Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Published: Monday, Jul. 13, 2009

Ask the Editor: Tribune uses standards online and off

Our Web site’s articles are written by Tribune news staff and reviewed by editors

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Do Tribune bloggers get paid per story or have a quota to fill?

— Anonymous online reader

A: This question was posted on a recent Tribune story on our Web site about the Morro Bay woman who died after being found in her bathtub. The reader apparently thought our Web site (sanluisobispo.com) was a blog and called our reporter a blogger.

Lest other readers wonder about Tribune stories online, they are held to the same standards as the stories we publish in the newspaper. They’re written by the same staff and edited by the same editors.

Some reporters and other staff members also write blogs that focus on local sports, historical photos, entertainment and other subjects.

When blogging, these staffers adhere to the same news standards as they do on other work. Among other things, that means they’re not allowed to receive gifts or perks in exchange for favorable comments.

This is not true for bloggers who aren’t journalists. As a result, the Federal Trade Commission is expected to approve new guidelines soon that will enable it to crack down on bloggers who accept freebies for reviews without full disclosure to readers.

As Rich Cleland, assistant director in the FTC’s division of advertising practices, told the Associated Press late last month: “If you walk into a department store, you know the (sales) clerk is a clerk. Online, if you think that somebody is providing you with independent advice and ... they have an economic motive for what they’re saying, that’s information a consumer should know.’’

One last comment: The anonymous reader wondered if Tribune bloggers have a quota to fill. No, they don’t, although they do strive to update their blogs at least three times a week to keep them current.

Q: Two large gatherings (last) holiday weekend, one in Paso Robles on Friday and another in San Luis Obispo on Saturday, protesting the growing federal deficit (went) unreported in The Tribune. ... When The Tribune chooses not to report on a community event like the tea parties, it raises serious questions about the editorial decision process and how it affects other stories The Tribune covers. ... To simply ignore the event is poor journalism and worse community service.

— Russ Surber, Paso Robles

A: We wrote two short stories announcing when, where and why four local tea parties were being held so that our readers could plan to attend them. In addition to the two you cited, tea parties were held in Pismo Beach and Santa Maria.

We covered the first of these tax protests April 15 in Atascadero, Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo, publishing a story and photo on the front page the next day. Were the latest tea parties likely to provide new information? No. So given limited staff on the July 4 weekend, we opted to cover local communities’ Independence Day celebrations in Templeton, Cayucos, Pismo Beach and Morro Bay, which thousands attended.

While you disagree, we believe we did perform a community service in alerting readers to the tea parties being held.

Do you have a question about our news decisions or news operation? Please write to me c/o The Tribune, P.O. Box 112, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93406-0112, or e-mail me at sduerr@thetribunenews.com.

Sandra Duerr is the executive editor of The Tribune.