The American Society of Newspaper Editors’ Journalism Credibility Project, launched in 1997, sought to better understand reasons for the decline in public confidence, to strengthen industry commitment to improvement and to test methods for addressing public concerns about newspaper accuracy, fairness and values.

So far, the lesson of the project has been that newspapers can do something about their credibility with the public. The problem is not just the result of abuses by other media or general public distrust of institutions.

This handbook takes the next step.

Drawing on experimentation and experience from around the country, it suggests practical steps newspaper editors and their staffs can take to improve their credibility.

Regaining credibility requires three things:

• That newspapers improve their journalism. Much public dissatisfaction results from journalism’s failure to live up to public expectations — and to the newspaper profession’s own stated standards — whether it’s for accuracy, avoiding sensationalism, restricting use of anonymous sources or a commitment to fairness.
• That newspapers do a better job of showing the public that they are trying to make decisions that reflect journalism’s core values and to give weight in their journalistic deliberation to ideas and challenging questions from the public.
• That newspapers better define their place in a confusing and rapidly changing media universe, a process that will require creativity to avoid sacrificing core journalistic goals.

None of this will come quickly or easily.

“(Credibility) is not about finding some new journalistic fad or silver bullet to solve our problems. It is about thoroughly understanding, clearly articulating and relentlessly applying the highest professional and ethical standards.” Sandy Rowe The Oregonian

Sandy Rowe, who launched the credibility project as 1997-98 ASNE president, told fellow editors the effort “is not about finding some new journalistic fad or silver bullet to solve our problems. It is about thoroughly understanding, clearly articulating and relentlessly applying the highest professional and ethical standards.”

This handbook and discussion guide suggest a variety of steps newspapers can take to identify credibility problems, incorporate public input and improve performance.

The first section of this handbook discusses ways to build connections with readers. The second addresses how journalists’ choices of language; sources; and story selection, play and framing may not be providing a complete story. The third section provides tools for improving accuracy. The fourth discusses ethics and journalistic independence, issues that influence public perception of a newspaper’s character.

The book offers a mix of familiar and not-so-familiar practices; all aim to reinforce core journalism values, not change them.

Regular newsroom discussion and public input are crucial to these efforts, as is the willingness of newsroom leaders to make them a priority every day.

Finally, never rest on your laurels, but be generous in praise. The staff member who consistently gets weekly calendar listings right does as much for the public — and for the newspaper’s credibility — as the reporter who delivers a yearly blockbuster. The photographer who forges new ties with a community the newspaper has ignored accomplishes something as valuable as one who takes a dramatic photo at a police raid. The harried editor who takes five minutes to talk to a caller may leave as strong an impression on that reader as any scoop du jour.

The challenge is significant. Newspapers, whether they deliver on newsprint or online, must at once be a more vital source of information than their media competitors while avoiding the excesses that drain credibility.

To build public trust, newspapers must give more attention to accuracy without sacrificing timeliness. They must report more broadly on diverse and often fragmented communities while retaining a sense of the whole. They must do more than talk about lofty goals of public service even as the pressure to sell increases. They must take responsibility for their impact without sacrificing the public’s right to know.

And they must adapt their practices in ways that demonstrate their commitment to core journalism values.

This handbook is designed to help.