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Show Code Is Suitable for Reporting Vulgarity “READER ADVOCATE JOHN CUMMINS Sensitivity has to be the watchword when reporters and news editors deal with obscenities and racial slurs in news reports. With“out it, the content of the report can become unnecessarily offensive. The rule on whether to use the “potentially offensive word generally rests on determining whether uttered by former Los Angeles Detective Mark Fuhrmanin taped interviews with an aspiring screenwriter. it seems likely that most readers understand the meaning of‘‘n----,” and I see no compelling reason to spell out the slur even thoughit is a critical element in the story. But The Tribune is not always consistent in following the rules. A week ago this newspaper published an Associated Press story which reported that Simpson’s defense attorneys wanted to use the taped interviews to show jurors that Fuhrmanlied when he testified “that he hadn’t used the word ‘nigger’in the past decade.” In another story last week reportingthe details of a real-estate scandal, a Tribune reporterrelated an instance in which the value it is a critical element in telling of the sharesin a mortgageinvest- a quoteto identify the racial slurs ment fund had dropped nearly 100 percent, causing an unidentified expert to say “investors were holding ‘piles of shit’ for which they had paid $1.2 billion.” I do not care who the expert was — or how commonplace that word has become — the wordis a the story accurately, In dealing with coverageof the O.J. Simpson murdertrial, The » Salt Lake Tribune seems to have settled, at least for the moment, on the policy of using “‘ ot direct quote or ‘‘n-word” if not in seatological vulgarism that was not necessary. Using the code word “s--’’ within the quote would have conveyed the expert’s meaning to readers. And, it would have saved The Tribune from wallowing in gutter talk. Tribune Editor James E. Shelledy and national news desk editors are pondering whether reporters ought to continue the use of code words or spell out the offensive real thing. Some might arguethai the code words are so clear in their meaning that we might as well spell them out. My age may be showing, but I would vote for the code words. We need accuracy, of course, but we can havethat withoutbeinginsensitive. o Speaking of inconsistencies: Last week The Tribune covered the memorial services held by members of the Submarine Veterans of World WarIi during their 41st national convention in Salt Lake City. Even thougha line in the story referred to the submariners lost at sea during the war as “sol- diers,” the report provided appropriate recognition of an orga- nization of Navy veterans holding its national convention in Utah and conducting memorialservices nists don't like him,” DelMar had replied. “Not fair!” I asked DelMarto consider the fact that the committee's investigations indicated that Sen. Packwood has engagedin a pattern of sexual harassment of women Senate employees over a period of many years. “He kissed a few of the girls in the office,” DelMar said. “That's EDWARD McDONOUGH no big deal when you look at all My gym locker row neighbor, DelMar Jensen, stopped me on ‘the street Thursday morning. “Did you see what they’re doing to Packwood?” he asked. “It’s a darn shame.” lL askedhimif he was referring to the newsthat the Senate Ethics Committee had voted to recommend that the full Senate expel Oregon's Republican Sen. Boh Packwoodfor unbecoming behavior. The senator, of course, subse- quently resigned rather than resist. “They're kicking him out of Congress just because the femi- the hanky-panky that goes on in the federal government. Heck, Packwood didn’t even get any hanky-panky outof it, the way I hearit.” T said that Sen. Packwood appeared to have abused his position of considerable authority to impose himself upon women employees who werein noposition to object to his unwanted advances. IT said I thought that was the most insidious kind of gender oppression. What was a page or clerk supposed to do when oneof the most politically powerful men in the country nuzzled up for a kiss? Wasshe expected to run from the building, and her career? “Well, Packwood said he never did it twice to any girl who objected,” DelMar said. “That's no reason to kick him out of Congress.” lasked DelMarto consideralso that the Ethics Committee had found that Sen. Packwood had tried to obstruct the committee's investigations by altering his diaries, and hadtried to get his estranged wife a job with persons whowere interested in legislation being considered by the Finance Committee chaired by Sen. Packwood. “Those are just add-ons,” DelMar said. “His diaries are his own business. And that job businessis just business as usual in government. Everybody do¢s it. And whataboutthe votersthat elected him? Don’t the votersinhis state have rights, too? Can their votes to put the representatives they want in Congress be thrown out just because some club member- ship committee thinks Packwood didn’t uphold some gentleman’s code?” DelMar’s face was red. “Baloney!” he said. Bosnian Warfare MayEnd, But Not by Only Bombing on the 50th anniversary of the Japanese surrender. However, only a few days before, The Tribune managedtoignore the annual reunion of the Sixth Marine Division Association in Salt Lake City. That veterans’ gathering, orchestrated by Leon and Alta Price of Beaver,attracted survivors of the battles on Saipan and Okinawa, which were amongthelast battles of World WarII. But, apparently,it did little in the wayof attracting the news media. “No wonder baby boomers and children do not know anything of RUSSIAN VIEW a - 2 "MICHAEL NAKORYAKOV It would no doubt be great if Bosnian Serbs finally go for a compromise and accept the 49 Marine captain and Utah native percent of Bosnia they were of- now living in California said in a letter to the Public Forum. Most Marines I have known have contended that‘the Corps” has always hadto take a back seat to the Navy. This oversight enhancesthat contention. The Reader Advocate’s phone number is 237-2015. Write to the Reader Advocate, The Salt Lake fribune, P.O. Box 867, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110. I told DelMar that he had an interesting point about the Senate membership beingable to expel a member. That did appearto violate the principle that the people of each state should be able to send to the Senate whomeverthey choose, so long as the senatorfit the constitutional requiremenis of being over 30 years old, nine years a US. citizen and a state resident. But I also pointed out the Constitution gives to the Senate exclusively the power to try all impeachments, and provides that each house of Congress shall be the judge of the qualifications of its members. I added that in my opinion there were aspects of the outmoded code of gentlemanly behavior that mightstill have relevance in modern society. “Baloney,” DelMar explained. Edward J. McDonough practices law in Sait LakeCity. 13 million Bosnian Serbs because, unlike Americans, Serbs clearly are prepared to go all the way. Thereis a limit to how much the air raids can accomplish. The Persian Gulf Warand the notorious Russian campaign in Chechnya showed that quite clearly. World War il history,” a retired Constitution Lets Congress Discipline Own Members POINT OF LAW D3 10, 1995 The Salt Lake Tribune COMMENTARY Sunday, fered months ago, as they promised in Geneva. There might be some questions afterwards, such as, how serious were Croats and Bosnian Muslims whenthey agreed to acceptthe remaining 51 percent? They didn’t have much trouble saying “yes” when they knew Serbs would say “no,” but their position could be changed by different cireumstances. Nevertheless, success of the Geneva agreement, outlining the creation of a sovereign Bosnian state with a Serbian Republic and Croat-Muslim Federation as two equal entities, is worth hoping for. The accordis a good thing not only becauseit indicates the most devastating conflict of the postCold War era might end. It also may mean the West, and particularly the United States, has managedto escape unharmed from a dangeroustrapit largeiy designeditself. The videos of NATO’s pinpoint bombings of Serbian 2zmmunition depots were impressive, but they did not answer a simple question: Whatif the Serbs refuse to cave in? If this week’s agreement works, we may never know the answer. Norshould we expectto find out whythe Serbsreally agreed to go to Geneva. So far, their resolve to fight has seemedto get only stronger with every new U.S. bomb dropped on them. The beginning of NATO bombings was weleomed by many as a too-long delayed displayof toughness on the U.S. side. The problem is, American toughness can be no match for the toughness of At some pointa decision needs to be made about bringing in ground forces, or simply admitting air raid tactics did not work. The Clinton administration clearly wasn’t preparedfor either one As for the Bosnian Serb leaders, there are few things they would enjoy more than seeing Americans in big trouble. Only time will tell if Radovan Karadzic and Co. are playing gamesagain. All sorts of games are possible in the former Yugoslavia for a simple reason: This warhas no clear cause. Leaders may keep saying they are fighting for the happiness of their constituents, but it would surely be difficult to find an ordi- nary Serb, Croat or Muslim claiming they are happier nowthan they were before the bloodshed began. Thereis no truthin claimsthat the Balkan people historically can’t live harmoniously together. The French and Germans have goneto war with eachothera dozen times during the last millennium, but it doesn’t mean theywill start killing each other again at the slightest provocation. The Bosnian war is a conflict for politicians — their ambitions, lies and betrayals. For certain world leaders the Yugoslavian tragedy has becomean opportunity to demonstrate their toughness and ingenuity, primarily for their domestic audiences. The absence of cause meansthe warcango onforever.It also may mean, though, that it can be stopped any moment — if not from within, then from outside. The world community is capa- ble of making that happen, if it wants to. Bombsalone, however, maynot offer the best solution. Salt Lake Tribune reporter Michael Nakoryakov was a journalist in Moscow until November 1991 Beare S withTHC PUG sor rer GMT Coe CaerneemTino “a tongerterm und you can select a liquid account and make your funds more accessible. At America 1-800-824-1122 Year after year,it's what more than 90% of our client companies keeptelling us. That's way abovethe industry average. Theytellus it’s because Intermountain Health Care cffers a variety of plans, a large network of highly respected doctors and hospitals, and affordable rates. We also paya lot ofattention to you. You'll have a team oflarge business specialists assigned to your company whoare well-versed in the needs ofthe large employer. 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