A wish comes true

I've been campaigning for the past couple months for the Collegian to hire a Public Editor. It was announced this afternoon that I got the job for the fall 2006 semester.

The following is the letter I wrote to the Editor-in-chief about why I wanted the job and how I would do it:

To whom it may concern:

I, Logan C. Adams, want to be the K-State Collegian’s public editor for the fall 2006 semester.

This position does not exist now, but the Collegian once had an editorial position known as the “readers’ representative.” As far as I can tell, no one has filled this position since fall 2004. The paper needs to have a person in this role, but this is an opportunity for innovation. We can reinvent the position.

The Collegian’s public editor should perform all the functions served by its counterparts at The New York Times, The Sacramento Bee and other papers. These include:

• Communicate with readers and sources and listen to their concerns, complaints and recommendations. Also, answer questions regarding the Collegian’s coverage, policy and other things on an individual basis.
• Report to the Collegian’s staff and editors with information and comments from readers and sources, and provide analysis and advice on how to improve the paper and better provide for our readers’ needs.
• Write in the Collegian about readers’ comments as well as the paper’s coverage and responses to these comments. Express opinions on the paper’s actions and comment its editors’ decisions. This means the public editor would have to criticize or defend the paper depending on the situation.

Our public editor would not stop there, though. The position should have a twist. There are questions many readers carry around with them about their world, and the public editor could serve those readers by taking those questions and finding the answers for a second column where reader questions are answered, and everyone gets to know the truth.

I want to be the Collegian’s public editor because this paper needs to do a better job of reaching out to its readers and responding to them. I have been a part of the Collegian for four semesters, I know its workings and I have considerable journalism experience. I have often taken comments and criticism from readers and sources while working as a reporter, taking on this job will allow me to respond to them and provide a way for the Collegian to improve.

As public editor, I will make myself available publicly and privately to people who wish to say what they think of the paper, be it by sitting at a table in the Student Union fielding questions or answering e-mails from readers. I will do whatever it takes to serve the readers better.

To sum up, I want to make the Collegian a better and more-respected newspaper. I believe this job will allow me to make the most difference.

Thank you,

Logan C. Adams

So I've got one more thing to drink to when I turn 21 next month.