THOUGH the reader might not know it or care to acknowledge it, running a newspaper is often a very stressful job. Hardly a day goes by when the editors of a paper or a news service, or the producers of a news show, don't receive criticism. Everyone thinks they know how to do the job better than the editors and reporters do. And, unlike in some other professions, newspaper staffers have to take the criticism. Its part of their job.
Every day, they put what they write up to the public eye, for evaluation and reaction. More often than not, the only reaction reporters hear is the bad reaction. People are far less likely to write a letter to the editor if they like a story than if they don't like it. So reporters get it from all sides. They get columns from cranky ombudsmen like me, phone calls from people with nothing better to do, irate e-mails and anonymous letters. And often, when it comes to the irate e-mails and the anonymous letters, the writers seem to believe that they have the right to be published. When their letters are left out of the newspaper, they cry "Censorship!" and curse the biased media.
As I believe is spelled out in The Cavalier Daily's letters policy, the newspaper will not print letters unless the writer includes his name. Most newspapers have similar policies. The idea is that people who use the public forum newspapers provide must take responsibility for what they write, just like reporters and columnists do. It's a good rule, and generally keeps needlessly inflammatory and irresponsible writing off newspapers' letters pages.
Anonymous letters have always troubled me, because it seems the anonymous writer has an inherent disrespect for the way in which reporters open themselves up to criticism. Surely the critic can display the same amount of openness that a writer demonstrates just by putting her name on a piece.
As for irate letters, oftentimes they are not printed because a newspaper is concerned that the material may be libelous. The average reader is probably not as well informed about libel law and the responsibilities of newspapers as reporters and editors are.
The Cavalier Daily does receive a healthy amount of letters, and it welcomes them because the staff recognizes how important letters are to its forum. With that in mind, here are a few tips for letter writers who want to see their writings in print.
First, attach your name and a means by which the paper can contact you to tell you your letter is running or to ask questions. Second, keep it concise. The newspaper has limited space for letters, and it's almost always possible to say what you want to say in a few hundred words or (preferably) less.
When you compose your letter, think about what you want to say, and how you can say it persuasively. If you want to be acerbic, be acerbic, but don't resort to name-calling. That will almost always disqualify a letter, because it brings the potential for libel into the picture.
E-mails sent to the ombudsman are more informal than letters to the editor. They are not printed, and as a general rule, I do not divulge readers' names when investigating issues with Cavalier Daily staff. Nevertheless, I occasionally receive anonymous e-mails. They are always angry letters, and they are often downright mean. I always respond to them (when I am able; some people even go so far as to make up fake e-mail addresses that will not accept messages), but I always make a point of telling them that their complaints would be taken more seriously if they attached a name. I rarely take the time to investigate anonymous complaints. I welcome letters, and hope to see more of them in my inbox in the coming weeks, names attached.
(Masha Herbst can be reached at ombud@cavalierdaily.com.)
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