News editors take notes on fixing credibility: Newspapers must be more accurate, their staffs more diverse and their newsrooms open to broad examination if they hope to rescue their credibility in an era of increasing public disbelief, editors of the nation's newspapers were told Thursday.
Among those delivering the somber message was former New York Times Managing Editor Gerald Boyd, who resigned earlier this year amid the fallout from the Jayson Blair scandal. [...]
Boyd called on newspaper leaders to "pull the curtain back" to allow readers to see how news decisions and coverage choices are made. He urged them not to abandon a commitment to diversity in the wake of the Blair debacle.
He called it "a dirty little secret" that newsroom employees often have better-than-average pay and education, which can create a disconnect with readers.
"We're losing touch with real people," Boyd said.
