We had fascinating conversations when they critiqued the paper and met with us, but it was hard to translate this for readers and move from anecdotal observations to specific actions. The reason we don't have one yet is budget, and the need to find the right person. Bunting notes that when he was an editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he was responsible for the appointment of an ombudsman. That is about 40 percent of the ombudsmen. The bad ones make excuses, cover the newspaper's butt, and hide the truth.
Bunting also points out that responsiveness to readers is nothing new.
Raw circulation numbers are not the best gauge of reader satisfaction, he contends. As soon as all P-I staff members had access to email, about five years ago, the newspaper became one of the pioneers in publishing the email addresses and phone numbers of reporters and columnists under all locally written stories, both on line and in the print edition. I insist that all calls be returned. You can defuse the angriest of reader calls by taking the time to listen. I make it a point of returning any angry calls that ask to speak to the editor.