The Kansas City Press Club will host its annaul media law seminar this Saturday (10/13) at 10 a.m. at the headquarters of the law firm Lathrop and Gage (2345 Grand Boulevard).
The event is free and open to the public.
Bernard J. “Bernie” Rhodes, one of the firm’s partners and the Kansas City area’s leading specialist in media law will be the main speaker. The program is a must for working journalists, especially those hoping to avoid lawsuits.
The seminar will be held in Suite 2200 on the 22nd floor. Free parking is available in the building’s underground garage.
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER WEEK
I’ve heard the presentation by Mr. Rhodes on at least two occasions, but a “refresher” course wouldn’t hurt me a bit. The timing of Saturday’s event is most appropriate, the week of October 7-13 having been designated National Newspaper Week for 2012. The following essay was penned by me in 2008 for National Newspaper Week and submitted to The Star in the form of an “As I See It”. Unfortunately, however, it never appeared in print, nor was there any mention in the paper of the “big week”.
When the “trick” question is posed, some listeners, especially children, will invariably conduct a mental inventory of the tri-colored objects with which they are familiar in search of an acceptable answer. But those of us truly in the know quickly provide the correct reply, the newspaper, when asked, “What’s black and white and read all over?”
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! National Newspaper Week – October 5-11!
The pitch of the street-corner paper boy is only a distant memory now, but as America observes National Newspaper Week, it is only fitting that we re-examine and, yes, celebrate the vital role this unique institution continues to play in our country, be it the big-city daily, the small-town weekly, or everything in between. And although the newspaper no longer enjoys the lofty status it once did, it nevertheless remains an integral part of our literary landscape. From the humble broadsheet of yesteryear to the multi-section bundle of information and entertainment we have today, the newspaper has been there all along to enlighten and inspire, document and decipher, scrutinize and inquire. And there was even a time when the view was held, at least by publisher William Randolph Hearst, that the primary purpose of the newspaper was “to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable.” Serious stuff.
Of course, a newspaper needs at least two things to survive – people who can read and a sufficient source of revenue. And a democracy in the Jeffersonian tradition needs at least one thing to survive – a well-informed citizenry. So just how important are newspapers in a civilized society? Well, it was no less an authority on government than Mr. Jefferson himself who once said, and I quote: “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I shouldn’t hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” Wise choice.
Government watchdog, scribe, storyteller, and community cheerleader. These are but four of the many hats newspapers wear as they go about the customary business of the Fourth Estate. Additionally, newspapers help shape our identity as a culture on the national level, constitute the “voice of the village” on the local level, and, on the personal level, faithfully capture in their columns the most important days of our lives (births, weddings, deaths, etc., etc.).
When compared to television, radio, the internet, and to a lesser extent magazines, nothing delivers the news in detail like newspapers do. And no source of news is as portable, retrievable or consistently reliable. And hey, nothing goes better with a great cup of coffee in the morning. Try cuddling up to your mouse in front of the monitor with some Joe. No, it just doesn’t feel quite the same.
I don’t know about you, but my favorite part of the newspaper is the letters to the editor page because I like to see what ordinary people are saying about the issues of the day. It’s the printed version of the public square, the one place where you’re relatively free to speak your mind without the fear of being reprimanded. Of course, other readers turn first to the sports page or the comics, and still others go straight to the society page or the police blotter. The point is this: there’s usually something for everyone in the newspaper if you’ll simply take the time to discover it.
But alas, these are trying times for the industry, as newspapers compete against television, radio, magazines, and the internet for limited advertising dollars amid rising operating costs and falling readership figures. And anymore it would probably be appropriate to rewrite the question to read: “What’s black and white and red all over?” because any number of newspapers are losing money these days.
Even so, I’m guardedly optimistic about the future of the industry and wholeheartedly believe that as long as there’s enough ink in the pots to keep the presses running, there’ll always be a niche for newspapers to fill. In fact, I look for newspapers to eventually make a comeback worthy of a 2″ banner. Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
ELUSIVE JL
I attended this function and enjoyed it very much! Thought I would get to meet the elusive John Landsberg, but alas it was not meant to be.
Regardless, Bernie Rhodes was both educational and entertaining. Thank you, John, for posting on your site the information about the program.