I was disappointed by Kevin Kirby’s admission in a recent column that he had accepted airfare, hotel lodgings and meals from Paramount Studios in Los Angeles to preview Beavis and Butt-head Do America and Star Trek screenings.

I was also disappointed that the editor and Lifestyles editor approved of this junket.

Kirby vows that such a pay-off will not influence his reporting on these shows, and I’ll take him at his word for this.

However, he and his editors at the Daily fail to consider that news sources must understand that they cannot pay for news coverage, and this is exactly what Paramount was attempting to do. Advertising is for sale, not the news columns.

Kirby should have followed his initial impulse and abided by the Society of Professional Journalists’ code which reads: “Journalists should refuse gifts, favors fees, free travel and special treatment.”

Any way you cut it, a journalist’s integrity is at question when he or she accepts gratuities from news sources. I know it’s done regularly, especially by sports writers and entertainment critics.

However, more and more of these journalists are now paying their own way. About 100 college journalists apparently succumbed to Paramount’s goodies. It’s not clear if any declined the offer.

Being an old fogey, I prefer practices which prevent even the perception of improper professional behavior by journalists. In the mid-1960s, Ford Motor Company invited about 50 college newspaper editors to its River Rouge plant to view and drive back to college new Mustangs. Editors were to keep the cars until the end of the school year, with a strong implication that they could then purchase them at a nominal price.

Two of the 50 editors declined the offer — one because he was busy, one for ethical reasons.

The latter was David Nilsson, editor of the Iowa State Daily, who instead of flying to Detroit, wrote an editorial piece scolding the giant automaker for its blatant bribery attempt.

I know, I’m out of step with the times, but it doesn’t feel all that bad. On the other hand, maybe a person should be paid to be forced to watch Beavis and Butthead.

Bill Kunerth

Professor Emeritus

Journalism