Posted on: Sunday, March 20, 2005

AFTER DEADLINE

By Anne Harpham
Advertiser Senior Editor

Do you want to comment on issues in the forefront of our community? Would you like to take part in a reader advisory panel?

If so, we want to hear from you.

The Advertiser is inviting readers to take part in a Reader Interactive Project to give us feedback on issues and stories and to comment — on the record — on a variety of stories.

The Reader Interactive Project is part of the National Credibility Roundtables Project, sponsored by the Associated Press Managing Editors with funding from the Ford Foundation.

The credibility project's mission is to examine the public's trust in journalism.

"It is no mystery that readers and viewers often distrust what is printed and broadcast and the people who report and edit it," notes Carol Nunnelley, director of the National Credibility Roundtables Project. "News organizations are putting to work ideas that promise to build journalism that deserves to be trusted, and is. A starting point is to invite readers into the journalistic conversation."

The Advertiser held such a conversation last year with a Credibility Roundtable in which we asked concerned citizens and educators to help us through a discussion of our coverage of education.

We want to broaden that conversation now through the Reader Interactive Project, which aims to give editors and reporters more access to readers on journalistic issues as well as on stories. Because this is part of a national project, we will on occasion also be seeking comment from our readers for use in a national news story.

In the three years since the Reader Interactive Project was begun, some 75 papers have participated.

Here's how it will work at The Advertiser.

If you are interested in taking part, please write us at hawaii@honoluluadvertiser.com, indicating your agreement. We will keep your name as a potential resource for upcoming stories and projects.

That means that a reporter or editor may call or e-mail you from time to time for comment on a story or issue in which you have indicated an interest. Or we may seek you out to take part in a forum online or at the News Building.

In addition to your name and e-mail address, please let us know of issues that are of particular interest or concern to you.

Also, please indicate specifically whether we may e-mail or call you. Please be assured that none of this information will be shared with any other companies or any other departments at The Advertiser. And, you will always have the option of opting out of this process.

Our mission statement says, in part: "To be diligent, truthful, accurate and fair. To provide a voice for all of the community."

We hope to include you as part of that voice.

We recognize that not all of our readers have Internet access. You can, of course, still call us or write us with any concerns or comments. Editors' and reporters' phone numbers are listed daily in the paper. If you don't know whom to contact, I will be happy to help you.

Senior editor Anne Harpham is The Advertiser's reader representative. Reach her at 525-8033 or aharpham@honoluluadvertiser.com.