Feb. 29 marked the 10th anniversary of the creation of the office of the Readers’ Editor at The Hindu. It’s the first newspaper in the history of Indian journalism to appoint such a position. “The inspiration had come from the exemplary practice and experience of The Guardian, whose pioneering RE, Ian Mayes, had set the bar high,” notes N. Ram, publisher of The Hindu.
Not only does the Readers’ Editor respond to readers’ queries, but also tries to minimise the distance between the readers and the newspaper by by explaining the sensitivity and alertness of the editorial team to the concerns of the reader, says A.S. Panneerselvan, Readers’ Editor at The Hindu.
(File photo (Vino John) shows (from left): Ian Mayes; Alan Rusbridger, former Editor of The Guardian; and K. Narayanan, The Hindu’s first Readers’ Editor, in Chennai in 2006.)