European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 8, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Paga10 columns the stars and stripes Mes Reston Bush moving to make his peace with the press rely new president vows to improve relations the press and every four years they seem to set now George Bush is trying o make peace wish wftfw0#w "11 Ever with the fou be worse. No t everybody and Laming the scribblers the next target on his Agenda should t be much harder than balancing the budget. Different approaches to arrange a cease fire he been tried. Franklin Roosevelt tried to Charm the re porters Harry Truman swapped jokes with them on walks around the while House Lyndon Johnson tried intimidation Richard Nixon turned his spies on them and tapped their telephones and Ronald Reagan evaded them or used them As craps in his to shows. Bush is a different sort and at least temporarily the Outlook is a Little More hopeful. During the Campaign he dodged the reporters who had troubling questions but since his election he has restored some order an civility to the question period. He hired Reagan s press Secretary which was not a Good sign of change but he announced All his Cabinet appointments at news conferences and responded to question with his Normal patience and Courtesy. In his previous jobs the Cia was a proper exception he was available to reporters and seemed to have a philosophy for handling the dilemma Between secrecy and publicity. Unlike John Kennedy he did t have social favourites in the press and unlike Reagan he treated newspaper reporters and television reporters alike. He Seldom indulged in Anonymous background or Oft the record conferences but usually look Public responsibility for what he said privately. In the new administration such procedures would be a major improvement. The techniques Uthe past Charm intimidation evasion Haven t worked. Since then the main difference is not that presidents Are More eager to manage the news but that they have More powerful instruments for doing so. The administration spends More than a billion dollars a year on Public relations a polite name for manipulating re lations with the Public. The while House press conference was founded by Teddy Roosevelt on the principle of accountability. Since the president was protected by executive privilege and could not be compelled like prime ministers under the parliamentary system to answer questions in the Congress the press was invited to perform this function for the Public. Presidents however who had no adequate answers or were not adept at answering found other safer ways of reaching the Public. They had researchers speech writers even joke writers and they had teleprompter a that enabled Ihm to make carefully constructed extemporaneous speeches. In the process reporters Richard Harwood were increasingly treated like porters who were expected to carry whatever baggage officials wanted to dump on their transmission Bells. A few simple reforms would help. We could do without the helicopter confrontations in which questions arc shouted Over the Roar of the propellers. Regu Lar Brief presidential conferences with precise relevant questions and hones answers Are about All that s required. The official View is that we re a noisy Bunch nosing into things that arc none of our business and some times this is True. But it is also the Public s business and while the people usually Side with the government in these disputes they arc not served by the Mutual hostility that has developed Between officials who make the news and reporters who write it. Bush knows this belter than most. Ever since he was elected he has been trying to heal the wounds of the Campaign visiting the leaders of the Congress talking to Michael Dukakis inviting educators and Environ mentalists 10 give him their views re appraising the membership of the Cabinet avoiding provocative ideological disputes and appointing moderate and experienced professionals in Short Bush seems to be trying 10 create a favor Able atmosphere for discussion of the budget and other nuisances so that they can be debated on the basis of the facts with a minimum of rancor. He. Calls this Confidence building and has made a Good Start. But a Little More Confidence on both sides of the official press relationship would t Hurt especially after the Campaign which did very Little 10 encourage the Kinder gentler America he says he wants. Government to knee a Christopher in Matthews served ably on Capitol Hill for a num Ber of years As a press agent and propagandist for retired Uuie speaker Thomas p. O Neill. He had previously toiled in the stables of democratic senators and As a speech writer for presi Dent Carter. When Matthews left he Hill a couple of years ago he quickly found employment As a commentator for the Mutual radio network whose news director is Ron Nesson press Secretary to former president Ford. Matthews is into other enterprises As a syndicated columnist with 69 clients Washington Bureau chief for the san Francisco examiner sometime Politi Cal analyst for lbs television frequent guest on the Larry King talk show and author of a Book on his experiences in politics. He had a modest journalistic Back ground consisting mainly of a few pieces for the new Republic mag Azine one of whose. Editors Rick Helzberg had also been a speech writer in the Carter White House. He was hired by the examiner he said be cause its editor wanted my inside perspective on How politicians think and it was not a hindrance that after 20 years As a Washington politician head what we in journalism Call con iitjflions1? and  he was in Short a legitimate member of what David Broder described last week As a Power wielding clique of insiders. A clique where politicians publicists and journalists Are easily inter changeable parts.". ". It is perhaps unfair to say that All members of the clique possess the same assets that built client lists for Michael Deaver Lyn Nofziger. Henry Kissinger Alexander Haig and hundreds of other influential alumni of the Federal government. It is perhaps unfair to link them Loo closely to the in fluence paddlers and door openers"1 who Are a perpetual target of editorial writers investigative reporters and various do goobers. But they Are most certainly of that brotherhood of people who in one Way or another sup with the High an mighty of government  go on to quickly capitalize on their political backgrounds and connections. Insofar As the Media a re concerned the traffic involved Here is greater than the Public May realize. David Burke the president of lbs news trained so to speak for , in journalism As a principal assistant to sen. Edward Kennedy and former new York gov. Hugh Carey. Nouveau publisher mor timer Zuckerman turned to the White House for help in reviving the fortunes of his Magazine . News and world report. He picked a former while House spokesman David Gergen As the Magazine s editor and to balance things out appointed As the director of editorial administration Kathryn a. Bushkin who had been the press Secre tary for Gary Hart s 19.84 presidential Campaign ".". Bill movers the television lec Turer can in Large part thank Lyndon Johnson for his Start in journalism. He went from the White House press of fice to the newspaper new Day where he began his newspaper career As  chief. He then moved on to the multimillion Dollar fraternity in to land. Movers assistant at the while House Tom Johnson left Therea society entourage to enter the world