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Dear Reader:
The Dallas Morning News faces the same challenges that stalk most major news organizations these days. We are fighting to keep longtime readers and win new ones. We are sharpening our business model. And we are laboring to be honest brokers in a society fractured by rage and resentment.
But we can only be that kind of broker if our audiences trust us.
That’s where I come in. As your new public editor, my job is to be a bridge between our newsroom and our readers, forging a line of communication that will deepen your understanding of The News’ processes and priorities while also holding our journalists to the organization’s own rigorous standards.
That’s nice, you say, but what does that mean?
We’ll get to that, but first let me tell you a little about myself.
I wrote my first newspaper article when I was 14, and I never looked back. You name the newsroom role, and I’ve had it — local reporter, national reporter, international editor, digital publisher, managing editor. I’ve been privileged to be part of three of America’s great journalism institutions, including The Washington Post, where I worked for 12 years. And I’ve spent most of the past decade teaching journalism, the last three years at my alma mater, Duke University, where I remain a professor.
Other personal stuff: I am a practicing Christian and a political independent who has voted for candidates from both major parties. This summer, my beloved, Cathleen, and I will celebrate 30 years of marriage. My idea of fun is reading a good book in a quiet place. Also, I love the New York Yankees. (Nobody’s perfect.)
Now, back to your question: What, exactly, does a public editor do?
Mainly, I am an independent voice who will read your emails and look into concerns that arise most often among readers. After talking to our journalists, I’ll report back to you, either via email or in this monthly column. Sometimes my conclusions will affirm yours; sometimes they won’t. As I told the newsroom last week: We work for you — the public — but we serve the truth.
I may not agree with your take on an issue, but I do promise to listen. And based on your emails so far, here is what I’m hearing:
- Many of you see a news report that’s shot through with bias — from the choice of issues we spotlight, to our headlines, to specific language in our stories. (For the record, reporters’ biases should not show up in a story. That doesn’t mean our journalists are automatons. They aren’t. But their professionalism and intellectual honesty should honor both the complexity of the issues they cover and the audience’s high expectations.)
- You notice lots of inaccuracies, large and small. One reader sent several examples of errors and suggested, rightly, that if we can’t get our facts right, why should readers trust us?
- You are angered and puzzled by how we choose (and how we edit) articles from The Associated Press, The Post, Bloomberg, and other news organizations. You think those stories often reflect bias.
These are all issues that I will likely return to in this column.
Some of your emails reveal confusion about how the newsroom works, including the opinion section. Your confusion is a failing on our part, and that of the news industry in general — which is to say, historically we have done a lousy job of helping readers understand newsroom processes, traditions, and habits. I hope this column provides more transparency.
So, as we embark on this journey together, how can you help? Thanks for asking. Here is what you can do:
- Be specific. Telling us that we “never” do this or “always” do that has limited value. Providing examples that support your case allows our journalists and me to better understand what’s bothering you — and what to do about it.
- Don’t make it personal. This role lets me have an ongoing conversation with readers, but it’s hard to talk with someone who is hurling insults.
- Don’t forget to write. My agenda is driven by your feedback, so please do contact me early and often. You can reach me at public.editor@dallasnews.com.
- Many thanks in advance for your candid insights and observations, which will help make us a news organization that produces journalism that’s fairer, more thorough, more engaging, and more accurate. In other words, more trustworthy.
I look forward to hearing from you.
We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com