Among the causes of the recent breakdown of the business/press relationship is the increasing public and press questioning of business, coupled with the failure of business leaders to explain the benefits of the free enterprise system. This failure, caused largely by the direction of business leaders' energies inward toward their companies rather than outward toward the public, has led to a public mistrust of major companies. Another cause of the poor business/press relationship is the ignorance of many journalists regarding economic matters. Two recent attempts to improve the business/press relationship are the assignment of four knowledgeable CBS News reporters to full-time economic coverage and the establishment by an advertising agency of a course that teaches business executives to handle press interviews. Business leaders can improve their communication with the public by taking time to meet with the press, presenting information effectively, answering questions truthfully, appointing public activists who devote time to dealing with the press, and learning to accept unfair press criticism as part of the cost of doing business. (GW)