kristof column

This column by the Times’ Nicholas Kristof echoes some of my own thinking, and thoughts in my previous post.

[I]t’s not just right-wingers who distrust the media these days. … the one thing Democrats and Republicans agree on is that the news media are not trustworthy.

I don’t see any easy solutions, but print, radio and television all need to take much bolder steps to reconnect with the public.

More openness, more willingness to run corrections, more ombudsmen, more acknowledgement of our failings – those are the kinds of steps that are already under way and that should be accelerated. It would help if news organizations engaged in more outreach to explain themselves, with anchors or editors walking readers through such minefields as why we choose to call someone a “terrorist,” or how we wield terms like “pro-life” or “pro-choice.” …

If one word can capture the public attitude toward American journalists, I’m afraid it’s “arrogant.” Not surprisingly, I think that charge is grossly unfair. But it’s imperative that we respond to that charge – not by dismissing it, but by working far more diligently to reconnect with the public.

One reason I think the Washington Post’s Mike Allen made a mistake by ignoring bloggers e-mails with questions about the Schiavo memo story. Contrast with the praise ABC received for being willing to talk about their reporting.

Why shouldn’t reporters be willing to publicly discuss their reporting? To interact with readers? At my paper we’ve been printing the author’s email address at the end of every story for a year or so now, but I think we could go further with some kind of public forum or blog. Or a comment section at the end of all stories.