Response to Quality-Control Quandary

Hey all,

The article was really thought provoking, especially the guiding question: As newspapers shed copy editors and post more and more unedited stories online, what’s the impact on their content?

This question brings the Tribune Co. to mind and its recent cuts on two resources: paper and staff. The Tribune Co., which owns 12 newspapers, fell into financial troubles when its owner could not pay back loans he took out. As a result, the overall staff will be cut by about 30 percent—this cut includes valuable editors.

The Hartford Courant is suffering from the reduction in its staff. Departmental editors are up to their necks in editorial, organizational and online work. They are not so much worried about the quantity of articles the newspaper can produce as much as the content and organization of stories within the constraints of the new ‘Tribune enforced’ redesign.

Due to reductions in staff, newspapers have a less hierarchal structure and individual reporters enjoy more freedom of expression. These journalists, who report less to editors, write more independent stories in blogs, newsfeeds, etc. that are often published without inspection. Errors go unnoticed and credibility suffers. I personally don’t think a newspaper can reduce editors without hurting credibility.

My opinion is that news staff should shift their focus away from cutting costs and pleasing parent companies. Staff should remember that journalism’s first obligation is to the truth and its first loyalty is to citizens. Editors and reporters are obligated to follow these rules to give their readers information to assess situations for themselves.

News corporations can’t sacrifice personnel and expect to deliver the same quality of news to readers. Neither can independent journalists expect to deliver the same quality of news produced by cohesive teams of reporters and editors. It's true that readers expect immediacy and accuracy. It's difficult to achieve them simultaneously, but nearly impossible to achieve with a reduced staff.