At this moment she's waiting for Leonard Downie Jr., executive editor of the Washington Post, and Robert Kaiser, Post associate editor, as they make the first stop on a tour touting their new book, "The News About the News: American Journalism in Peril." Skewering TV news in general and large chains like Gannett and Knight-Ridder for abandoning "good journalism," Downie and Kaiser lambaste many major news organizations (including our local friends, The Chicago Tribune) for selling out the public interest for their bottom line. And while the book is meant to explain to John Q. Public just why they get the kind of news that's out there today, many journalism students are taking it as a career primer.

"I always figured I'd start out at something like a Gannett or a Knight-Ridder paper," senior Ross Siler says, somewhat dispiritedly. "But to read the book and hear what they're like, it just sounds like they're not very good places to work."

Obviously the book's goal wasn't to strike fear into the hearts of j-school hopefuls, but it's there--and as they take their show on the road to at least three other big-name journalism schools, Downie and Kaiser acknowledge the side effect. "We have a professional and personal interest in encouraging bright young people to go into newspapering and obviously we have to be honest about the fact that the number of attractive employers is just not increasing," Kaiser says a bit sheepishly.

"One of the saving graces of newspaper journalism is that the main currency of the craft is stories. And even in lousy newsrooms, people that produce good stories can have success and fun and be rewarded," he continues. "And, although a lot of these businesses are less interested in quality than we wish they were, they're still all publishing a lot of words every day; even the worst paper has space for a good story."

Downie and Kaiser lay it out for the crowd: "Most American news organizations today produce very little original, revelatory news reporting," Kaiser says. "Are we doomed? Is it just going to get worse? Well, that's certainly possible." On the optimistic side, Kaiser says "the best journalism today is better than it's ever been," but as at least one audience member says, the optimism sounds a bit forced.

"I guess... I'm hopeful," Siler says. "But at this point I'm pretty much willing to take any job that comes along."

Also by Elaine Richardson

HAIL TO THE CHIEF
With more than 300 objects from the Smithsonian and another forty from the CHS, "The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden" opens February 16 for a seven-month run, its first stop on a national tour.
(2002-02-14)

DOMESTIC BLITZ
On her first day as the maid for a wealthy Chicago family, Lisa Alvarado was handed a basket. "The lady of the house gives me this wicker basket—it was woven and very nice. It contained her lingerie and... I was expected to hand wash it," Alvarado says with some incredulity.
(2002-02-14)

SLAV TO ART
On a particularly dreary stretch of Milwaukee Avenue, the Malovat Art Gallery (1630 North Milwaukee) makes an impression. From front windows that open outward, European style, to the black-and-white interiors, it's a whole new look.
(2002-01-31)

PUT UP OR SHUT UP
Wearing only a short-sleeved T-shirt against the morning damp and ceaselessly smoking Marlboro Ultra-Lights, by 10:30am Blanford's in a black mood following his "audition" experience at Limp Bizkit's "Put Your Guitar Where Your Mouth Is" event: "I didn't audition for shit, man. I just got pissed off."
(2002-01-31)

SEEING IS BELIEVING
(2002-01-31)

FIGHT THE POWER
(2002-01-24)

TALLYING TURNSTILES
(2002-01-17)

COSELL & CO.
(2002-01-10)

IT'S ALIVE!
(2002-01-10)

BALANCING ACT
(2002-01-10)

HOT AIR
(2002-01-10)

FILM VAULT
(2001-11-22)