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Oct. 10, 2001 Michael R. Fancher Executive Editor and Senior Vice President The Seattle Times P.O. Box 70 Dear Mr. Fancher: We received your letter of October 8, and a copy of
your October 4 letter to Hubert Locke, in which you indicate that The
Seattle Times will not participate in the Washington News
CouncilÃs Complaint Hearing on October 13. We respectfully request that you reconsider your
decision and attend the hearing, for the following reasons: n Your letters to Prof. Locke, with copies to the WNC, were extremely thorough and thoughtful. Thank you for the time and care you clearly invested in writing them. However, some questions remain about this dispute, as evidenced by your inability to come to resolution with Prof. Locke. Our hearing provides an opportunity for Council members to ask questions and to hear answers from both sides. It also provides both sides an opportunity to respond to each other and to address any remaining differences. n The outcome of the hearing is by no means predetermined. Your participation could make a difference in the result. (As you may know, the Council vote in Bernard Friedman vs. The Olympian was 9 to 6 to uphold the complaint. Because The Olympian did not participate, Council members had unanswered questions when they voted.) Your presence and that of your colleagues from the Editorial Department would help us understand more fully the reasoning behind your decisions. We have not discussed the merits of this case among ourselves, in accord with WNC policy. The hearing is our chance to do that. n Your participation would be a service to the public in general and to your readers in particular. News Council hearings serve an educational purpose by encouraging dialogue between citizens and journalists about media standards and performance. Such open, public discussions are healthy for both sides and can increase public trust and understanding of how the news media operate. As you know, considerable public misunderstanding of the media exists today.
In their recent book, The
Elements of Journalism, Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel said that one
solution to that problem is increased ¦transparency.² They wrote:
¦A new relationship between the journalist and the citizen must
evolve. Journalists must invite their audience into the process by which
they produce the news—.They should take pains to make themselves and
their work as transparent as they insist on making the people and
institutions of power they cover.² Similarly, the recent national survey of top newspaper editors conducted by the Pew Center for Civic Journalism, the Associated Press Managing Editors, and the National Conference of Editorial Writers found that 90 percent of editors surveyed believe the future of the industry depends on even more interactivity with readers. ¦Journalists are realizing their role is to connect with readers and interact with communities, not be disconnected and aloof,² said Chris Peck, APME President and Executive Editor of the (Spokane) Spokesman-Review.
The News Council hearing
is an opportunity for transparency and connection. We hope you and your
colleagues will reconsider and decide to participate.
For your information, we
have also sent a letter to Prof. Hubert Locke urging him to make one
more effort to talk with you before the hearing. A copy is enclosed.
Sincerely yours, Members of the Washington News Council Eddie Reed, President Herb Robinson, Vice President R.T. Nelson, Secretary Walt Howe, Treasurer Larry Cali Don Brunell Thomas Cock Jr. Chuck Dunsire Sue Frause Bill Gates Sr. Margaret Gordon Susan Han Pat Herbold Charles Nordhoff Mike Poulson Cliff Rowe
Wes Uhlman
R.Y. Woodhouse P.S. - You may decide to participate any time up to
9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13. cc: Hubert Locke, Jim Vesely |