Last Updated: June 29, 1999
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Credibility
Editors at the test site papers were asked to submit a brief progress
report on the programs they have under way for the Journalism Credibility
Project. Their responses follow.
Florida Today, Melbourne: Accuracy
As we look at it, credibility comes back to accuracy and fairness. We
know that if we can be more accurate, day in and day out, we’ll better
serve our readers. We’ve also realized that when we err we must be more
diligent in writing corrections that help — not confuse — the reader. And
we need to move them up in the paper, not hide them inside. — Judy Pace
Christie, executive editor
San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News: Accuracy
What if an independent panel of experts had the opportunity to fact-check
certain types of stories before they made it into print? Would we see a
reduction in errors in technical stories because of this careful vetting,
or better, would it improve our reporting and editing? That’s what we’re
going to test.
And we’ll track both a control group and a test group of reporters and
editors in a database designed to give us deep feedback about where errors
are occurring. — David Yarnold, executive editor
Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune: Accuracy
The mere act of turning the newsroom conversation to the subject of
accuracy achieved immediate results in our newsroom. Before we even began
to enact the various parts of our credibility initiative, our error rate
diminished. Editors have a tendency to assume that because accuracy and
fairness are inherent standards of our profession, everyone consistently
takes the greatest care to live up to those standards. What we’ve found,
though, is that going to the altar to renew our vows has made us better
stewards of the faith. — Diane McFarlin, executive editor
The Daily Press, Newport News, Va.: Reader connection
We are publishing 12 in-depth profiles of specific neighborhoods, each
representing an outreach effort to that area’s residents. In each neighborhood,
editors and reporters hold focus-group-like discussions with residents
to find out what issues are important to them, as well as collecting statistics
and assembling a comprehensive profile of the area. — Will Corbin, editor
The Philadelpia Inquirer: Reader Connection
We enhanced our coverage of southern New Jersey, hoping to learn if
increased resources at the local level buoys up credibility. Although reaction
has been mostly positive, some readers think the paper’s mission should
be regional in scope, not local, local.
One complaint that must be dealt with is the paper’s use of two-year
correspondents to handle most South Jersey coverage. Local officials say
they are tired of breaking in new reporters after getting used to the old
ones. This is an issue the paper will examine seriously since it has surfaced
in our own readership research. — Arlene Morgan, assistant managing
editor, readership
Austin (Texas) American-Statesman: Bias
In a political town like Austin, we hear frequently from organized groups
and “usual suspects” on coverage. We rarely hear from the silent majority
of readers who may see bias or unfairness, although we know those perceptions
exist.
Our effort will involve actively going into the communities to get feedback
on specific articles — and then putting that feedback into the paper the
next day. At the same time, our editorial board will take its meetings
on the road — to restaurants and other places — in an effort to make connections
with ordinary people. Emphasis in both efforts will be on the diverse communities
here, where ASNE research shows perceptions of bias are especially sharp.
— Kathy Warbelow, managing editor
The Oregonian, Portland: Bias
We find that many perceptions of bias in the newspaper reflect a lack
of connection with the public and a lack of broad expertise in coverage.
To broaden contact with the public, we are including reporter phone numbers
and e-mail addresses in nearly every story and soliciting reader input.
We also are focusing on whether we portray young people fairly. We will
follow this review with staff discussions on how to improve. Our hope is
to develop a process that we can apply to other fairness issues.
Readers say they value information about crime and public safety, but
not our emphasis on the episodic and unusual. Instead, they want us to
focus on trends, explanations and context. We are reorganizing our coverage
team and working on new formats to highlight stories that examine trends
while reporting most incidents in listings. — Michele McLellan, public
editor
The Gazette, Colorado Springs: Sensationalism
During the year, a specific segment of the community will be asked to
audit a few weeks of the paper focusing on a specific subject (race, gender,
religion, etc.) for an audit report on what news values they see reflected.
The newsroom will react to the report, either through explanation or change
in the actions. Finally, the community group will comment on the staffers’
reaction to the analysis. The paper will publish all three reports
as the experiment continues. — Steve Smith, editor
