Stage fright

National media must remain objective

Secret societies. Allegations of racism. Firebrand campus activism. On the surface, these are the perfect ingredients for a sensational news story - and it is precisely what those following the national news will no doubt hear about the Michigamua standoff, which is now ending its second week.

The controversy has even caught the eye of civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton, who is coming to the University this Saturday to endorse the Students of Color Coalition's occupation of the Michigamua office. Sharpton says he will be accompanied by a team of reporters from CNN and ABC's 20/20 and Nightline. The situation is such that CNN and ABC can put a variety of angles on their coverage - including sensationalist ones.

Producers at CNN and ABC should fight the temptation to exploit the situation for its potentially outrageous elements. Inflammatory rhetoric may make for interesting press, but in this case there is more to it than that; CNN and ABC's coverage should present the situation's complexities responsibly.

The press does have a valid story to cover: The SCC has good intentions in fighting racism, and it is also encouraging to see a resurgence in campus activism.

Few would deny that many of the items currently on display in the Union tower are racist and demeaning. But all that is known for certain is that Michigamua's history is marred by racism.

The current membership cannot be held completely responsible for what the group has done in previous years - and all groups have aspects of their past that are shameful today. They are responsible for where the group goes from here - the details surrounding which artifacts were in the attic and which were currently being used by the organization must be sorted out.

In 1989, Michigamua agreed to end its use of Native American culture, aside from the name; while there probably is no way of knowing how well Michigamua has lived up to that promise, the First Amendment gives any group the right to say what it likes, no matter how distasteful.

But members of Michigamua have shown a willingness to come clean about past actions, and they have given up ownership of the artifacts being exhibited by the SCC. Although this does not undo the offense that these artifacts have caused to many minorities, it could be a beginning of a resolution.

The entrance of Sharpton and the national media complicates things further. There is more to the Michigamua controversy than just a clear-cut case of racism, and the facts are already confused enough - they should be sorted out be those who know them the best, namely Michigamua, the administration and the SCC.

It is crucial that any coverage of the situation is fair, and considers that Michigamua's use of offensive artifacts is unclear. The only way to get through this situation is with constructive dialogue between all parties involved.