Surveys 82 Alabama legislators and finds officials' views of the press as adversary or agent of consensus relates to perceived value of media for job-relevant information. Suggests a dysfunction of the "watch-dog" role because those believing the consensus model found the press more useful than those seeing the press as an adversary. (MG)

To examine three aspects of the relationship of Black leadership and White press--Black elected officials' (BEOs) views on press coverage of the Black community and on their own dealings with or treatment by the press, and their use of the news media for job-related needs--a study surveyed Blacks from three levels of elective office, school board…