Invisible Indians…

Out of sight, out of mind.

Such is the conclusion about Native Americans that’s likely in this part of the country as the Star-Telegram draws the curtain on our 2005 observance of American Indian Heritage Month.

That’s just about it for Indian news, which usually floats in obscurity even though there’s abundant justification at the national level for at least the scrutiny of watchdog coverage — one of the greatest resources that an American minority can depend upon to expose abuses at the hands of the powers that be.

For instance, the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, part…

Illuminating local lives in each day’s obits…

Most of the recent news about newspapers has had little to do with journalism.

Business sections have described investor dissatisfaction with media company profits and reported on layoffs or buyouts in newsrooms across the country. Industry Web sites are dominated by stories about declining circulation and a fragmented media marketplace.

In this environment it is easy to overlook examples of continuing excellent journalism, not the big, prize-winning series but the daily stories that are often taken for granted.

An article published in The Sun’s Nov. 17 edition, “Thomas Cunningham, 71, longtime egg delivery man,” was such an example. Written…

The hidden source …

Over the past two weeks the country has experienced the consequences of a clash between two top-level government officials, Antonio Palocci (finance minister) and Dilma Rousseff (presidential chief of staff) concerning the direction of the economy. The differences in thinking, while normal in any administration, took on airs of an uncontrollable crisis due to the fragile condition of the administration of President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva and his ministers amid accusations of corruption.

The new chapter in the government crisis began with an interview with Rousseff in the daily newspaper “O Estado de So…

The future of ombudsmen and journalism

(Ian Mayes, ombudsman for The Guardian in London, is 2005-2006 president of the Organization of News Ombudsmen.)

By Ian Mayes
The Guardian

I spent some time recently in Madrid at a conference on self-regulation in news organisations, convened by the Federation of Press Associations of Spain (FAPE). Its main purpose was to launch the country’s first nationwide ethical code for newspapers, to listen to practical advice from a panel of members of the Press Complaints Commission of the United Kingdom, and to consider other forms of self-regulation including that of ombudsman.

Some form of self-regulation is considered necessary in more and more countries, and…

”You don’t understand anything”…

The violence that exploded in the poor suburbs of Paris and spread throughout France since the end of October have unavoidably also affected the French press.

An important aspect about the coverage was the discovery that journalists were not welcome. Journalists assigned to the front lines faced hostility and, on some occasions, were met with aggression by residents of the conflagrated neighborhoods, where people made no distinction among reporters, police, fire fighters, or politicians. To them, these were all the same.

Folha reporter Fbio Victor felt the hostile environment as related in his story “City where…

Immigrant bill bias…

My father is a Mexican immigrant who came to this country legally with his family in 1959. I mention this in the spirit of full disclosure, to show that when it comes to immigration issues, I’m not neutral. I’m not sure who is.

I think it’s fine to offer immigrants — even illegal ones — a chance to get a college education at public institutions by paying in-state tuition. But I also recognize that many people don’t feel the same way, and I’ve been reminded of that over the last few weeks amid debate over a state…

Readers weigh in about The Bee’s self-criticism…

Readers responded in force to two hot topics in last Sunday’s Forum: allegations of excessive force at the county jail and the paper’s public misgivings about the publication of a 2004 freelance article alleging American military atrocities in Iraq.

Interestingly in both cases, readers were about equally divided, either praising the paper for courage and intrepidness or condemning it for ideological bias and sloppiness.

Of the four dozen e-mails and phone messages, a few were neutral, several were right-wing rants and some grossly misstated the facts to fit their view, something they have no problem accusing the paper…

Approach polls with caution…

Anticipation of a federal election within weeks has pushed political polls back onto front pages.

Newspaper readers benefit most when political polls are used to identify the issues most important to voters, so that thoughtful election coverage can be shaped around those issues.

The eruption of recent poll stories signals that major media organizations have already teamed with research firms hired to do scientific surveys. This means the results are supposed to be a reliable guide to public opinion. EKOS Research and Associates Inc. will do polls for the Toronto Star and La Presse if an election is…

‘Hello, Mom? What makes a source reliable?’…

“How do your journalists know who to trust?” was the question posed by listener Evan Bergelt. Mr. Bergelt went on:

I was inquiring as to where your news sources come from. Do (you) get the information from the Associated Press, etc… or do you do your own sleuthing? Does it depend on the station and region? Or is it a universal output of the same top stories at the same time?

Mr. Bergelt’s question is timely. In light of the recent stories about how this country went to war in Iraq, and whether journalists were led…

A premature obituary for newspapers …

Newspaper executives are worried. Daily circulation dropped an average of 2.6 percent for a six-month period that ended in September. Sunday circulation dropped an average of 3.1 percent. The news for journalists at chain-owned newspapers throughout the country is grim. Staff cutbacks are in the works in San Francisco, San Jose, New York, Boston, Philadelphia. The list goes on.

At the privately owned San Diego Union-Tribune, where both daily and Sunday circulation fell from a year ago, there have been no newsroom layoffs, no newsroom buyouts. In fact, if you are familiar with bylines that appear…