Ask the Post: Managing Editors Take Your Questions

The Washington Post's managing editors, Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti were online Wednesday, May 20 at 12 p.m. ET to take questions about both the newspaper and Web site. They also addressed questions about the current state of the news industry.

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Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: Thanks for joining us today. We're happy to take any and all questions. So fire away.

Liz and Raju

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Arlington, Va.: Where should one send comments and suggestions about the format and scope of washingtonpost.com? There's no equivalent of Letters to the Editors (in fact, Letters are explicitly limited to comments about the print edition) and the online customer care system is unresponsive even when it works right. Since the website is such a large part of the Post's future, one might think you'd welcome readers' constructive ideas but that isn't at all plain.

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: If you go to the bottom of our homepage, you'll see the words "contact us." You can click on that and see several options, including Submit Letter to the Editor

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Fort Collins, Colo.: Hi, I love the Washington Post, but I'm unable to get a print subscription where I live. What I'd really love is if the Post would team up with my local paper to provide regional/international coverage, and my local paper could concentrate on local news. Have you looked into this sort of arrangement ever? Right now I'm stuck with all sorts of lame AP coverage for non-local news in my local paper.

Also, is the Post printed on recycled paper? When we lived elsewhere and had a subscription, this was something I tried to find out and none of the subscription people knew this. Thanks.

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: Actually, Washington Post stories are available through our news service but it's up to your local paper to subscribe, so feel free to lobby them. We'd also hope that you would go online to our website.

By the way, we do publish on recycled fiber.

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Dunn Loring, Va.: In the past, you have been vocal about the need for more diversity at the Post. However, the Post's efforts have focused solely on gender and race. Will the Post ever take steps to increase the ideological viewpoints held by its reporters or will it continue to limit its recruitment to Salon, the New Republic and other liberal media outlets?

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: Well, first off, you're asking questions of two firsts here at The Post. Raju is the first Asian American to be an Managing Editor, and I, Liz, am the first woman.

On diversity of views, that's never been a litmus test for hiring and we strive every day to ensure our reporting is as fair and objective as possible. We get criticism from both the left and right, so that's some measure of balance.

On the editorial and opinion pages, we seek a diversity of views and have columnists from both sides of the spectrum.

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Anonymous: Why is their no story on the Catholic church abuse in Ireland that broke today?

I have noticed that Washington Post provides excellent coverage on Christian religion; however it fails short to cover other non-Christian religion in America. Why is that?

On the same note, I have noticed some of the so-called reporters using religion loosely in describing other countries' armies. However the Washington Post never mentions the U.S. as a Christian army. Case in point, during the coverage of Indian elections in Kashmir, the Washington Post reporter specifically misinformed readers by stating that the Muslim state of India was dominated by a Hindu army even though the fact is that the army in that state compromises of the local population of Muslims.

These kinds of things happen a lot on Washington Post. Why is that these so called reporters are inadequate and prudent in their reports?

washingtonpost.com: You can read about the situation in Ireland here on our site.

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: This is a complaint we hear often -- that we don't provide enough religious news. We're mindful of that and aiming to improve in this area. The story you mention we are indeed writing about. It's up on the site now, and a fuller report will appear in tomorrow's paper. Online, we also have a robust news and discussion focused around religion called On Faith. We hope you'll check it out.

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soon to leave D.C.: I'm moving out of the area soon, but I do like my Post. What's the status of this Kindle DX deal?

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: Washington Post is already available on Kindle so you can already subscribe wherever you are In the U.S.

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Falls Church, Va.: A couple of weeks ago, a story in the Post suggested that there were some substantive issues among the three candidates for the Democratic nomination for governor. Since then, the articles emphasize the style differences among the candidates. Does the Post management follow the important issues to insure that the subtle information -- or "teasers" -- are subsequently discussed at greater depth and length? In this specific instances, what are the substantive policy differences among the three Democratic candidates for Virginia governor?

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: We've been writing quite a bit about the issues in this critical race. In today's paper, we have a story about a debate between the three candidates that The Post co-sponsored with Channel 8. It was also broadcast live yesterday and you can still see it online if you go to our site.

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Elmhurst, Ill.: Comment: I'm sorry that so much damage has been done already. I value and will pay for proven, talented reporters. I would always have been willing to pay for an online Post subscription. At some level an all-you-can-eat price would be fine, but if it's prohibitive, I'd be interested in a basic package plus selected features. For example: Basic + world news + Pearlstein + the Invitational + etc. I look to the Post for major investigative pieces (Walter Reed), insightful commentary such as Pearlstein's, and a few entertainment categories. However looking most recently at today's waffly cave-in tone on Michael Vick ("Is hurting dogs really all that bad? Everybody makes mistakes. He's paid for his crime...") I would opt out of the sports section.

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: We're always looking for ways to support the journalism we do. There's many factors and complicated economics involved. One issue is making sure we don't drive away people who want to get our stories by charging, since still so many of our competitors offer news for free.

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Baltimore, Md.: Why not enter the Baltimore market in a bigger way? I know the Sun and the Post are sharing content, but if you all think the Post is not doing too well, thank your lucky stars you are not a Sun subscriber. It's pathetic what passes for a paper up here.

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: The best and most cost effective way to get us in Baltimore is either online or through a Kindle subscription. We have indeed evaluated whether it makes economic sense for us to sell subscriptions in the Baltimore area and determined that the math doesn't work in our favor.

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Suburban Subscriber: Hello,

I don't want to pile on, but I have to say that I am finding it harder and harder to justify the cost and much more importantly, carbon footprint, of my home delivery subscription to the Post given my love of the online version. I could possibly hang in if I knew there was some sort of plan in place. Isn't there anything you can point to for subscribers like me?

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: Hundreds of thousands of subscribers still appreciate a well-edited, single product delivered to their home every morning -- and one they can pick up and carry with them.

If you're reading online and still want to continue a subscription, consider donating a paper to our newspapers in education program.

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NYC: The Wall St. Journal has remade (with more news stories) to go after New York Times readers. Do you consider the Journal a threat to the Post?

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: Any major newspaper is competition online, but neither of these papers sell many copies in the Washington region. And unlike either of these papers you mention, we don't distribute the Post nationally.

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College Park, Md.: I am a 7-day subscriber and also read the online WP including the comments.

These online discussions often have tons of comments that are clearly outside the discussion group guidelines (racists name calling, death threats, and more). I click the "report abuse" button, but the comment stays and I see these same screennames doing the same thing all over the site daily.

If these people clearly violate the terms of agreement, why are they still here?

Also, can they simply re-register under a different name and continue to pollute the thoughtful debates or is there a way their laptop or home PC can be screened??

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: This is an area that we're concerned about, but that is also very difficult to fix. We have two people who spend most all of their time monitoring stories for abusive or racist comments. We can ban certain people, but there's no fool-proof way of keeping them off the site.

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Rockville, Md.: I forwarded your story yesterday about delays in the U.S. Patent Office to my son who is an intellectual property attorney. He was dismayed at the misinformation included in the article. One of his concerns is that the message conveyed about delays for the song writer and future "recording artist" could cause more people NOT to even attempt to protect their work, when in fact it is quite easy and does not need to receive formal approval from the USPTO. The writer's and singer's work would be very easily protected. While the article quoted some Patent Office personnel about the delays, did the writer at all bother to check the facts on how to protect one's intellectual property?

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: If you send us any specifics we'll have our editors take a look. Send it to corrections@washpost.com

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On diversity of views, that's never been a litmus test for hiring and we strive every day to ensure our reporting is a fair and objective as possible. We get criticism from both the left and right, so that's some measure of balance.: You say there's no litmus test but who was the last reporter you hired from the National Review, the Weekly Standard or other conservative-leaning media outlet? How about from the New Republic, Salon or liberal-leaning media outlet?

Second, is it really the Post's standard that if both sides complain, then its coverage is fair? If so, do you think that Obama is a moderate because both liberals and conservatives criticize him?

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: We'll add one more thing. Two of the most recent hires we've made have come from the Wall Street Journal -- which few people would describe as a "liberal-leaning" media outfit.

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Washington: What changes should we be prepared to see on the Web site in the coming months?

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: We're constantly adding new features -- content and design -- to make the site more interesting and easy to use. In the fall, look for a redesigned homepage and other changes that will make our site more user friendly.

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E-Repli, CA: Why don't you make the E-Replica edition available for all subscribers instead of just those out of the delivery area? I'm sure those not wanting a paper copy would enjoy this.

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: Actually, it is available to anyone who wants to sign up. The information on how to do it is located at the bottom of the homepage.

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Washington, D.C.: Realizing you have better people than me to make suggestions for the paper regarding circulation, closings of newspapers, etc., but is there a point of contact, perhaps e-mail or office, to offer suggestions or ask questions regarding the current newspaper "situation"?

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: We're always open to ideas. You can email one of us, or anyone else here. The style for finding an email address is lastname, first initial @washpost.com

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Washington, D.C.: Will the Washington Post, because of financial difficulties in making a profit, curtail its news reporting (like Boston Globe)?

I have noticed more and more of the same news articles reprinted elsewhere.

I hope that you continue reporting both sides of the news, although I always think you are biased toward the liberal.

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: We have no plans to curtail any area of coverage, and consider accountability, investigative, political and local journalism central to what we do. These are difficult times, and we are looking at trimming costs, but most of what we're doing is focused on being more efficient in how we edit and produce content.

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Reston, Va.: I was wondering if you might be able to give an update on the status of the Post Points computer problems that have occurred in the last few weeks.

A few weeks ago, I tried to log into my account after years of never having a problem with it, and was basically told that my account no longer existed. After contacting the Post Points Customer Care number several times, they told me that they were working on getting my account and millions of others back in working order. As a result, in order for me to do my daily Post Points Quiz I have to call this number and give them my answer. Not a terrible thing, but it is still an inconvenience. In addition to this, I cannot view my account to see if I have received points for shopping at certain vendors, including Giant and CVS, or if my daily visits to the washingtonpost.com have been recorded.

I ask them daily for updates, but they say that they are working on it and have sent in requests. Do you know any more about this?

Thanks!

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: Post Points is not handled out of the newsroom. Your concerns would best be taken up by our marketing department. Write to our colleague Candy Lee at leec@washpost.com

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D.C.: Is the goal of the current Post strategy to slowly and deliberately get to an online-only format, or is it to modify online+print so that they make sense together business-wise? Is paper really becoming obsolete? I can't decide.

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: There's absolutely no plan to stop publishing the paper. As you say, our goal is to make both the products essential and to work together well.

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Falls Church, Va.: Hi -- One of the benefits of the paper version is that story placement often tells me how important an item is, or how important it is perceived to be. Online, I miss that. Can you please add the page number where a story appeared in the print edition to the online content? Thank you.

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: The vast majority of those who come online aren't reading the paper. For them, our judgment of a stories timeliness or news value is suggested by where we put the story -- on the homepage or a section front. If you do want to know where a story was published, you can refer to the Today's Newspaper version. At the bottom of the homepage you can click on the actual image of the article.

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Kansas City, Mo.: I am a daily reader of WashPost chats. It's my favorite thing on the ENTIRE Internet. I would LOVE to pay for the service. Do you have any plans in the works for that?

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: We're looking at various options that would help raise revenue, including asking people to pay for specific content. But nothing has been decided along that line. In the meantime, keep enjoying for free.

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Richmond, Va.: Thanks for taking the time to field questions.

I'm curious, given the state of the newspaper industry, how companies that own newspapers factor the quality of reporting into how they make cost-cutting decisions. It's easy to measure circulation, advertising rates, etc. But how does one quantify the value of quality writing, investigative reporting and scooping the competition?

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: Evaluating our journalism is the most important thing we do. It's foremost in mind before making any cuts. We measure it by our impact on the institutions we cover, on our ability to break news before others have it, on information that allows people to work and have fun in the area. All of that is at the heart of what we do.

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Fairfax, Va.: Good afternoon. At a time when the news industry and media in general is in flux, what career advice would you offer to students (undergrad or grad) who are considering degrees in communications or journalism?

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: There's always going to be a need for good reporters and journalists who bring news to people. In fact, more people are coming to Washington Post journalism -- either online or in the paper -- than ever before.

A young person entering the field would be wise to have strong multi-media skills and not just focus on their writing and reporting. Many more colleges are offering classes to prepare students for the changing industry.

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Rockville, Md.: Will you read all of the comments/questions even if you can't address them online today?

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: We're reading as fast as we can, and we'll get a full transcript when we're done.

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Evanston, Ill.: How much more leeway do columnists get in editing their pieces? George Will and Maureen Dowd have had their recent columns questioned for accuracy. Do columnists get to decide their own facts?

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: Columnists obviously are free to determine their own point of view, but all of them are edited. And their facts must conform to the same standards as any story. Our corrections and clarification policy applies to columnists as well.

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San Francisco: Everyone seems to be panicking about the state of the news business and how "nobody will pay for anything" on the web. But it seems like some obvious options have not been tried.

For example, why not offer a subscription for an ad-free version? Instead of putting up a paywall that takes your content away from the national debate, why not let those who are willing to pay extra do it that way?

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: As with newspapers, the money people pay for subscriptions will always be a small portion of our overall revenues. Most of it comes from advertising. On the web, the model you describe is one of many options we're pondering.

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Washington, D.C.: Why don't you publish more of your online available content in the paper? There's stuff online that I know my parents never find, but would love -- like these chats and several of the blogs.

Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: Glad you raised it. We're starting to do much more "reverse publishing" than we used to. Several online features, including our political blogs, 44 and The Fix, appear in some fashion of print form. So does On Faith. Several more efforts along that line are in the works.

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Liz Spayd and Raju Narisetti: We're about out of time. Thanks for joining us, and come back next month for Marcus Brauchli, the executive editor.

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Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.