A Word's Worth

1. At what educational level of readers should newspapers be aiming? Do you think your main metropolitan newspaper is hitting the mark? Why or why not?
I feel the standard educational level should be set according to the year 10 School Certificate. Not all readers will have completed or be involved in some form of tertiary education, or even completed their HSC. Having said this, it is appropriate for special columns, lift outs or segments of newspapers to assume an extra level of familiarity with the content of that particular article. An example would be the Drive lift out, focusing on cars. When considering the target audience for that lift out, the writers may utilise a particular vernacular and terminology in relation to vehicles and engines that not all may immediately understand.
I feel my metropolitan newspaper is hitting the mark, as it acknowledges the standard of its overall audience while successfully targeting specific demographics. This balance is crucial for the success of any mainstream newspaper.

2. To what extent do you think reporters should be able to interpret news events and inject their thoughts into news stories?
It's hard to give this question a solid answer. It obviously depends on the nature of the article and overall publication. Tabloids do to a very large extent, as they thrive on speculation and personal theories. When I’m reading breaking news on the front page of a broadsheet newspaper, I expect solid facts and credible opinions (if any at all). Furthermore, different articles within those publications would also vary in the extent writers ‘inject’ their own thoughts.

3. English is a growing and ever-changing language as new words evolve and old ones fall into disuse. What then of the idea of a global language? Does it really matter that our language is being tainted with Americanisms and US spellings?
This was something I was contemplating just the other day, and I think this example illustrates my point well. Alanis Morissette has an upcoming album called Flavours of Entanglement, and despite being Canadian there are numerous instances where the American spelling of 'flavors' is employed. As Alanis is a national icon of Canada, her native fans identify with her as a representative of their culture for the world. In this respect I do think there is some importance in maintaining traditional spelling and grammar, despite perhaps being trivial in the grand scheme of things.

4. Based on your own experience and your reading of newspapers, do you think newspapers have a serious commitment to accuracy?
In short, yes. Granted journalists have a reputation for cutting corners and fudging facts, but this in itself serves as a purpose for making integrity and credibility a top priority. I feel that although the journalist 'code of ethics' works according to rules and regulations different to most other professions, the fact that their mistakes and/or lies are published for good for the world to see makes me think there is an added severity to the consequences. As a result, I believe accuracy is generally taken very seriously amongst most newspapers.

5. What would you do if you made a serious mistake in a story you wrote but no one contacted the paper to complain?
This is hard to answer without a specific scenario, but if the mistake is regarded as 'serious' I would make a correction and/or acknowledgement of the error when possible. I would be careful to make the correction quietly though, as to maintain credibility with those who miss it, and to maintain integrity with those who do. If it were a trivial error, I would probably leave it unless someone complained.