featured by Community Orchestra Gallery shows last of series
James McNutt, chairman of tomorrow's Communication Day, rests after completing prepar ations for the day's events.
Student-mad e ceramic objects Included in the 2.000 art items to be sold here Thursday through Saturday are all prod uced with high-fire non-leadbeari ng and non- poisonous gla zes. Val Sanders, a r t faculty member, said yes terday.
He also po inted out that the Raku pott e r y pieces in the sale are glazed with non-lead bearing chemicals. Sanders said those planning to visit the sale may see a preview of some of t he works now in the display cases adjacent to the art building. T he thre e -day annual spring sale will feature a great variety of the student's art and ceramic works . and is sponsored by the college art guild . Another attraction at the event, which will run from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. each of the th ree days, w!ll be demonstrations in jewelry maki ng. ceramics. weaving. and other art processes .
Works of Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Sibelius will be performed by the Palomar Community Orchestra, di r ected by Lois Miers, in a concert in room C- 6 at 3 p.m . May 13. Nina Schulman, Vista, flute soloist, will be featured with the orchestra in the Alle r go movement of the Mozart F lute Concerto in D for flute and orchestra.
Director gives talk Bradford Warner, Tel evision Program Director, KPBS, will address Introduction to Rad io and Television at 1 p.m. in F -23 and TV Product ion and Direction at 2 p.m. in F - 23 tomorrow. Both c lass meetings are open to all students.
Five painti ngs by Mel Casas are now on displ ay in the Dwight Boehm Gallery Room B. Casas has had paintings in a l arge number of s hows and has had six one man s hows . He attended the Texas Wes te rn College and the University of the Ame r icas in Mexico City. Casas is also a book reviewer for "Choice Magazine: A Publication for the Association of Colleges and Research Libraries . " The painting display will remain in the gallery until May 18 and the prints displ ay until May 15. These are t he last entries in the one - man s how series.
JAILED 46 DAYS FOR SHIELDING SOURCE
Farr press battle related By Diane Marland "I was following the code of any good reporter when I decided I had to go to jail rather than reveal the source s of a story I wrote during the Charles Manson murder trial." wr ote Bill Farr. a Los Angeles Times reporter. Farr was sent to county jail last November by Superior Court Judge Charles Older for refusi ng a court order to name confidential news sources. His re lease was ordered 46 days later by U.S. Supreme Court Justice William 0 . Douglas while the case is appealed. The controversy which has evolved since Farr's case opened has resulted in a tremendous issue between the courts and the news media. Its outcome will affect reporters' rights, judiciary control, and most importantly, the information the general public will received in any published source. The Manson trial was in progress on October 8, 1970, when Judge Older first learned Far r had obtained a statement given by Virginia Grahal!;l regarding conversations with her cellmate, Susan Atkins, on€0 of the Manson codefe ndants. Miss Atkins had claimed the "famil y" had an additional series of
killings planned to victimize several famous movie actors and actresses. In an in-chamber meeting. Older conceded to Farr that he could r efuse to tell where he had obtained Mrs. Graham's statement since he was protected by California Shield Laws , Section 1070. This portion of the State Evidence Code gives reporters the legal right to protect their sources. Older confirmed to Farr that he would not be judged in contempt of court for refusal to disclose his sources. With this inform ation. Farr's story of Mrs . Graham's statement appeared in the Herald Examiner the next day. There were no immediate proceedings Initiated to learn of Farr's sources. This wou ld come later. It has since been stated, after publication of the story, by Older and other s that Farr was warned that he did not have the legal rights to protect his sources. Farr had gone ahead with the publication of the article because he had relied on Older's own interpretation of his rights as granted in Section 1070.
Seven months
later, Older learned
that Farr had stopped being a reporter and was serving as a press secretary to District Attorney Joseph Busch. The Manson trial had ended over a month before. Farr was served with an orde r to show cause why he shouldn't be compelled to answer questions about his sources. The fact most significant at this time was that Farr was no longer a reporter. During the three hearings preceeding F arr's contempt- of- court conviction, the only issue put forward by the judge was the claim that Farr's legal privilege to protect his sources had evaporated when he left the journalism profession . But the crucial issue in question was raised when the case we nt on to appeal. The issue was shifted by Justice Robert Thompson of the California Court of Appeal when he did not confro nt the fact of whether or not the privilege was still in effect. Thompson uphe ld Farr's conviction by dec laring Section 1070 as an unconstitutional interference with a judge's right to control proceedings in his own court. Farr · had pr oceeded with the article (Conti nued on Page 2)
Student Help Center plans rap sessions In an effort to bring people together to share thoughts, the Student Help Center is beginning a regular series of topic - oriented rap sessions. The first of the informal sessions, called "Male and Female Relations hips" is scheduled tomorrow at 11 a.m. in the center's headquarters in R - 3. All interested students are encouraged to attend . Other topics this semester include "The Changing Identity of Mature Women," ''Becoming Acquainted With Blacks~ and "Unwed Mothers." "Each worker in the center is developing a subject for discussion,~ coord inator Jerry Calhoun said . "Also, other students can suggest topics for later sessions.~ Bulletins will be distributed regularly to students announcing current topics of the sessions .
Veterans' meeting scheduled Thursday All veterans are strongly encouraged to attend a Veterans' Club meeting this Thursday at 11 a.m. in ES - 19. Angelo Carli , coordinator ofveterans' education stated that the purpose of the meeting was to elect officers and establish club policy. In emphasizing the importance of the c lub to student veterans, Carli pointed out that "the veteran today can be most influential in influencing legislation affecting his benefits . "The greatest influence can be generated by a group r ather than an individual. A well - supported Palomar College Veterans' Club is in the best interests of all campus vets . ' '
techniques , and skills required in each area of profession. progr am will begin at 9:30 T he a.m., and includ e a general session. showing of a film. "Graphic Communication," round-table session, workshops, and tour of campus departments of journalism, gr aphic arts and photography.
Students receive $1000 in awards Scholarships totaling $1,000 we r e awarded to 10 area high school s tud ents who won first places in the college ' s 16th annual Honors Day competition May 3. The stud ents competed in 10 categories of subjects in a day-long series of tests and dem onstrations. Winners were an nounced at the Honors Day Banquet that evening, where the speakers inc luded Dr. F r ederick R. Huber , college president , and Dr. Kent E. Backart, Honors Day chairman. Each first-p l ace winner rece ived a $100 Palomar scholarship. The c ategories of all c ompetition , donor s of awards, and the fir st, second and third place winners and their high school s ar e : Art (Patrons of Palomar): Da r cy Baker, San Dieguito; James Ke lley, Or ange Glen; Leann Aldrin, Fallbrook. Biological Science (Patrons of Palomar): Susan Keller, Orange Glen; Janet Gilbert , Vista; Tim Ogden, Vista. Business Administration (Fallbrook Rotary Club): Coble Deraadt, Escondido ; Renee Majeski, Vista; Michele Kolb, Or ange Glen. Foreign Language (Vista Rotary Club): Leticia Rivera, San Marcos; Cynthia Casillas, Vista; Margaret Smiley, Vis ta. Journalism (Lake San Marcos Woman's Club): Diane Slezak, Orange Glen; Dan Bonner, San Marcos; Sherry Eaton, Orange Glen. Mathematics (Escond ido Rotary Club): Fred Lundquist, Vista; Barbara Johnson, Orange Glen; Jeff Hage n , Escondido. Music (Philharmonic Artists Assoc. Auxiliary- Howard R. Bru.beck): Debbie Lemley, Escond ido; Jill Cristman, San Marcos; Barbara Mitchell , Vista. Physical Science (Patrons of Palomar): Bruce Johnson, Orange Glen; Gary Munson, Orange Glen ; Aaron McCracke n, Orange Glen. Secretarial Science (Associated Stu_dent Government): Jacqueli ne Delpy, Vista; Gina Jensen, Vis t a; Brooke Wills , Fallbrook. Speech ( Escondido Kiwanis Club) : Jackie Haight, Orange Gle n; Vicki Young, Escondido; Bari Wood, Fallbrook.
Webb voted honors Mrs. Betty Webb, Encinitas, chairman of the English Department, has been selected for listing in the 1973 edition of " Outstanding Educators of America. " The publishers' announcement in Washi ngton, said those selected fo r· the new award volume were nominated earlier this year by their college adminis trators, based on "except ional academic achievements and civic contributions. ' '