Newswatch: Why Readers Mistrust Newspapers

One way to find out what is wrong with newspapers is to get a job as a paper's ombudsman, whose duty it is to hear out and do something about reader complaints. On the Kansas City Star and Times, Donald D. Jones as ombudsman listens to an average of 20 callers a day, 90% of them complaining about what they have read. He is convinced that "readers don't trust us—newspapers, radio, television, magazines. They don't trust any of us."

Only about 30 of more than 1,700 daily papers have ombudsmen. Those given the job are apt to be experienced newspaper...

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