Last Updated: September 23, 1999
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A
note from the president
At an early June meeting of editors of our company, Freedom Communications,
I was asked to talk about the ASNE Journalism Credibility Project. It gave
me a chance to discuss how credibility fits into the theme guiding ASNE’s
work this year.
That theme is “better connecting with communities.” It’s all about learning
new ways to reach wider audiences with information and ideas. I have suggested
that there are three important strategies tied to this theme — credibility,
diversity and readership.
When it comes to credibility, we have learned through our credibility
project a couple of very important lessons. First, that many of us have
a long way to go before we can enjoy the highest credibility with our readers.
Second, that our perceptions of our credibility are often vastly different
than those of our readers.
One of the eight newspapers participating in the Journalism Credibility
Project is The Gazette in Colorado Springs, where I served as publisher
until January. Under the very capable leadership of Steve Smith, The Gazette’s
newsroom has decided to try a couple of different ways to enhance its credibility.
First is something you probably have heard or read about, and that is
the practice of identifying the editor and copy editor on stories in The
Gazette. The goal is as much to help recognize — and also hold accountable,
of course — unsung editors as it is to specifically improve credibility.
Nevertheless, the notion of helping readers know that each article in
the newspaper passes through more than one set of eyes should help at least
a little with our credibility.
The second and perhaps more significant effort under way at The Gazette
is a series of content audits that result in publication of the findings.
The initial audit was done by a group of African-Americans, led by a
pastor. When the group had finished its audit and sent a report to Steve
Smith, it was published in The Gazette. Along with the report was a response
from Smith.
In this instance, the two reports helped readers see from different
perspectives questions of coverage and the motivations that caused that
coverage.
While the report from the African-American group was not very positive,
Smith’s response was not particularly defensive. He agreed with some of
the conclusions, disagreed with others and explained to readers some of
the thinking that leads to coverage. Especially helpful was the reasoning
behind this effort.
As The Gazette continues its project, asking a variety of community
groups to do the audit, one hopes that all its readers will develop a better
understanding of what causes a newspaper to do what it does. More important,
perhaps, will be what the news staff learns from each audit — and then
applies to its work in the future.
If, in fact, something changes as a result of this work, perhaps it
will have some impact on how well we connect to our communities.
I suppose that in the case of all eight newspapers that are formally
part of the Journalism Credibility Project, and all the others edited by
you who are seeking your own ways to improve credibility, one might question
whether our work will have any short-term effect. Later this year, Chris
Urban will conduct follow-up research in each of the eight markets for
that purpose.
Despite my eternal optimism about newspapers and their future, I don’t
hold great hope that the research will in fact show much change in the
perceptions of our readers.
And yet, we also know that our credibility didn’t erode overnight, so
we might not expect it to be repaired overnight, either.
What troubles me is that the skeptics who criticize any attempt to try
something different will write off this project. I suppose that’s OK, but
in my estimation they do so at their own peril.
I think we ought to applaud every effort that tries to build better
connections to communities.
And yes, I know that these are not substitutes for the daily, well-rounded
coverage of the wholeness of our communities that appears in our news pages.
Nor are they substitutes for strong local voices on our editorial pages.
However, neither can we ignore what we hear time and time again — our
readers don’t hold us in the same high regard they once did. They question
our motives and the ways we go about our work.
If we continue to ignore that, we’re stubborn at best and stupid at
worst.
That’s why I think credibility and ASNE’s Journalism Credibility Project
is worthwhile and worthy. There may not be any magic bullets as a result,
but I’m willing to bet a lot of editors are at least thinking more about
connections with readers as a result.
Anderson, ASNE president, is publisher and CEO of The Orange County
Register, Santa Ana, Calif.
