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Letters AP encourages advancement Editor: I would like to correct Tom Littlewood's description of the AP correspendents' turnover at Springfield as being policy ("The State of the State," August 1995, page 8). The Springfield AP office has, for the past 25 years, been a career path for ambitious and talented journalists. Some seek a job in Washington or in the foreign service, others as a news editor or bureau chief or correspondent in a larger bureau. The AP does have a policy of providing for staff to bid for almost all management and Washington positions. The procedure, instituted 12 years ago, encourages staffers to advance their careers on their own schedule and geographic preference. Littlewood noted that there had been seven correspondents in Springfield during a 10-year period. He is correct. Of the six who have left, two resigned from the AP, two moved on to the Washington bureau, one became news editor in Minneapolis after eight years on the Springfield staff and has since returned to Chicago as news editor for Illinois. The other staffer bid for and accepted the job as correspondent in Juneau. There is no staff rotation policy in the AP. Staffers choose when they wish to apply for another assignment for either personal or professional reasons. The applications are considered on merit.
Flacks serve public from inside Editor: Tom Littlewood's piece on the Capitol pressroom's revolving door triggered a trip down memory lane for this reporter turned "flack." When I covered the Statehouse for UPI from 1970 through 1978, [Sen.] Paul Simon once lodged the same complaint with me. I was one of just a few seasoned capital correspondents he recognized among so many fresh faces. How, Simon asked, can journalists provide meaningful perspective when politicians outlast the scribes? A similar lament was expressed by Taylor Pensoneau (then of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, now of the Illinois Coal Association) as we watched journalists move in and out of the pressroom with increasing regularity. Pensoneau observed that Statehouse assignments, once coveted and permanent, were becoming mere springboards to (presumably) greater journalism glory elsewhere. But even as Simon bemoaned pressroom turnover, I thought about the top-notch press secretary to then-U.S. Sen. Alan Dixon, former newsman Gene Callahan. When Callahan worked for Dixon in Springfield and Washington, he continued to serve the electorate well from even further inside government than reporters can ever hope to get, no matter how hard they try. This was because Callahan fielded media calls honestly, promptly and — in cases where mutual trust had developed — with truly useful background information. For instance, when a short-lived Dixon campaign for governor suddenly flopped, Callahan filled me in on all the political maneuvering that caused it. Without violating any 40/September 1995/ Illinois Issues confidence, I gave UPI readers the real inside story, thanks to this superb government communicator. Similarly, though Pensoneau is long gone from the pressroom where his reputation as a thorough and fair reporter was second to none, he continues to be a vital source of information for the voters of Illinois whenever he is quoted (and it's often) on matters surrounding the coal industry. In this sense, the knowledge and skills of one-time reporters like these aren't lost. Come to think of it, your own Illinois Issues readers benefit greatly from the likes of Don Sevener (former Lee Enterprises capital correspondent) and Charles Wheeler (who must hold some kind of longevity record for his Chicago Sun-Times stint at the Statehouse). I could go on and on, but my point is this: Dedicated Capitol reporters continue to inform the public in their own special ways, whether they move on to become government communicators, association spokesmen or opinion-makers for publications like yours. Once a commitment to covering public affairs is in our blood, we can't get it out. We keep people honestly abreast of developments from our new, more specialized vantage points.
I suspect the same will be true of the recently departed Statehouse reporters mentioned in Tom Littlewood's column, as well as generations of "revolving-door" journalists yet to come. As important as solid journalists are in discerning subtleties of Illinois government and politics, I know as an old Springfield hand how vital reporters who went to the "other side" were to me. I always try to return the favor now that I'm a "flack" myself.
Social workers are professionals Editor: As the representative of nearly 9,000 social workers in Illinois and 156,000 members nationally who are members of the National Association of Social Workers, I read with interest the letter by Lillian M. Snyder in the July 1995 issue (page 39). While I agree with Ms. Synder's assertion that social workers should be part of welfare reform and I have great respect for her historical perspective, I must strongly disagree with her position that social workers are "the cause of our welfare mess." Social work is one of the few professions dedicated to working with poor people. Social workers have proud roots that stem from Jane Addams and the Settlement House Movement, popular during the early 20th century. Social workers of that era literally moved into the communities and lived with poverty-stricken families with whom they worked. Harry Hopkins, a social worker, helped President Franklin D. Roosevelt design the programs associated with the Social Security Act. Social workers have relied on a variety of methods to help the people with whom they work. They have skills and innovative ideas that go beyond "throwing money at a crisis," and they have always advocated for a living wage for working Americans and a minimum standard of living for all Americans. This is a goal of which we are proud and for which we will continue to work. Social workers believe that real welfare reform requires an increase in the minimum wage and access to affordable quality day care. We also believe in the need for a national health care system. NASW has written and introduced legislation advocating a single-payer health care system for America. NASW has a strong legislative presence in Washington and in Springfield. In Illinois, we work closely with lawmakers and other advocates through our office of governmental affairs, located in Springfield. Regarding Ms. Snyder's comments on social work's professional training and licensure, I would like to point out that the profession of social work is now regulated in all 50 states. Social workers have either a bachelor's or a master's degree. In Illinois, no one may call themselves a social worker without one of these degrees and passage of a licensure exam. Bachelor level social workers must also be supervised for three years after graduation. In order to work independently in private practice or to be designated a clinical social worker, a person with a master's degree in social work must be supervised by a licensed clinical social worker for two years prior to passing the licensing exam. Only then can he or she carry the title Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). NASW has for years required that its members pass the exam administered through the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW) to distinguish themselves as capable to perform the independent practice of social work. We invite Ms. Snyder to join NASW and help us in our endeavors to reform the welfare system.
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Letters to the Editor
September 1995/Illinois Issues/41 |
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