What we ve found, though, is that going to the altar to renew our vows has made us better stewards of the faith. We are publishing 12 in-depth profiles of specific neighborhoods, each representing an outreach effort to that area s residents. We enhanced our coverage of southern New Jersey, hoping to learn if increased resources at the local level buoys up credibility. Although reaction has been mostly positive, some readers think the paper s mission should be regional in scope, not local, local. One complaint that must be dealt with is the paper s use of two-year correspondents to handle most South Jersey coverage.
Local officials say they are tired of breaking in new reporters after getting used to the old ones.
This is an issue the paper will examine seriously since it has surfaced in our own readership research. In a political town like Austin, we hear frequently from organized groups and usual suspects on coverage. We rarely hear from the silent majority of readers who may see bias or unfairness, although we know those perceptions exist. Our effort will involve actively going into the communities to get feedback on specific articles and then putting that feedback into the paper the next day. At the same time, our editorial board will take its meetings on the road to restaurants and other places in an effort to make connections with ordinary people.