May 18, 2003
From APME National Credibility Roundtables Project

Fellow Journalists,

In the wake of the latest controversies over media ethics, the Associated Press Managing Editors Association is stepping up its efforts to work with newspapers and Web sites in building credibility with the public.

Through APME's National Credibility Roundtables Project, more than 100 editors have talked with their communities over the past two years about credibility. Those conversations have led to significant changes in news operations -- from strengthened accuracy audits to expanded training in ethics.

Now APME, and newspapers in a Roundtables' e-mail feedback experiment, are querying readers across the country about whether they're willing to help the media get things right and correct mistakes, and, if so, how. We have found through our roundtables project that the public, when asked for its input, can be a partner in building a credible news report, not an estranged adversary.

The deceptions practiced by Jayson Blair at The New York Times will not come as jarring news to some readers. For at least a decade, ample research has shown the public to be deeply suspicious of journalists -- so suspicious that readers might not even complain about errors they see. APME is committed to changing that.

To learn more about APME's Credibility Roundtables, go to http://www.apme.com and click on Credibility Roundtables. For a free copy of "Credibility in Action" and "Talking with Your Town," send your request to mailto:credibility@ap.org. We'll keep you posted on what we hear from the readers.

Ed Jones
APME President
edjones@freelancestar.com