| Yesterday I wrote about the Statesman's disastrous front-page story, mocking Netroots Nation attendees and "joking" that Speaker Pelosi might as well be labeled (D-Beijing). Fred Zipp, Editor of the Austin American-Statesman, in a note in today's paper: Readers expect front-page stories to speak directly and clearly about events and issues. Eliminating the possibility of misunderstanding from our work is a critical part of our daily newsroom routine. When we communicate in a way that could be misinterpreted, we fail to meet our standards. Our front-page story Sunday about the Netroots Nation convention included doses of irony and exaggeration. It made assertions (that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi might find herself at home politically in Beijing, for example) and characterizations ("marauding liberals" was one) meant to amuse. For many readers, we failed. In trying for a humorous take on the Netroots phenomenon without labeling it something other than a straightforward news story, we compromised our standards.
I appreciate the note, and I think a lot of readers will, too. It takes a lot of courage for a newspaper to talk about compromising their standards -- when credibility is the cornerstone for journalism (both in print and online). The Statesman goofed and recognized their error. Good. Though, the story has apparently been deleted -- and can now only be found in their archives (which is not the normal timeline for their online stories). Learning from our mistakes is necessary, but trying to hide from them doesn't do anyone any good. There's still more work to be done. I'll be writing more on that later this morning. UPDATE: Just read about all of this at "Editor & Publisher" -- the premiere journal that covers the newspaper industry. The article retraces much of what's gone on so far with the Statesman and this story -- it's worth a read for those who may think we've gone "over the top" on this: Coverage of 'Netroots' Confab Draws Protest-- Snarky Article Spiked -- Editor's Note Apologizes |
