I think one of the best things about the policy is what it does for the paper's credibility. Simply seeing a name and phone number or e-mail at the end of every story makes the newspaper seem much more accountable. Even if you never call or write, I think it has an impact. If someone offers constructive criticism, I write back and ask them to become watchdogs in their area of interest. By nurturing a relationship with these users, they'll often write back to alert us of upcoming events, broken links, or stories in their community that we would never have known about.
Time is one concern.
Flaming, too, is a concern. That's what the delete button is for. Such quibbles are a small price to pay for connecting directly with the public. If newsroom staffers and editors just open up to the possibilities of a responsive, two-way conversation, they'll find a dialogue with their readers to be terrifically rewarding rather than a threat or distraction. Regan himself enganged in an e-mail discussion with a young man who disagreed with a poll the paper conducted on gay rights.