Moving forward – editorial committee announced
Over the past few weeks, The Charlotte News has been the subject of critical public attention. We could take issue with some of what has been written, or omitted, but we won’t. Because what matters most is not what happened, but that we draw from these experiences to craft a path forward for the paper and the organization.
Elsewhere on our website, Molly McClaskey writes about a paper that “walks a fine and intentional line, cultivating stories from our neighbors and town acquaintances, as well as rigorous, in depth and of course balanced reporting of town affairs, emergencies, events and town meetings that affect our daily lives.”
That’s where the path leads. That’s the focus of our work.
In that spirit, I’m pleased to announce that our editorial committee has been launched. Over the next few weeks, we will:
- Complete a proposal to reorganize the newsroom, to include: positions to be filled by staff or volunteers, roles and responsibilities of each newsroom member, and the estimated annual cost of the reorganization.
- Draft a set of guidelines for board members, publisher, editors and reporters, that sets clear lines of authority and supervision among the board and staff while protecting and preserving editorial independence.
- Adopt a code of journalistic ethics.
- Approve a conflict of interest policy to govern public disclosures and workplace relationships among board members, editors, and reporters (including community members) who are related to each other as family.
We are thankful to Vince Crockenberg, our former, longtime president and publisher who is leading this work, and to committee members Peter Richardson and Katherine Arthaud. I will provide support as an ex officio member of the committee.
We’re thankful also to each of the community members, volunteers and seasoned business and nonprofit leaders who have talked with us over the past couple of weeks. We appreciate the gift of your time and your concerns as you offer thoughtful advice and wise counsel.
It is obvious from the events of the past few weeks, the conversations, phone calls and emails, that, although we may disagree on much, we all have one thing in common – we care deeply about this paper and the community it serves.
To that end, you will be able to count on the paper, our weekly e-newsletter and our website updates to keep you up to date and informed. We’ll be in your mailbox again on April 8.