The newspaper industry is called the Fourth Estate. Students learn in journalism programs that this term originated in France just prior to a revolution that led to the overthrow of its corrupt and oppressive aristocracy.

Under monarchical rule, the King consulted an advisory group known as the Estate General. The First Estate consisted of three hundred clergy, the Second Estate of three hundred nobles and the Third Estate of six hundred commoners.

After the Revolution, the press, now free to report wrongdoing and express opinions without fear of reprisal, was dubbed the Fourth Estate. Its value as the public’s most diligent watchdog became universally respected and appreciated.

Freedom of the press carries more meaning than ever in today’s complex and conflicted world where governments stifle free speech and powerful people seek to distort facts or even promulgate outright falsehoods to further their own self-serving agendas.

In pursuit of the truth, today’s college students often turn to the Internet.

There they can find a proliferation of information on almost any subject. But it comes at the price of little, if any, assurance as to accuracy or level of bias.

It’s only when they get into the habit of regularly reading newspapers that younger people begin to appreciate the significance of a source of timely information that offers attributes available from no other communications medium.

Newspapers may not have the minute-by-minute immediacy of CNN, but the information they impart is more thoroughly and thoughtfully presented, covers a wider spectrum of pertinent subjects and can be readily retained for future reference.

Community newspapers bring local news and information to readers that other media are not equipped to deliver in any depth, if at all. Newspaper editors across the country are well aware that this carries great responsibility.

Charles Snowden was one of those newspapermen who understood the vital importance of the Fourth Estate. Lacking the involvement of an informed citizenry, our Democratic principles would inevitably be compromised.

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As a longtime editor at the Oregon Journal and The Oregonian, he knew full well that, in order to preserve our country’s ethical integrity, a cadre of able and committed journalists had to be nurtured generation after generation.

Throughout his career, Snowden mentored aspiring young journalists. When he passed away in 1997, it was only fitting that his family establish an endowment at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication.

In 1998, the Charles Snowden Program for Excellence in Journalism was launched with a group of interns placed in paid, 10-week-long positions at a handful of participating newspapers around the state. That select group of Snowden newspapers, known for their community commitment and ability to work with students, now includes The Daily Astorian, The Bulletin in Bend, the East Oregonian in Pendleton, the Herald and News in Klamath Falls, the New-Register in McMinnville, the News-Review in Roseburg, The Outlook in Gresham, the Register-Guard in Eugene, the Statesman Journal in Salem and the Tri-County News in Junction City.

The News-Register has been part of the program from the outset. And it’s publisher, Jeb Bladine, serves on the Snowden Advisory Board.

Over the past 10 years, we have played host to an outstanding group of interns. They were immersed in on-the-job training as reporters, photographers and graphic designers.

One of them, Katie Willson, a 2003 Snowden, subsequently worked three years for the News-Register.

In 2005, Willson won both the Society of Professional Journalists’ Bob Chandler Rookie of the Year Award and the Portland State University Foundation’s Bruce Baer Award for investigative reporting, along with a host of other awards. She is now working as an investigative reporter in Washington, D.C., after having done a tour in the capital bureau of the Albuquerque Journal and earned a master’s degree at American University.

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Every fall, Charles Snowden’s widow, Julie, and their son, Richard, team up with the U of O to host a reception and dinner for that year’s group of interns.

It’s held at Julie Snowden’s fabulous home above the Willamette River on Wilsonville Road, southwest of Newberg. Fabulous applies not only to the architecture and setting, but also the astounding treasure trove of collectibles that reside inside.

To accompany this amazing feast for the eyes, one for the appetite was also provided in the form of a gourmet buffet spread prepared by Snowden’s favorite chef, Lizanne Mustain of Wine Country Catering.

University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer was on hand again this year. In noting the laudable program is now entering its second decade, he expressed his appreciation to the Snowdens and conveyed his congratulations to this year’s crop of interns.

As the guests of honor, the interns were all asked to briefly describe what the program meant to them and relate their most memorable on-the-job experience.

When it came Ben Tertin’s turn, the News-Register’s 2008 Snowden intern told a tale that topped any of his peers.
Now a Multnomah University graduate student, he related how he was working alone in the newsroom when the police scanner started going berserk. A naked man had apparently set his house on fire with people inside.

It was up to Ben to get detailed observations from the scene for the next day’s paper. He ended up covering the story through the summer, as the man headed toward eventual trial on allegations of attempted murder of his girlfriend, escalating to murder charges after she died of the extensive burns she suffered.

This very special event at a one-of-a-kind private residence was befitting for such a talented group of young people, whose early accomplishments have already put them on the road to productive careers. During the evening, it was announced that 77 of the 111 Snowden alums are now working in media and communications, most of them as journalists.

And that’s what I found out while OUT and ABOUT — at the 2008 Snowden reception and dinner.

Karl Klooster, the News-Register’s regional editor, can be reached by e-mail at kklooster@newsregister.com or by phone at 503-883-6227.