Kansas City Star: Reader's Representative

Sometimes, too much of a single viewpoint seems intentional

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:45 CDT

They call it the “piling-on effect.” A particularly hot news topic gets people talking — and readers perceive that The Kansas City Star gives more space to one side of the argument, stacking the deck of public opinion.

READERS' REPRESENTATIVE:

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:54 CDT

Journalists often — make that usually — know a great deal more about a story than they report. Sources may not agree to speak on the record, or different people might offer conflicting versions of what happened. In those cases, of course the right choice is for the reporter to err on the side of caution.

‘Relevant' is a relative term in choosing subjects

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 19:32 CDT

A caller Thursday morning made a very perceptive observation about what she wants to see covered in The Kansas City Sta r.

Web addresses should bend the rules of grammar

Sat, 31 May 2008 19:46 CDT

I’ve heard from several people recently who’ve had trouble navigating to The Kansas City Star’s Midwest Voices blog. Refers with many Opinion section columns promote voices.kansascity.com as a place for readers to share their thoughts.

Combined FYI Weekend/Preview section brings lots of comment

Sat, 17 May 2008 19:54 CDT

Thursday marked the first day The Star published FYI Weekend/Preview, combining most elements from two existing sections. More than 100 readers gave lots of feedback — most of it negative.

‘Embarrassment' is only in the eye of the beholder

Sat, 03 May 2008 18:51 CDT

John Long, publisher of the local magazine Camp, contacted me recently about an April 21 story that looked at the upcoming race between Sam Graves and Kay Barnes.

READERS' REPRESENTATIVE: Multiple churches use the Mormon name

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 18:58 CDT

Several readers last week expressed confusion about recent stories concerning a raid on the Eldorado, Texas compound of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or FLDS.

READERS' REPRESENTATIVE: Scoreboard photo drew eyes — and a question

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 21:09 CDT

Editors always hope a great photograph will draw readers into the paper, and last Wednesday's Page A-1 image of the new scoreboard at Kauffman Stadium seems to have caught a lot of eyes.

READERS' REPRESENTATIVE: Coverage of Obama and Wright needed more detail

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 22:26 CDT

For over a week, readers have debated how The Kansas City Star covered the story of Barack Obama's relationship with his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., including when and where it appeared in the paper.

READERS' REPRESENTATIVE: Headlines shouldn't imply Cuba is a democracy

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 20:42 CST

I have heard lots of good points recently, several from multiple voices. Of course, popularity isn't necessarily rectitude, but I take notice when I hear common themes in observations about The Kansas City Star.

Readers' Representative: Journalists must use caution in political involvement

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 19:24 CST

On Feb. 21, The Kansas City Star published a short story about the one-day suspension of a staffer who was hired to play guitar at Kansas City Councilman Ed Ford's 55th birthday celebration, which was also a political fundraiser.

Pit bulls aren't necessarily demons -- or angels

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 21:00 CST

Stories about dogs almost always generate attention from readers, the vast majority of it positive. But when man's best friend is a pit bull, the reaction is usually more complex and passionate.

READERS' REPRESENTATIVE: Anonymous online comments spoil civil discourse

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 22:13 CST

As the Internet matures, it's disheartening that the level of public discourse seems to be regressing. In recent weeks, scores of readers have contacted me about rude and obnoxious anonymous comments left on news stories at KansasCity.com.

When is a story not just a story? When it's a talker

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 19:51 CST

Readers often ask why they don't see exactly the same content in The Kansas City Star and on KansasCity.com — especially when they think something on the Web site deserves prominent play in the paper.

READERS REPRESENTATIVE: Yes, humor is subjective, but this crossed a line

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 22:31 CST

There's nothing more personal or individual than a sense of humor. No two readers will ever agree fully on what's funny or within the bounds of good taste, but a tongue-in-cheek contest in Thursday's Preview drew several very strong objections.

READERS' REPRESENTATIVE: Mall shooting brings varied reactions

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 01:27 CST

After a teenager committed eight horrific murders in an Omaha mall on Dec. 5, readers had several different takes on how The Kansas City Star covered the traumatic incident.

READERS' REPRESENTATIVE: Corrections, like errors, aren't one-size-fits-all

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 18:33 CST

A reader called me recently because she was confused by a correction she read on Page A-2 of The Kansas City Star.

Readers' representative: Conversation with readers adds online dimension

Sat, 17 Nov 2007 18:06 CST

The Kansas City Star’s coverage of the Iraq war continues as a top concern on readers’ minds. No single topic generates a more consistent string of comments, though there certainly isn’t universal consensus.

Readers' representative: The press is supposed to keep history, not erase it

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 23:42 CST

For most, it's a big deal to appear in the newspaper. If a journalist photographs them at a ballgame or quotes their thoughts about the Sprint Center opening, people usually keep copies as souvenirs.

Article about general's criticism of war left out criticism of media

Sat, 20 Oct 2007 18:56 CDT

Like most newspapers, The Kansas City Star ran a story on Oct. 13 about retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez’s stinging criticism of the Bush administration’s prosecution of the war in Iraq.

When a line gets crossed, the lines light up

Sat, 06 Oct 2007 18:13 CDT

It’s been a busy couple of weeks at the readers’ representative lines. Time to sum up a few of the more frequent concerns that have come my way:

‘Militant' and ‘vigilante': Loaded with connotations

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 14:57 CST

The Kansas City Star first reported that Kansas City park board member Frances Semler is a member of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps on June 12. Since then I've heard a consistent stream of reader comment about the controversy.