Contact: David West
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

4/17/98

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES - In issues involving privacy, President Clinton has been the worst president of the 20th century, according to journalist Robert Ellis Smith, who was the keynote speaker at Northwestern State University's 11th annual Research Day. And ironically, the current scandals swirling around the president could further erode the privacy of each person in this country.

Smith uses his training as an attorney to report on the individual's right to privacy. He is the publisher of Privacy Journal, a monthly newsletter on privacy in the computer age. Smith is a frequent speaker, writer and congressional witness on privacy issues. He has compiled a clearinghouse of information on the subject.

Smith said the right to privacy included an individual's ability to control private information about themselves and to have some control over how some third parties use information about them.

According to Smith, the scandals in Washington are the convergence of two trends.

"The first trend is the view that whatever is going on in Washington must be wrong. That came out of Watergate," said Smith. "The second trend is the tabloidization of the news. There is an obsession in the press with gossip. This type of gossip mongering has gone on before in American history, but not for such a long time."

Part of the reason for gossip working its way into mainstream media is the influence of media moguls and employees from Britain and Australia where journalism is practiced differently.

"There are very strict laws on libel in Britain and Australia and when those journalists get here with the freedom we have, it's open season," said Smith.

The impact of this media coverage is that matters that were once considered private are exposed to the public.

"This started at the confirmation hearings for (Supreme Court Justice) Clarence Thomas," Smith related. "I was watching with my children on a Saturday morning and heard things that I would not have wanted them to hear in terms of explicit explanations. That is tame by today's standards."

Current allegations involving the president could have a lasting impact of the privacy rights of all Americans because of the investigation by Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr. Smith said Starr is trying to erode attorney-client privilege by trying to get information from the attorney of the late White House counsel Vince Foster. Smith also criticized Starr for trying to use recordings by Linda Tripp in the Monica Lewinsky that are "clearly illegal."

Smith said Starr also tried to get Lewinsky to wear a wire to record conversations inside the White House, attempted to learn about Lewinsky's purchases at a bookstore and forced her mother to testify before a grand jury. Smith said those efforts could chip away at the rights to privacy enjoyed by all Americans.

The journalist was critical of Clinton for supporting policies that made it easier for law enforcement agencies to get wiretaps, made computer encryption more difficult and eliminated the only federal agency that was a watchdog for privacy rights.

In closing his remarks, Smith was critical of a Louisiana law requiring all those who receive a check from the state to submit to a random drug test.

"That law belittles the whole process of drug testing and intrudes on the right of people who have not done anything wrong," he said.

Research Day was sponsored by the Council for University Research Institute Administrators (CURIA). This event gave NSU students and faculty an opportunity to present their latest work to an audience of peers. There were 50 research presentations by more than 90 NSU faculty and students. Work by CURIA grant recipients for the 1997-98 year was also included.

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