Hearne on the Street: Kansas City Star Reader Rep Report

That KC Star reader rep Derek Donovan is moonlighting as food critic and celebrity gossip columnist raises an interesting question…

Who cares?

Why make a big deal over a someone doing two jobs, instead of one?

Here’s the answer.

The reader rep at a newspaper is the person charged with representing the public’s interest; if there are questions, errors or other challenges to the paper’s writing or reporting, the reader rep is the party charged with investigating them.

Trust me on this point, print journalists both fear and respect the reader rep because he or she is the one who generally decides if an error was made and whether the reporter must issue a correction. Printed corrections are dead serious matters at the Star and other newspapers, and directly can result in disipline, firing and/or financial penalties being levied. In the days gone by of three percent pay raises, a good way not to get one was to have printed corrections.

That’s the way the game is played, ladies and gentleman…

Okay, stick with me a minute. Since the reader rep effectively sits in judgment of reporters and writers, it’s an obvious conflict of interest when he or she must then sit in judgment of themselves when they become the reporter.

In better days the reader rep position was a full time gig, but with the red ink most daily newspapers are churning up now, all bets are off. All bets.

Can a judge act as a lawyer, then hop on the bench and render an impartial verdict? You make the call.