The Midpeninsula Free University

MFU Articles Published by The Stanford Daily
1968

Peninsula Observer Presents New View

We had a coup today, said Peninsula Observer Editor David Ransom, the Palo Alto Times city desk called us for the first time for information!

This is the gulf that separates the independent, radical, biweekly Peninsula Observer from Palo Alto's only daily newspaper, the Times.

The Observer exists because people opposing the power structures at Stanford and in Palo Alto feel that the Times and its sister paper the Redwood City Tribune constitute a monopoly in the area and do not have fair or balanced news coverage.

Marlene Charyn, one of the Observer's 14 non-salaried editors, observed that the paper was serving the progressive community—everybody—radical, left and liberal who feels that part of the failure of the democratic process is due to monopoly press.

She feels that the P.A. Times has slanted stories favoring the controlling interests of Palo Alto, the wealthy businessmen. We're more honest about the news, stated Miss Charyn. They're supporting the status quo, we're attacking it.

Lacks Objectivity

Many news stories that appear in the Observer contain their writers' opinion. When asked about the objectivity of these stories, Ransom answered, We deny the possibility of objectivity. He added. Objectivity is false. We're trying to get the facts and analyze them.

Explaining this further, Ransom said that the Observer's analysis are as biased as anyone’s, the AP, Palo Alto Times, etc.

The Peninsula Observer is the local spokesman for the Movement, a loose coalition of the Free University, Palo Alto Resistance, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Peace and Freedom Party and others.

Ransom feels that the paper has helped the organizing process of the Movement in the area. Members of these organizations come in and write for the Observer because they feel that the Movement has to have a voice.

Solicits News

To get the rest of the news, the Observer solicits stories and letters from anyone who will bring or send them in. The editors hold weekly meetings to decide which stories to use and discuss what should be covered in the future.

The Observer is currently losing $100-$2OO monthly, but Ransom said, is putting out a better, bigger paper than previously, when they were losing $700 a month.

Ransom feels that their financial position is good and getting better. He cited increasing advertising revenue, more subscribers and underwriting by patrons as reasons for his optimism.

The Observer is currently doing features on the Palo Alto power structure and how it relates to the current low-in-come housing shortage and the lack of a community center for the Free University.

In the past, the Observer compiled data about the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) which it published to make the public aware of its function and power.

National Coverage

In addition to local coverage, the Observer subscribes to the Liberation News Service (LNS) which supplies news of the Movement nationwide. The paper also contains special features such as James O'Connor's article, What is to be done as well as in-depth coverage of the Black Panthers.

The Observer strives to be contemporary and relevant, stated Miss Charyn. The name of the entertainment section was changed from Entertainment to Arts and finally to Cultural Revolution.

Drugs, be-ins, happenings, etc., are all considered to be part of the Cultural Revolution. We're vague because we don't know yet. The purpose of the section is to find out, explained Miss Charyn.

Free Comics

A four-page tabloid size comic section to be handed out free is planned and the Observer needs people to help put it out. The section is to have original comics dealing with the Palo Alto area and its figures.

Indirectly, the Observer is an outgrowth of Stanford underground writing. In 1965, the Stanford Graduate Coordinating Committee (GCC) published a newsletter as a forum for opinions relating to the Free Speech Movement in Berkeley.

In 1966 and 1967, Vietnam Newsletters and Experiment Papers were the radical voice of the area. As a project of Vietnam Summer 1967, the Peninsula Observer was founded by Barry Greenburg and Maureen Kulbaitis.

Ransom, editor of the Observer, is the candidate for Congress from San Mateo County on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket. He attended Harvard, graduating with a B.A. in English in 1962. He came to Stanford later that year and received his M.A. in English in 1966.

The Observer is seriously considering becoming a weekly in the near future, as they have more news than they can print. Long-range plans call for the paper to come out twice a week in a year or two.

When asked how long they plan to continue the paper, Miss Charyn answered, We will continue forever. For the duration, added Ransom.