Latin Editor Hits Sexy Newspapers

The main thing wrong with American newspapers is their concentration on sex and other lurid phenomena, the head of Panama's Newspaper Union said yesterday.

On the other hand, the best thing about the U.S. papers is their willingness to give both sides of most issues, especially political.

Jose A. Cajar Escala, editor of a Panamanian weekly, and staff reporter on Panama City's largest daily, the Panama-American, was comparing the qualities of journalism in the United States and his own country.

"America has the best journalists in the world," he continued, "but some of your papers are shocking. We would never treat sex crimes so thoroughly in Panama."

He also noted that while Panamanian newspapers are generally independently run, they take up the cudgels for one political party, and exclude all news about its opposition.

Escala thought American newspapers were not quite so addicted to that practice.

The editor is on a State Department tour throughout the country.