Mobil Oil Official says T.V. Refused Corporation's Ads

Herbert Schmertz, vice president of Mobil Oil Corporation, said yesterday network television's news shows are "the most closed, systematically exclusionary" media in America because they "rigidly apply" a censorship process to the points of view they present.

"The networks believe that controversial issues of public importance are best presented in the formats determined by broadcast journalists," Schmertz said, adding. "There can be no other points of view except that which the network journalists decide you should see."

In a speech at the Business School, sponsored by the Communications, Arts, and Entertainment Club, Schmertz said the networks repeatedly refused to run Mobil advertisements on energy-related topics because "they were too controversial."

Schmertz said newspapers allow a more varied discussion of the issues in their advertisements, syndicated column, freelance reports and letters to the editor.

Schmertz discussed Mobil's efforts to establish its "corporate personality" through informative advertisements and through the sponsoring of artistic and other "quality projects."

In a discussion after his presentation, Schmertz denied charges published by B'nai B'rith's Anti Defamation League (ADL) that his corporation discriminates against Jews in its hiring and employment practices.

"The accusations just don't apply to us." Schmertz said, adding "It's a disservice to the process of trying to recruit Jewish students into our corporation. It gives them the feeling that Mobil might not be a good place for them to work."

The ADL's findings were publicized on the Business School campus by the student-run Ad Hoe Committee Against Discrimination.