Ombudsman: Stripes’ past and future: Serving readers first

My tenure as ombudsman is coming to an end, and this will be my last column. It’s customary in such situations to issue solemn benedictions, complete with personal assessments, admonitions, even premonitions — with an obligatory ending flourish of optimism. If that sounds like a mouthful, it is; I’ll try to make it simple, and start off with that last element.

What, you may ask, is there to be optimistic about in the realm of newspapers? Everywhere, they are suffering. The largest and most prestigious among them are shedding profits, people and readers. Some are shutting down.

Amid all the hand-wringing over the future of newspapers — faced with news delivered 24/7 electronically, youthful apathy, lost revenues — the one you are reading now is an oasis where readers and the printed page have come together, if you’ll excuse the expression, as in the old days.

That’s why of my 46 years in journalism (that’s where the "old days" come in), the last eight as Stars and Stripes ombudsman, editorial director, and ombudsman again have been among the most gratifying. In them I have seen this newspaper that dates from the Civil War relive its own legacy: the newspaper of record for people at war. Its mission is to deliver all the news, fairly, completely and, above all, independently, to troops "on the frontiers of freedom," in the words of Congress’ mandate.

In my view, it has done that. When I look at all the photos of men and women in uniform — whether in harm’s way or elsewhere — with noses buried in copies of Stars and Stripes, I know something is working.

Oh, there are complaints. My favorite, of recent vintage, was from a gentleman who thought Stripes was nothing but a "loathsome Dumbocrap rag." But then there are comments like this one that came a couple of years ago from a lieutenant colonel:

"If newspapers back home were as good as yours, I’d subscribe right away. You have struck the ‘sweet spot’ in terms of providing interesting and complete coverage of U.S., world and military news, as well as sports, features, comics and weather, all in a very easy to read and handle format. Well done for an outstanding newspaper that I look forward to reading every day here in Iraq."

Stripes’ performance in the war zones is a particular source of pride. Dozens of brave reporters, editors and photographers have lived and worked side by side with the fighting men and women. They have told the story of war — from the level of the troops — brilliantly, and in the tradition of the legendary correspondents of World War II such as Ernie Pyle and Bill Mauldin, the Stripes cartoonist.

Recently Tom Ricks, the former chief defense correspondent for The Washington Post who now writes for Foreign Policy, told his readers that Stars and Stripes "nowadays provides the best coverage of U.S. military operations in Iraq."

It’s not just the newspeople who deserve credit. On the business side, Stripes’ production, distribution and communication personnel have toiled hard against hurdles created by bureaucracy, logistics and, of course, combat, to have the paper printed locally and to get it into the hands of the fighting troops.

Another source of pride is the continuing support of Stripes’ independence from government control, even though it is a creature of the government. No other country has such an arrangement. In my dealings with both Defense and congressional officials, I have found backing for Stripes’ First Amendment status. That support will be closely monitored by my successor, Mark Prendergast, an eminently qualified journalist and educator.

That is not to say there are no areas of concern. As I have stated before, some military commands overseas need to be less restrictive in the control of information. There needs to be reasonably open access for reporters to events and to servicemembers on base — and, as well, more transparency in criminal or administrative treatment of servicemembers.

Attention must be paid to the long-term viability of Stripes, always maintaining its independence and credibility. At some point, there will be drawdowns of troops from the war areas, which now take the bulk of the paper’s distribution. The newspaper’s leaders will have to look for new ways to serve readers, a process already under way with the creation of supplementary publications and enhancement of Stripes’ Web site, stripes.com. Money will be tight for a long time, so the paper must continue to be run efficiently.

Editorial staffers and readers both have responsibilities. The latter should demand of their newspaper facts, accuracy, a connection to their needs and, above all, balance. They should let their feelings be known — in praise or criticism — to the editors and ombudsman. Reporters and editors, while striving constantly to deliver those goods, should remember they exist to serve readers — not themselves, or their sources, or officialdom. They exist to report on and for the troops.

They (and military officials as well) would be wise to keep in mind the words of a recent letter writer, Susan Hendricks, in South Korea. She expressed surprise at a much-criticized decree barring reporters from interviewing servicemembers the night of the presidential election, and concluded: "Personally, I always want to hear from and about servicemembers. I can read any news source I want online, but this is why I read Stripes. Unlike other media sources, Stripes is in a unique position to give servicemembers a voice, while also understanding and respecting military issues. What else are they for if not this?"

Got a question or suggestion for the ombudsman on what appears, or should appear, in Stars and Stripes? Send an e-mail to ombudsman@stripes.osd.mil, or phone 202-761-0945 in the States. For several links associated with this column, please go to David Mazzarella’s Readers’ Corner blog. It can be found here.