Wyoming Man 
Gets Domestic 
Relations Post 
On Monday, Joe Cotter Became Chief Enforcement Probation Officer

302 Jobs Will Be Cut 
At Tobyhanna Depot 
The Facility Must Be Made More Competitive And Less Susceptible To Closing, 
Says Its Commander

Monday, January 24, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





You can't pay fiddler, &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 you can't call the tune &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; They're called press releases, they come into the newsroom by the dozens,
and they usually wind up in the trash. Those few that get into the newspaper
must first be totally rewrittenWhy? Because the company or agency behind the
release has an ax to grind. They typically include only one side of the "news"
(namely, their side), which means a reporter must both check out the item and
include the opposing side. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 All this must seem obvious; we think it is, anyway. But apparently it's
news to some school districts and environmentalists, who are shocked, just
shocked, that a business-produced teaching kit on environmentalism includes
favorable references to the business. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 What did they expect, the Bulletin of the National Academy of Sciences? Why
did they think the teaching kit was free? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The "Decision: Earth" curriculum was paid for by Proctor &amp; Gamble Co.,
according to the Associated Press story on Saturday. It was sent to 70,000
teachers over the past two years. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Clearly, in this case we don't believe it's marketing materials...," a
Proctor &amp; Gamble spokesman said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Right. They could hardly have been more blatant if they'd emblazoned their
logo on a blimp. As "Decision: Earth's" passage about the wonderful world of
clear-cutting puts it, "Proctor &amp; Gamble uses this economically and
environmentally sound method because it most closely mimics nature's own
processes." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But that's OK. Business is business, and all companies watch out for their
own self-interest. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The surprise is the reaction. This mild attempt at image-polishing
apparently has made some teachers and environmentalists mad. How mad? Mad
enough to ask attorneys general in 11 states to investigate, that's how mad. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Has everyone lost their common sense? For one thing, attorneys general in
11 states must have better things to do than to put P&amp;G's hapless public
relations execs under the interrogation lights. "You knew the scientific
evidence was out on clear cutting when you wrote that, didn't you? ANSWER ME!" &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For another, it stands to reason that any curriculum developed and then
given away free by a major company ought to be taken with a grain of salt. You
want free materials, you can have 'em ... but you've got to take the
advertising, too. You don't want advertising, then you buy your materials from
a legitimate textbook publisher. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Does it take attorneys general in 11 states to figure that out? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The story of the Trojan horse is more than 2,000 years old. And these are
schoolteachers we're talking about, who should know such legends. That's why
we're more than a little surprised to hear of teachers who welcomed the big
wooden horses into their classrooms, then got all hot-and-bothered when a few
Greeks stepped out.

You Can't Pay Fiddler, 
You Can't Call The Tune 
They're Called Press Releases, They Come Into The Newsroom By The Dozens, And 
They Usually Wind Up In The Trash. Those Few That Get Into The Newspaper Must 
First Be Totally Rewritten.

You Can't Pay Fiddler, You Can't Call The Tune They're Called Press Releases, They Come Into The Newsroom By The Dozens, And They Usually Wind Up In The Trash. Those Few That Get Into The Newspaper Must First Be Totally Rewritten.