BuzzMachine

The media pundit's pundit. Written by NYC insider Jeff Jarvis, BuzzMachine covers news, media, journalism, and politics.

Our man in Havana

10 comments on Our man in Havana

Our man in Havana
: Dan Okrent has an impressive debut as the public editor of The Times today, merely introducing himself and his job.

Reporters and editors (the thickness of their skin measurable in microns, the length of their memories in elephant years) will resent the public second-guessing. The people who run the newspaper may find themselves wondering how they might get away with firing me before my 18-month term is up. Too many combatants in the culture wars, loath to tolerate interpretations other than their own, will dismiss what I say except when it serves their ideological interests.

But those are their problems, not mine. My only concern in this adventure is dispassionate evaluation; my only colleagues are readers who turn to The Times for their news, expect it to be fair, honest and complete, and are willing to trust another such reader

10 responses to “Our man in Havana”

  1. Brian Perry Avatar
    Brian Perry

    I think when people say, “I don’t believe in using labels,” it’s because they may need a paragraph such as this one of their own. Labels do polarize, but they also oversimplify a person’s outlook in a complicated world. Being labelled can be like having a part of who you are chopped off and then being judged by what’s left. It suits someone else, not you.
    So, I give credit to this guy- he’s already more honest than a stack of Sunday NYT’s for getting this out up front. And the NYT is more honest for printing it.
    One last note- imagine if you had to hand out your paragraph every time you entered a cocktail party or job interview? It would quickly cut through a lot of the bullsh*t that surrounds social situations. You certainly might make enemies faster but I’d also say you’d likely pick up some friends more quickly as well.
    Let your paragraph free- it wants to be heard!

  2. Tim Avatar
    Tim

    Jeff … I, too, found Okrent’s introduction refreshing with its directness — so different than most other ombudsmen efforts, which, while well-intentioned, often seem apologetic in tone. (More here).
    I’m eager to read his first ‘real column.
    Tim

  3. John Avatar
    John

    I’d rather spend my weekends exterminating rats in the tunnels below Penn Station than read a book by either Bill O’Reilly or Michael Moore. I go to a lot of concerts. I hardly ever go to the movies. I’ve hated the Yankees since I was 6.
    Given that the Times is a part owner of the Boston Red Sox and the paper’s editorial during the ALCS playoffs hoping that the Sox defeated the Yankees, any sports page controversy next year involving George Steinbrenner ought to be fun for Okrent to have to referee (though after having to slog through some of Paul Krugman and MoDo’s columns over the next four months, by the time baseball season rolls around he may be too involved in that Penn Station rat inspection program to be paying attention…).

  4. Kate Avatar
    Kate

    He doesn’t go to the movies? How sad.

  5. Donnah Avatar
    Donnah

    Maybe he watches videos instead.

  6. Roger L. Simon Avatar
    Roger L. Simon

    Jeff, I would be interested in your view. I posted on my blog, while praising Okrent’s piece as you did, that journalistic objectivity is a complete myth. Frankly I don’t think it’s remotely possible since journalism is written by humans (and when it’s written by robots, we’ll be into “garbage in/garbage out).

  7. Sarah e.g. Avatar
    Sarah e.g.

    I don’t go to movies much either. Sitting in a dark, stale popcorn-scented, sticky-floored cavern with a bunch of noisy strangers whilst trying to concentrate on a movie with the volume turned up to 11 is my idea of hell, not a nice way to spend an evening.
    Regarding Okrent, hatred of the Yankees is certainly an encouraging sign. But is Bill O’Reilly really the right’s equivalent of Moore? Is this really an admission by omission that he enjoys reading Rush Limbaugh?

  8. Yehudit Avatar
    Yehudit

    Dan sounds like a clone of me except I do like movies in movie theaters. Is he available? (I can always go to movies with friends.)

  9. Andrew | BYTE BACK Avatar
    Andrew | BYTE BACK

    >>But not revealing them is a lie of omission.
    Nice try, but wrong. That assumption rests on the premise, which so often states that a reporter can’t report fairly if they have opinions.
    i’d say such a paragraph – especially for journalists – would allow people who disagreed with the politics to simply write off everything that person wrote.
    You might say that wouldn’t happen – and you would be wrong again.
    Paragraphs on upbringing and background ARE useful, however. Personalizing a reporter in that way can help – some.
    But by definition, introducing politics into the mix (or “I loathe Impressionism” into an art critic’s bio, “I would never send my son to public school” for an education reporter) would be devisive and add nothing useful.
    By the way, I really don’t feel I need to know a reporter. I never have. I do like to read about the life’s of bloggers etc – but they remain different to my mind.
    Many visitors here would likely say – to the detriment of the newspapers.
    TV News stations have bios for all their news anchors etc. Do I give a rat’s ass? No.
    Especially with politics, how would we know the bios to be honest? It is unecessary info.
    A last point, Lets’s not forget the difference by the way – which you seem to have done with the ombudsman – between a columnist and a reporter. There are many. They do two different jobs.

  10. Barrett Bill Avatar
    Barrett Bill

    Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.