Hitting nerves and touching souls

The Times' latest reporting on healthcare, which led to major changes in how Blue Cross operates, and an evocative story about a man at sea are just two articles that have had readers sending notes of (mostly) appreciation.

The Times had obtained a copy of a letter being sent by Blue Cross of California asking physicians to look for conditions it could use to cancel coverage of new patients. Reporter Lisa Girion's front-page piece of Feb. 12 detailed the outrage on the part of some doctors. As a result, the Times story the next day was headlined, "Blue Cross halts letters amid furor."

Reader Jimmy Honda of Long Beach who works at an outpatient physical therapy facility that, he says, "has been dealing with denial of reimbursement since November 2006," wrote, "Excellent work. We are simply amazed that your article alone stopped Blue Cross'  lousy practice in just one day. Job well done."

That second-day story, by Girion and Jordan Rau, is a part of the coverage that has had readers sending their own stories about insurance companies' canceling coverage. One reader, who didn't want to be named because of her ongoing tangle over her health insurance, ended her note with a sentiment  common to many of the responses: "Thanks for putting this vital information out there."

Reaction wasn't all positive. This came from D.M. Pooler of Los Angeles: "I see nothing wrong with Blue Shield's letters to physicians. If the physicians do not reveal the true nature of the applicant's health, the physicians are  committing fraud, concealment and misrepresentation.  We all know that many physicians do this anyway.  Blue Cross is simply attempting to prevent insurance applicants from defrauding them. Too bad you paint such a negative picture about the insurers."

Finally, Girion received this from Cheryl Bame of Irvine: "If anyone thinks that journalism doesn't make a difference, they obviously are not reading your articles. I enjoy monitoring your coverage of HMOs. Your editors must love you."

Columbia Journalism Review had its own attagirl for Girion and The Times.

A very different story about life's struggles also moved readers to respond:

Troublesome snapshots of the campaign trail

Dave Keliher of Los Angeles spoke for a number of readers who have called and written over the past several weeks when on Feb. 20 he wrote, "Enough is enough is enough. On too many occasions when you run photos of Ms. Hillary and Mr. Barack the photos are not balanced. I expect more from you. If you don't know what I'm talking about, look at today's paper, Page A16. You have a wonderful picture of Obama, looking like Jesus parting the Red Sea -- pacific, at ease, in control.  (I know it was Moses, but that's not the point.) Now look at Hillary: strained, tense, constipated. What's up with that? I know life is unfair but I expect YOU to find a balance."

Then again are calls like this one from a reader who didn't leave a name: "I’m so tired of opening up the paper and it’s all positive about Clinton and you stick Obama on the back page. Every single day for about a week and a half -– I’m tired of it."

The whys and whens of (D) and (R)

The front-page article on Feb. 8 about the shooting at a city council meeting in Kirkwood, Mo., included a reference to the state governor that reader Roslyn Lothridge questioned.  "I would like to know why you felt it was necessary to write the following: 'Republican Gov. Matt Blunt called the tragedy a "senseless and horrific crime."' Yes it was a horrific crime, but what does Gov. Blunt's choice of his  political party have to do with the article? I noticed that you did not point out any one else's political party. What was your point in doing so?"

It’s not the first time a question has been raised on when and why party affiliations are made a part of the story. 

Editors think that providing the party affiliation of elected officials is useful for readers. As chief of copy desks Clark Stevens puts it, “Besides the basic information it provides, it gives us uniformity, consistency and, presumably, even-handedness.” But it’s less policy than practice, as Lothridge noted in her e-mail and as other stories show.

Ombudsmen columns

Here are links to some of the past week's columns by ombudsmen and readers' representatives around the nation. More columns and information about ombudsmen in the U.S. and around the world can be found at the Organization of News Ombudsmen website (which has a permanent link on the right side of this page).

New York Times, "What that McCain article didn't say"

NPR, "Should journalists vote?"

Washington Post "A veterans charity cries foul"

PBS, "Is the New York Times still necessary?"

Virginian-Pilot, "Obama got positive coverage, here and nationally"

Chicago Tribune, "There's only one way to frame Illinois High School Association photo spat: Principle"

The Salt Lake Tribune, "Covering all angles of a simmering issue"

Sacramento Bee, "Self-policed online posts reflect ever-evolving Web"

Plain-Dealer (Cleveland), "Newspapers forced to address rumors"

Express-News (San Antonio),  "Another thought on Express-News corrections"

Orlando Sentinel, "Readers, you're in the drivers seat"

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "We hate to make mistakes, but we don't ignore them"

Readers still miss TV Times

It's been almost a year since it stopped being published, but some 15 to 20 readers a week still call The Times to ask editors to bring back TV Times.

It's a relatively high number of requests, compared to other reader comments. But editors point out that even without the weekly guidebook, The Times continues provides a number of ways for readers to get TV viewers the information they need.

• A page in the Calendar section each day provides much of the on-air programming.
• Sunday's Calendar goes into more details for the week ahead.
• And comprehensive listings are online, where readers have two choices at www.latimes.com/tvtimes. By entering their zip code and cable or satellite provider, they will get customized listings. Or they can choose the "print at home" option and download a week of TV listings for their own use.

Bullet point by bullet point, some readers still are unhappy.

Ombudsmen columns

Here are links to some of the past week's columns by ombudsmen and readers' representatives around the nation. More columns and information about ombudsmen in the U.S. and around the world can be found at the Organization of News Ombudsmen website (which has a permanent link on the right side of this page).

Chicago Tribune  - "Fair's fair in print and photos"

NPR - "Ft. Drum, investigative reporting and anonymous sources"

New York Times - "The doctors are in. The jury is out."

Washington Post - "Taking issue with campaign coverage"

Atlanta Journal-Constitution - "Hip-hop, rap, R&B are a huge part of the Atlanta scene"

San Diego Union-Tribune - "Those times when the newspaper can make readers happy"

Sacramento Bee - "Declaring a Britney-free zone: The Bee says 'moo!'"

PBS - "Ombudsman's mailbag"

San Antonio Express-News - "What, no preventive medicine?"

Plain-Dealer (Cleveland) - "Choice of candidate photos pleases some, angers others"

Orlando Sentinel - "Help steer the Sentinel where you'd like to go"

Times editor Russ Stanton's speech to staff

Here are Russ Stanton's remarks to the newsroom upon being named editor of The Times on Feb. 14, 2008. (Related stories: L.A. Times; Washington Post; The New York Times.)

Naming sex-crime victims

Asked Dawna Kaufmann of Los Angeles in an e-mail: "Why did your reporter name the woman who [said she] was groped by a physician during a legal procedure to terminate her pregnancy? She was a victim, and by naming her, and giving her age and city, you may have put her life at risk."

The article was about allegations against medical facilities for improperly performing abortions. The passage the reader criticized was this: "One of the patients, Sherman Oaks resident Yvette Chambers, 43,  said in a phone interview that Reich groped her breasts and asked explicit questions during an abortion at a Van Nuys clinic."

Yet another woman in the article was, as the story said, "identified only as Angela P. in records of the Medical Board of California." Angela P. had required aid from paramedics after going to the Clinica Medica Para la Mujer de Hoy in Santa Ana for an abortion.

In a story that dealt with sensitive issues that might involve individuals who would have some expectation of privacy, why was one woman named, and the other not?

The ever-changing weather...page

Two cities are back in the news: The news on the weather page, that is.

In an update to a previous posting that included information about a reduction in the number of cities listed, as well as to a follow-up posting reporting that several cities were back, Weather Page Editor Mark Phillips says that he's been able to restore Auckland and Tel Aviv. Page designers did some extra designing to get the temperatures listed again for those cities.

Stanton is named Times editor

Here is a memo from Times Publisher David Hiller announcing Russ Stanton as the Times' new editor, as well as other organizational changes. (Related Times story here.)