The purpose of this report is to better determine the level of general public trust in public higher education and the content of published articles in the press that may influence and reflect public confidence. By conducting a six-month media scan of four California newspapers, an overview is provided of the key concerns and issues facing higher education today. Appended are: (1) The impact of California's fiscal crisis on higher education; (2) Admissions policy; (3) Student diversity; (4) New appointments; (5) Business news; (6) Union action and strikes; (7) California's national nuclear weapons laboratories; (8) The death of Clark Kerr; (9) The soaring cost of textbooks and journals; (10) Dealings with the law; (11) International perspective; (12) Undergraduates' lack of basic academic skills; and (13) Miscellaneous. (Contains 1 table.)