That's rich coming from him, considering his record of hostility to 
medialens, and the fact that he never seems to reply emails that seek to 
offer a critique of his coverage of the world's news. The article says 
that 'Mr Rusbridger acknowledged that there would be people in the media 
who would find such scrutiny threatening'. This would seem to describe 
his reaction to medialens very aptly.

Mark

Julie-ann Davies wrote:

> http://media.guardian.co.uk/presspublishing/story/0,7495,1434392,00.html
>
> Press needs greater scrutiny, says Guardian editor
>
>
>
> Claire Cozens, press and publishing correspondent
> Thursday March 10, 2005
>
>
>
>
> Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger has called on academics to play a 
> greater role in scrutinising the role of the press as the industry 
> faces up to unprecedented change.
> He said there was a need for a new, independent forum in which to 
> discuss the "big, challenging questions" facing newspaper editors and 
> journalists.
>
> Falling circulations, declining profits, unprecedented challenges from 
> other media and a "widespread feeling that newspapers are failing in 
> their duty of truly representing the complexity of some of the most 
> important issues in society" were, he said, just some of the themes 
> that could be examined by new academic centres dedicated to 
> scrutinising the role of the press.
>
> Mr Rusbridger said that "intelligent, liberal voices" had begun to 
> question basic beliefs about freedom of speech. The response to 
> criticism should not be more legislation. The industry did not want 
> more regulation and a better way was to collaborate in research and 
> debate, he said.
>
> "There are useful examples abroad of centres which - instead of, or as 
> well as, being concerned with the vital task of vocational training - 
> engage in well-funded examination of [such] issues.
>
> "A number of British universities are actually looking into setting up 
> a centre - or centres - to do this sort of work," he said.
>
> Mr Rusbridger told an audience of academics and journalists at 
> Sheffield University as he delivered the inaugural Hugo Young lecture 
> last night that for generations there had been a "quiet understanding" 
> of what newspapers were for.
>
> But the easy availability of news on rival media such as the internet 
> meant newspapers had to work harder to engage readers.
>
> "News is all around - the radio headlines in the morning, a 10-minute 
> scan of Metro on the way to work, text alerts for breaking headlines, 
> the internet, numerous 24-hour news TV channels. That's fine for more 
> and more people, it seems. How much more do I honestly need to read to 
> be informed enough?" he said.
>
> "The apathetic voter is a clichË of modern politics. Perhaps we're now 
> facing the apathetic reader?
>
> "As with politics, the apathetic reader may not be apathetic about 
> everything. They'll have their own passions, obsessions and causes. 
> But it's just possible that the internet does passions, obsessions and 
> causes better than newspapers. People can bury deeply into their own 
> subjects, engage with communities of other equally engaged people. 
> And, as for the rest, well, a 10-minute skim will do."
>
> Mr Rusbridger criticised the current trend for boosting sales by 
> giving away "CDs, books, dream cottages and DVDs", saying the press 
> had become "an industry of freebie junkies".
>
> He conceded that the Guardian and Observer - along with virtually all 
> other titles - were using the same techniques to boost circulation in 
> an increasingly competitive market.
>
> And he pointed to the "elision of news and marketing" evinced by a new 
> style of newspaper front page designed more to entice readers than to 
> report the main news of the day.
>
> Mr Rusbridger said discussion of the issues facing newspapers was 
> surprisingly muted in society at large, with public service 
> broadcasters such as the BBC and Channel 4 seemingly reluctant to 
> discuss the issues at stake.
>
> But he said there were examples of centres abroad that engaged in 
> "well-funded examination" of such issues, carrying out research, 
> hosting debates and discussions, and administering an annual set of 
> awards celebrating the best of British journalism, such as the 
> Pulitzer prizes administered by the Columbia School of Journalism.
>
> Subjects meriting further academic scrutiny could, he said, include 
> the question of whether there is a breakdown in trust between the 
> media and politicians and if so who is to blame and how can it be 
> remedied; how the Reynolds defence of qualified privilege is working 
> in practice; whether conditional fee arrangements are stifling 
> investigative reporting; what are the early lessons of the Freedom of 
> Information Act, and how well the Press Complaints Commission meets 
> the needs of the public.
>
> Mr Rusbridger acknowledged that there would be people in the media who 
> would find such scrutiny threatening.
>
> "But - if the centre worked as it should - it might help us think 
> through some of the most challenging questions journalists in this 
> country journalists have never been required to address."
>
> He said the scrutiny or research shouldn't be the "finger-wagging" 
> sort - but should seek to involve and engage newspaper editors and 
> publishers.
>
>
>
>
>


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