In the Pleistocene epoch of journalism, the newspaper telephone operator did a hell of a lot more than merely direct calls to a reporter or editor [Hot Type, May 20]. She–it always was she–also tracked down people with whom a reporter wanted to speak, saving him or her (it wasn’t always a him) considerable time. These operators were darn good at, for example, locating a sheriff or deputy in a remote county so the reporter could find out about a shooting, traffic fatality, or what have you.
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There also was a time when citizens would tell a store or official that “If you don’t solve my problem, I’ll take it to the newspaper,” which often got results–or bad publicity. As you describe it, that avenue too often is closed, and it is no wonder that journalists have lost public respect. (E-mail may be reestablishing the link between newspapers and readers, since many articles, such as this one, contain an electronic address.)
