Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-11-13


script it must be said that
Miss McGrory certainly did
an excellent job Of proving
Mr.. Nixon's point that certain
members of the press can
be Enthusiastically unfair.
True Mr.. Nixon appeared
to be a defeated, tired man.
But he was not in a schizo-
phrenic state nor did he APP
pear belligerent and against
the whole world as Miss Nc
Grory would lead the front
page readers to believe. He
was respectful at all times
but courageous enough to
state his convictions without
attempting to gloss over the
fact that, like all of us, he
hates to lose.
Nancy H. Jones.
Miss McGrory's article,
titled nixon Turns on
Friend and Foe Alike" is a
prime example of irrespon-
sible and ultra emotional,
slanted reporting"
Enter politics Miss Nc
Grory. Gain the experience
and virtues of becoming an
understanding woman lie.
could you take the dirt"
which you and your ilk have
dished out2
Mrs. Mark J. Banfield.
4 AA 4
read with great indigna-
ton the front page article in
the Nov. 8 Star entitled exit
Snarling-Nixon Pulls Havoc
Down Around Ears, by Mary
McGrory.
1t was hard to tie in the
McGrory article with the
text of Nixon's talk which I
considered a reasonable state
ment under the circum-
stances. You have proved
Nixon's point completely by
allowing to be published on
the front page a distorted,
misleading, and inaccurate
account Of his statement.
Your editorial was reason
able. but the McGrory story
is what will be read. Even
the photograph was one
selected to show Mr.. Nixon
in a bad light. You should be
ashamed.
Earle Baker.
Your handling of the Nixon
interview raises certain basic
questions about the whole
principle of fairness in news
coverage, which was the sub
ject that Nixon was talking
about. 1t probably would
have been better, from the
standpoint of fairness, if you
had played the McGrory
article and your partial tran
script on the same page, so
that the reader would more
readily turn from the one to
to the other. 1t is true that
you stuck into the McGrory
article a reference to the text.
But many readers-and prob
ably a majority-would not
turn from McGrory on page
one to your partial transcript
on page eight. For one thing,
they would not realize that
the McGrory article was
probably not an entirely OBJ
jective account of what hap
pend and of what was said,
as would have been written
by Jerry O'Leary, Sr. Thus
the impression many persons
received that Nixon had talk
ed and behaved like a maniac.
No person who has read
The Star as long as I have
would doubt your sincere de-
sire to be fair in your handl-
ing of news. But in Miss Nc
Grory you encounter a kind
of conflict. You want to
brighten your page. Anyone
who reads newspapers will
sympathize with you in that.
Miss McGrory has a sharp
Irish wit, and at times she
writes very well. But here.
it seems to me, is your con-
flict: Can you, for the sake
Of witty and clever writing,
afford to sacrifice the tradi-
tional American principle of
fairness tradition that has
been one Of the proud boasts
Of the American press?
Harry Venifer.
Editors Note: While The
Star printed in its early edi-
tions the only available--but
incomplete--transcript Of the
Nixon statement, 1t was able
to obtain and print In its
final editions a complete
transcript
I cannot refrain from add
ing my voice to the many
who have commented on Mr..
Nixon's statement to the
press on November Z, be-