By: E&P Staff The Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal became the latest in a series of newspapers to eliminate the public editor position, Public Editor Pam Platt announced in a column Sunday.
"[I am writing] an obituary for a position that has mattered to The Courier-Journal and its readers for 40 years, a position that has mattered to world news media for that long, too," Platt wrote. "The Courier-Journal was the first news organization in North America to have an ombudsman, a job that later became known as a reader advocate/representative or a public editor. After today, that position will not exist at The C-J."
In recent months, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, The Sun of Baltimore, The Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram, The Orlando Sentinel, The Hartford (Conn.) Courant and The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post have all eliminated their public editor positions.
"'These are very difficult times, not just here but everywhere in our industry, and we are having to make tough decisions about what to do and what not to do,'" Executive Editor Bennie Ivory is quoted in Platt's column. "'The position has been a very valuable part of the newspaper, but I felt the need to move the resource to another area. I didn't think we should weaken the editorial voice of the newspaper.'"
Platt will become a member of The Courier-Journal's editorial board, writing editorials and columns for the paper's Forum section. Her old phone number will be set up as a Reader Line for readers to call in with questions, concerns, and complaints.
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