The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1944-01-06
Realistic Attitude Marks
Change in Allied Diplomacy
New Journey Into International Cooperation
Combines deaIism and Realism; Step
Away From Old Style Power Alliances.
Analysis Of a
ReporteJs job
BY BAUKHAGE
Ne,os Analyst and Commentesor.

AS l sit down to my typewriter,
I sometimes try to visualize the
people who will read what write
Just as try to visualize the little
groups gathered about the loud
speaker when / talk to them.
Sometimes | shudder lest they ex-5
aggerate the Importance OF the
things we reporters report.
| am not bit different from the
anxious anonymous reporter whol
after the last war, still clad in hi4
khaki shirt, wearing the Cd Ut
"GI" now tie and trench coat, WIN
came down to work and STUMBLE
around the various Offices and me4
ings getting his stories and writij
them under the eagle eye OF
copy desk.
The reason | am worried now
because ! hear SO many people
about the things .the Washing
correspondent Writes-or says
the radio-as gospel. Well, most
US try to report what we see an
hear. We don't always know WhettA
er it is true or false. We just Try
to tell you about it. Most Of us label
what We know and what we think
Some do not.
| Sometimes WheH we talk with pea
pie we think really fought to know,
we report what they say with ~
tie more confidence. II we cant
quote the Brass Hat or the cabl
net officer or the senator who told
US this or that we say Authoritative
uuoters.' We are supposed to know
from experience whether what We
1hear is sound fact or just WishfM
thinking
The longer we live. the better We
are able to judge between the real
people and the phonies. Most old
timers in the government don't try
to fool reporters because they know
they can only do that once. Maybe
| twice.
| You know the old Scotch proverb:
aIf he cheats you once, shame On
him; if he cheats you twice. shame
on you
Many people think that unless we
attack the party in power, we must
be in favor of it. That isn't true.
We kngW, as the old bull said, "One
COW is much as another" We know
that despite the different party re-
gala politicians display, they are
really pretty much alike once they
get into office-not as good as the.
might be for the most part, seldom
as bad as the opposition paints them
The Active Element
But the party in power is the &C
, tive element, it makes news because
II does things. The minority merel,
objects. We report what is done
Not because we approve or disap
, prove of what is done but becaus
that is a concrete act. The Oppose
ton can do little more than oppose
That is negative. We know that
the opposition were in power,
!, might do the same thing, and tn
! party in power, which would the
J be the minority, would object.
! That is hard for the partisan lay
man to understand. We know thai
We have ideas, too, and the party !
0 power usually has some pretty goo
d ones which the minority has to OF
d ject to, merely on party grounds
r Not being OF either party we, II
d reporters, may also become part
/ sans not really Of the party but
e some Of the party's ideas.
y It is hard to make. some peop
e believe that we are not partisa
when we are objective, easy to max
e others believe we are not when Y
IS are.
k have covered Republican ar
e Democratic regimes. | have co
n cred one Democratic regime q lor
lie time. certainly hope, for the Cox
y Of the state, that ! shall be able
a. cover a regime of the Republics
n party, not because ! think it is p
Sc better or worse than the Dem
81 cratic regime but because ! THU
9 a change is good for the republ
OF When the next administrati
/ comes in, shall report what it doe
&c I shall lean, in spite OF myself,
al ward the constructive issues 1t pl
It. mulgates. But that won't, | hoT
ne make me a Republican any mo
n than my leanings toward the &C
r. structive side in this regime ma
oh me a Democrat. ! am neither.
he am, and hope to remain, a report
ep But, as beauty lies in the eye OF t
ny beholder, SO truth often lies IN
ear OF the listener.