Global Journalism Review
Organisation of Newspaper Ombudsmen
The readers' editor on censors and sensibilities
Stephen Pritchard, readers' editor of the Observer (London), writes of the censorship of his newspaper when it is delivered to certain countries. He cites a report by Reporters Without Frontiers about Arab nations, in particular, which it says are becoming increasingly skilled at it.
"Some readers in Saudi Arabia, tired of having their intelligence insulted, contacted us when the leader page was removed from an issue of the Observer last month, asking to know what was in it. A leader in Iraq seems to have been the culprit.
"Since then we have been kept informed about the bizarre activities of the censor...," he writes (September15), and gives many instances, especially of photographs in the paper of women, being torn out or defaced. Source:
www.observer.co.uk/readerseditor.Other examples from the work of ombudsmen and readers' editors welcomed. Please give details of the source, with dates.
Organisation of News Ombudsmen: Secretary, Gina Lubrano, readers.rep@uniontrib.com
Members include: National Press Club, Washington DC. Secretary Chris Roache. Fax (202) 662-7569.
Newspaper Guild, Silver Spring, MD20910.
71363.3211@compuserve.comOverseas Press Club of America, New York. Secretary Felicia Levin. Fax (212) 983-4692.
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Arlington, VA. Executive director,
rcfp@rcfp.orgUnited Nations Correspondents Association, New York. Secretary Farham Haq
uswarreport@igc.apc.orgWhite House Correspondents Association, Washington DC. Secretary Mike McKee. Fax (202) 783-084
World Press Freedom Committee, Reston VA. Executive director Marilyn Greene freepress@wpfc.org