(the blog entry below is from an email i sent to the digital divide network email list. this email list has several thousand subscribers from around the world sharing ideas and resources for bridging the digital divide. this email list includes reporters from newspapers who care to stay informed about such things.)
i was very happy to see that the email address of the nun in san francisco was included at the end of the article. a few years ago newspapers were very reluctant to do that.
back in 1998, a reporter at the washington post was writing a feature article about a colleague here in washington dc. the reporter contacted me for background information about this person as i had volunteered at this afterschool program for elementary school children for about 8 years.
when i suggested to the reporter that she find a way to include this person's email address in the article, the reporter snapped back rudely, "we don't do that."
i paused a moment, and asked in a polite, friendly way, "don't you think this is a good time to start?"
this same reporter asked me what my profession was. when i told her, "i'm a technology access activist -- it's a branch of civil rights activism," she told me, "i'm sorry i can't write that in the article. my editor won't let me."
my response: "you let your editor tell you what's true and not true in this world?"
i've seen very little progress at the washington post since 1998. other newspapers appear to be doing better.
incidentally, i find little fault with the reporter in the above situation. her managers required her to behave as she did. her talent as a reporter is outstanding. given her druthers, i imagine she would not have acted in the way she did.
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for ongoing news about the how the news media is changing from a lecture to a conversation, there is
no better web site than dan gillmor's "we the media" book and web site.
