Trust is the most important currency in newspapers. Without it, brands such as the Press and Journal – 275 years old in December – are indistinguishable from social media commentary and anonymous blogs.
The P&J is the biggest-selling regional newspaper in the UK and one of the most trusted media brands anywhere. But we don’t take that for granted and are always seeking new ways to remain responsive to our audience.
We are launching a new fortnightly column where some of the most common questions that readers ask us can be answered publicly. The aim is to amplify our commitment to transparency, accuracy, inclusion and fairness so that the public can make informed news choices.
The column will be called Readers’ Ombudsman and will be penned by assistant editor Joe Churcher who is the title’s regular point of contact for readers’ queries and complaints.
Normally, Joe responds individually to readers on their points.
He will continue to do this but where there are important areas of general interest, or where we receive a number of queries on the same topic, we can also address these in the Ombudsman column.
What will we address?
These questions could be local. For example, what are you doing to ensure there is more news about the islands in the title? Or mischievous, such as why there are so many pictures of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in the newspaper?
But other wider questions arise such as: what are the newsroom’s efforts and commitments to bring in diverse perspectives across social and demographic differences? Why did the newspaper choose to campaign on one topic and not another?
Or who funds your website and what is its mission? How many journalists do you have and where are they based?
The aim is to give readers a greater insight into our methods and where we get our information.
The column will appear in print and online every second Thursday. And depending on popularity, we may make it weekly.
As we emerge from the pandemic we will also be looking for opportunities for public engagement with our senior editors.
This is your newspaper. So, if there are points you’d like clarified, or questions answered, please get in touch via readersombudsman@pressandjournal.co.uk
If you would like more information about our Readers’ Ombudsman, visit our dedicated page.
