Planning and clarity about priorities will help maximize the benefit of contacts from readers and minimize the hassle. Decide what calls, e-mails, letters and faxes you think staff members should answer and create a priority scale.

TIPS Provide your staff with lists of contacts they can pass along to readers: Key contacts and telephone numbers in other newspaper departments. Community resources, such as the local library or key government or non-profit offices that may be able to provide additional information. Often you can anticipate these and include them in what you publish and post them on your Web site. The public editor and other senior editors who can explain policies and field serious complaints.

Respond personally and promptly to:

• People who question the accuracy of a story or say it’s incomplete.
• People who have story tips.
• People who want information readily available in the newsroom.
• People who have had an experience that is similar to what you’ve reported. They may offer a different perspective than your other sources.
• People who do not understand parts of the story or the point of the story.

Forward with courtesy to other newspaper departments to:

• Circulation, people who have missed newspapers or who want to subscribe.
• Advertising, people who want to advertise or have questions about advertising policies.
• Back issues or circulation, people who want back articles.
• The editorial-page staff, people who offer opinions about an issue, not the news coverage.

Newsroom staff members need to bear in mind that these people may be contacting the newspaper for the first time. Take responsibility for representing the newspaper accordingly. Take an extra minute to make sure the call or e-mail gets to the right person.

Editorial pages can always use more public voices. Don’t assume someone has extreme views just because he took the time to call. Ask your editorial page staff to respond as often as possible.

Don’t promise more than you can deliver

Your invitation to call may lead people to assume they are going to get a personal response. While you want to create a culture in which staff members routinely respond, recognize that it’s not always going to be possible, depending on the request or the volume of calls.

• Columnists and other opinion writers who receive a high volume of contacts may want to note in their voice mail and in a form e-mail response that they cannot respond to everyone individually.
• Anticipate when you may receive a lot of contacts on a project and let people know via voice-mail and automatic e-mails responses that they may not get a response. It helps to set up a special phone line and e-mail box when you anticipate such response.
• Most newsrooms will not have the resources to help people who want significant information. Politely tell people that and try to suggest alternative sources.