Chicago Tribune Got Readers Reactions To Stories Before Publication, Newsroom Protests

CHICAGO — The Chicago Tribune in recent weeks solicited subscribers' opinions on stories before they were published, a practice the paper's own reporters said raises ethical questions, as well as legal and competitive issues.

An e-mail signed by 55 reporters and editors, sent Wednesday to Editor Gerould Kern and Managing Editor Jane Hirt and obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, questions why the newspaper conducted the surveys and what stories were used. They also wanted to know which readers were surveyed and whether any story had been altered as a result of reader comment.

"It is a fundamental principle of journalism that we do not give people outside the newspaper the option of deciding whether or not we should publish a story, whether they be advertisers, politicians or just regular readers," the e-mail read. "Focus grouping as done in the past is one thing. But this appears to break the bond between reporters and editors in a fundamental way."

Readers were shown synopses or "dopings" of several unpublished stories, including some the staff is currently working on, according to the e-mail.

The reporters and editors also said many have become uncomfortable that the marketing department appeared to be playing an undefined role in the newsroom.

No member of the news staff would comment on the issue.

"We'll let the e-mail speak for itself," said reporter John Chase.

Kern, who was to meet with the news staff Thursday afternoon, issued a statement late in the day saying the newspaper had discontinued "a brief market research project that tested reader reaction to working story ideas that have not yet been published."

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"Premature dissemination of information about stories under development compromises the reporting process," Kern said. "Our goal is to provide people with news reports that are fair, accurate and complete. Therefore, we publish stories only when they are ready ... Research is an important tool in understanding consumer needs. It provides context, and we listen to it carefully. Each day, news decisions are made by journalists."

Rick Edmonds, a media business analyst at the Poynter Institute, a nonprofit journalism organization in St. Petersburg, Fla., said he could not say whether the Tribune survey was unique, but is not aware of such an effort elsewhere.

The closest example he could cite was a feature, now discontinued, by the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison, which allowed readers to pick a story for its front page.

"Now more than ever we have people saying we have to be sensitive to what our readers want," Edmonds said. "It seems a little odd to be putting it to a vote before the fact. It could end up with story mix more Britney Spears that what is going on in City Hall."

The Tribune survey is only the latest practice by a Tribune Co. newspaper to raise the eyebrows of journalism professionals.

Earlier in April, The Los Angeles Times ran an advertisement resembling a news story on its front page. The ad, for the NBC program "Southland," was labeled as an advertisement at the top, but was in a vertical column previously reserved for news. The text was next to a banner ad for the show at the bottom of the page.

A statement by the newspaper afterward indicated it was testing new approaches to the delivery of news, including new marketing opportunities for its advertisers. News industry analyst Ken Doctor of Outsell Inc. called the ad a "loony idea" that blurred the line on what readers can trust in the newspaper.

The controversy in the Tribune newsroom comes after 53 jobs were cut last week as part of a newsroom reorganization designed to help the company weather an economic downturn. The company had previously been forced to seek Chapter 11 protection from creditors. With the cuts, the newspaper has a newsroom staff of about 430.

In addition to the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times, Chicago-based Tribune Co. owns The (Baltimore) Sun and other dailies, as well as 23 television stations and the Chicago Cubs baseball team.

Comments

[MilesLong]

The Chicago Tribune exists only for the purpose of advancing the views of its conservative Republican base. Sam Zell, and the entire editorial staff had to take a couple of weeks off when the paper was forced to endorse Obama last fall to allow time for the potential head explosion risk to abate.

The featured columnists are pretty funny in their attempts to hang any kind of virtual nooses around the necks of Democrats, liberals and progressives in their effort to remain editorially stuck in the early 1900s. Their editorial standards are nearly non-existent, their information gathering prowess is all but gone; stories aggregated on other Web sites like HuffPo for example, appear on the Trib's often a day or two later. The spelling (how does that happen?) is abysmal and fact checking is an editorial feature that hasn't seen the light of day for years.

Frankly, their sales revenue reflects the newspaper's worth to the public. In an effort to try to draw readers from the Sun Times they even changed the size of the paper itself. For the poster who opined that the Trib is responding to a new reality, if so, I hope that reality somehow moves it away from the Bizarro Universe.

Miles "Black & White and Not So Read All Over" Long

[theepoxyman]

The idea of a "free press" actually belongs only to those who OWN a press.

[ChiGuy]

"It is a fundamental principle of journalism...", etc...
__________________________________________

Sadly, those reporters and editors who composed this e-mail are trying desperately to cling to the last vestiges of the way things were, rather than working to become more current with the way things are now, and planning the way things will be for their business in the future. You can't blame them for trying, but they have to look ahead as well.

The Trib is merely employing 21st century tactics in order to do all they possibly can to stave-off what many in their business consider inevitable: demise.
Focus groups and marketing are things that shouldn't HAVE to be used, but in this easy access, instant news era, keeping a reader's attention for more than the time it takes to click a mouse, newspapers have to get creative and find ways to hold readership anywhere they can.

I personally will be sad to see the remaining news organizations morph away from the traditional information sources they once were. But times are changing, and they have to go with the flow, or just disappear altogether.

[nanotubz]

The it will all be faux news. Great brave new world.

[eggman]

I have an idea for a way to judge reader reactions without compromising integrity or having to pay high-priced consultants. Publish the story online and include a little thumbs-up box next to the words "I like it" and a thumbs-down box next to "I don't like it". Wow, I think I have just come up with a million-dollar idea. I hope no one steals it. :: looks at top of page :: D'oh!

[The Hedonistic Pleasureseeker]

HAHAHAHA at people who still go to the MSM for "news"

[eggman]

Um...the story you just read is from AP.

[The Hedonistic Pleasureseeker]

even funnier!

[irv]

the 1st. amendment may not apply here but ethics still do. i am sad at what a rag the trib. has become.

[BushBites]

Probably sent them to a bunch of Wingnuts on the North Shore.

That's the Tribune's base anyway.

[mea2214]

I think the real story here is that the Tribune still does research? I read it every day and the actual content has been less and less as time goes by. I can't imagine what kind of stories they have been running by readers because the vast majority of them have been complete drivel. Although, to the Trib's credit, they did break the poisoned water in suburban Crestwood and then before that was that excellent piece on the aldermen for sale series but that was maybe a year ago. It would have been nice if they could have let loose with some of the actual stories in question. If these stories were published it's all water under the bridge anyway.

[Levittown]

It seems to be a violation of the First Amendment. If not it is a form of censorship or managing the news. Gads. Is Cheney on the Board.

[ESerafina42]

Well, little as I think of the practice, the First Amendment technically only applies to government, so that may be going a little too far. Of course, the First Amendment will be worthless if the media are rotting from within.