To the Point

Commercial Whaling: Everyone Back in the Water!

Herman Melville-s Moby Dick may have come from the heart of darkness, but today, the mystical mammals are seen as intelligent creatures--except in Japan and Norway, and among American Eskimos, where they-re regarded as food. In 1986, after whales had been hunted almost to extinction, 40 nations agreed to a moratorium, dismantled their fleets and rendering whaling economically insignificant. Now, the whale population has recovered and -sustainable whaling- is being advocated again. We look at the politics, science and emotions behind one of the world-s enduring controversies with an advisor to the World Council of Whalers, a Greenpeace activist, and the heads of the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the High North Alliance. Newsmaker: Simon Thanks Bush for His Support President Bush is in California to raise money for gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon. News accounts have described Bush as -walking on eggs,- and White House staffers are said to be worried that Bush might be tainted by associating with Simon. Allan Hoffenblum, political director for the State Republican party, comments on Simon-s political problems, the November Governor-s election and the 2004 Presidential election. Reporter's Notebook: News Organizations Besieged by Outraged Critics in Middle East Debate As Middle East violence has increased, so have complaints about news coverage. This year, major news organizations report that accusations of bias are more continuous and more intense than ever before. Sharyn Vane, whose -Days of Rage- appears in the August issue of the American Journalism Review, reports on what she discovered about the credibility crisis of America-s news organizations.