Editor’s note: Kenneth Starck has left his position as Gazette Communications ombudsman to become dean of the College of Communication and Media Sciences at Zayed University, United Arab Emirates. Starck has been ombudsman since 1997, when Gazette Communications established the position. A search is under way for a successor to Starck.
This is a farewell column, an ode to people like Jim S., Mitchell L., John R., Walter G., Charlotte W., Dean V., Clara O., William M., Niles R.
Some tirelessly and constructively focus their criticism on language usage. Some decry liberal tendencies, while others detect a conservative slant. A few disparage any views deviating from their own. More than a few possess expertise surpassing that of journalists. But one thing is clear to me after nearly seven years as The Gazette’s ombudsman: readers and viewers who have shared their thoughts about the performance of Gazette Communications media are all engaged in something that — not to be too highfalutin’ about it — we can call community building. Or, perhaps better, communication building.
As a news ombudsman — one of only about 50 in the United States and perhaps 20 more in other countries — I’ve been privileged to have a ringside seat for at least two matches taking place simultaneously. One involves the newsroom and the daily effort to provide the latest, most important information to the audience. The other involves that very audience and its reaction to and participation in the communication process.
So what have I learned navigating between journalists and their audience from a vantage point somewhere between the proverbial rock and a hard place?
About journalists: Most are passionate about what they do and are committed to accuracy and fairness. They are also terribly defensive when it comes to criticism, which should not be surprising since all of us become defensive when facing criticism about something we care deeply about.
About the audience: Readers and viewers are more critical of news media now than at anytime I can remember. Reasons include a nation polarized politically, but perhaps even more influential is the message-saturated society we live in. People want to be heard and want answers to their questions.
An increasingly interactive media environment has expanded and amplified public conversation, as National Public Radio knows well. Within a month after the station unceremoniously dumped “Morning Edition” host Bob Edwards, 35,000 people wrote to NPR in protest. The network’s ombudsman, Jeffrey Dvorkin, told me he alone got 17,000 of those messages.
Also, based on feedback coming to me, news consumers want more stories that localize news events. They want more diversity in the sourcing of information, that is, less reliance on “official” sources.
They see too much emphasis on crime news and want more empathy in reporting. While quick to point out errors, they also express surprise at how few mistakes are made. They want to feel confident that reporters understand — really understand — what they are writing about.
Many complain there’s not enough fact-checking taking place in letters to the editor. To a large extent, that’s the task of readers — to respond to and straighten out distorted, misleading, inaccurate information. In a society that encourages freedom of expression, it’s called the self-righting process.
About what I’ve learned: News media must continually do more to seek out missing or underrepresented voices in the community. While an ombudsman injects a certain amount of transparency in the journalistic process, it is still not enough. Reporters should strive to get behind the story (the “backstory,” as some put it) to explain how a story came about and why anyone should pay attention to it.
Another way to let the audience in on what’s going on is to make available online the organization’s reporting guidelines as well as its codes of ethics. Still another is to acknowledge that only a few stories have two sides — most have more.
How well is The Gazette doing in these matters? Overall, pretty well. Not many media have ombudsmen to represent and respond to readers, and few of these ombudsmen are able to do so independent of the organization. Nor can many media boast a weekly column in which the editor speaks to readers.
Can Gazette Communications do better? Of course. To paraphrase Garrison Keillor, good news media are never good enough, but lousy news media are a joy forever.
So, thanks Don C., Duane W., Herbert I., Lori M., Tom B., Betty V., Terry T., and many, many others.. .
