By Matt Weir

Time magazine named “You” the person of the year for 2006, a choice I thought was as weak as the fake-reflective material they used on the cover.

It was a good choice because the public has proved they are part of the media and the news process. “You” deserved it! But still, something did not sit right with me. I ended up agreeing most with the award critique written by Dan Gillmor, director of the Center for Citizen Media, a think tank. I paraphrase him here as an example of the attitude I will bring as The Daily Northwestern’s sixth public editor.

Basically, newspapers should not think of the reader as just “You.” That puts a boundary between the “You” of the readers and the “Them” of the newspaper. The news gets better when a newspaper addresses its readers as a different entity, a “You,” and begins thinking of readers as part of a larger “Us.”

A good newspaper that serves its community cares about “Us” all having a voice in the paper, and flourishes because of it. News organizations need to engage their readers in every way possible as equals because reader input and ideas make the journalism better.

Plus, we as a public are more media savvy than ever, and we are less ready to accept any sort of obstruction and secrecy between ourselves and the people who choose the news.

So if papers want to be 1) good and 2) read, they will listen to their readers and open up their doors. The Daily recognizes this need and addresses it. That’s why the public editor position was created two years ago: to hold open that door.

Other efforts are in place: All reporters and editors are reachable via e-mail. Readers have the Forum page, where they can air their grievances or praise in a letter to the editor or a guest column. People comment on stories online. These steps all make the paper more about “Us.”

But a crucial difference between the paper and the community remains: The newspaper reports on the community. The community never gets a chance to report on the newspaper.

And that’s what I do as the public editor. I answer your questions and report on the newspaper for you. You reach me – I’m willing to talk in any medium, but e-mail is the best place to start – and tell me what is on your mind. Assign me a story about the paper. Ask me a question. Yell at me.

Readers make up the “Us” of a newspaper, so the input is important for everyone involved. I discussed with my predecessor, David Spett, the challenges of the position. He said getting readers to send him mail was one of the hardest aspects of the job.

So please, send me your input. I am not swimming in e-mails at the moment. I am interested in anything having to do with the newspaper, but here’s a list of ideas. Remember that this list is not inclusive:

– Reporting mistakes and inaccuracies- What the paper does well or poorly- Whom you need to contact at the paper (if you are unsure)- Any questions about the paper and how it works- Who you are and why you read the paper

You are my bosses, so I will answer back in the timely fashion expected of an employee. (But I will not bring you coffee.) And many of my answers will become columns on the Forum page. I hope to write at least once every two weeks.

The boss thing works the other way too. I am not a boss at the paper by any means. I have no editorial control at the Daily, except over what I choose to print in my columns. My only duty is as reader’s representative, and I will do whatever my readers feel I need to do to fill that role.

I firmly believe that with cooperation between myself, the readers and the staff, we will find ways to improve the newspaper so all of “Us” will be happy.

Public Editor Matt Weir serves as the readers’ representative. His opinions and conclusions are his own. He can be reached at [email protected].