NPR Public Editor

Tuesday November 29, 2011

Language

What We're Reading: More on Child Rape and Describing the Unspeakable

by  Edward Schumacher-Matos

November 29, 2011 • Readers reacted thoughtfully to last week's column on the challenge of reporting the sexual abuse— specifically, rape—of children. A study by the Berkeley Media Studies Group makes some valuable related findings. A doctor, meanwhile, recommends that the children be called survivors, not victims.

Tuesday November 22, 2011

Language

Reporting on Sandusky: How Do You Describe The Unspeakable?

by  Edward Schumacher-Matos

November 22, 2011 • The allegations against former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky have sparked a debate about when to call rape a rape. How explicit should we be in describing sexual assault, especially of a child? The answer pits soft-pedaling the crime vs. damaging the survivor vs. revolting the rest of us. Help us define the line.

Monday November 21, 2011

Media

Gimme Shelter: Should National Newscasts Give Local Safety Tips for Disasters?

by  Edward Schumacher-Matos

November 21, 2011 • When a big snowstorm recently hit the Northeast, NPR played tape of residents handling downed power lines. An appalled utility company said the reports encourage "deadly risks." Seems only sensible that NPR should give safety advice, right? But what if local radio does it better?

Thursday November 17, 2011

Language

Global Warming vs. Climate Change: Does It Make a Difference?

by  Edward Schumacher-Matos

November 17, 2011 • A listener says using the term "climate change" sounds like an Orwellian attempt to duck the consequences of "global warming." He's right that NPR and the media are saying "climate change" more, but the terms have different meanings. There is, moreover, little scientific doubt about either.

Monday November 14, 2011

NPR Public Editor

Open Forum

by  Edward Schumacher-Matos

November 14, 2011 • Want to post a comment about something we're not covering? Here's a space for readers to share their thoughts about media, policy and NPR's journalism.

Friday November 11, 2011

NPR Public Editor

What We're Reading: Challenging the Age's News Gurus

by  Edward Schumacher-Matos

November 11, 2011 • Dean Starkman in the Columbia Journalism Review pushes back against today's leading news gurus—Clay Shirky, Jeff Jarvis and Jay Rosen—and finds that they are emperors with few clothes. You are invited to join in the discussion.

Thursday November 10, 2011

NPR Public Editor

Box Full of Letters: How NPR Selects Mail for Air

by  Edward Schumacher-Matos

November 10, 2011 • You wrote an email to All Things Considered but it didn't make the air. They must not like you, right? We asked Executive Producer Christopher Turpin to explain the selection process. Here's his handicapper's guide. It's got nothing to do with you.

Wednesday November 9, 2011

Media

Who Wrote It? Mysterious Bylines

by  Edward Schumacher-Matos

November 9, 2011 • In an era of claiming individual credit, managing editor Mark Stencel explains why some stories take on the rather unassuming byline "NPR Staff."

Tuesday November 8, 2011

Language

Turkey's PKK: Terrorists, Freedom Fighters or Rebels?

by  Edward Schumacher-Matos

November 8, 2011 • The Kurdistan Workers' Party's separatist fight has claimed thousands of lives since 1984. NPR's Middle East editor and a listener differ over how to label the armed group. Where do you fall?

Monday November 7, 2011

Language

Calling a Spade a Spade, or a Rubber Bullet a Rubber Bullet

by  Edward Schumacher-Matos

November 7, 2011 • Last week's column elicited varying responses on how the media should identify projectiles used by police in crowd control situations. Here are staff and police responses, and some of the more thoughtful comments from readers.

Thursday November 3, 2011

Occupy Oakland protesters set trash on fire to make a barricade as police officers form a line to disperse them on Nov. 3., in Oakland, Calif. Kimihiro Hoshino/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Kimihiro Hoshino/AFP/Getty Images

Ethics

'Non-Lethal Projectiles' Was Non-Accurate Police-Speak in Occupy Oakland Clash

by  Edward Schumacher-Matos

November 3, 2011 • Scott Olsen, an Iraq veteran, was in serious condition after being hit in the head by what NPR described as a "non-lethal projectile" fired by police. Reporters and all of us should demand that police tell us what they are firing for crowd control. These 'projectiles' kill.

Friday October 28, 2011

NPR Public Editor

Off-Line Ombudsman: Conference in Istanbul

by  Edward Schumacher-Matos

October 28, 2011 • I will be out of the office the week of October 31. But keep sending your questions and my staff and I will address them as soon as we can.

Tuesday October 25, 2011

NPR Public Editor

Open Forum

by  Edward Schumacher-Matos

October 25, 2011 • Want post a comment about something we're not covering? Here's a space for readers to share their thoughts about media, policy and NPR's journalism.

Monday October 24, 2011

Language

On Language: Do You Mean Decimate or Devastate?

by  Edward Schumacher-Matos

October 24, 2011 • The word "decimate" is often used to describe the complete ruin of something, but one listener correctly points out the word's original military meaning is different.

Friday October 21, 2011

NPR Public Editor

Some Thoughtful Responses to 'Murdoch and Liberal Bias at NPR'

by  Edward Schumacher-Matos

October 21, 2011 • From readers of my column on NPR's coverage of the bribery and phone-tapping scandal at News Corp. comes a mathematical measure of bias, discovery of Fox News in the trenches, overworked Shakespearean tragedies and a request to pass the steroids.