Clinton Collins, Jr., clearly defines the problem of the Star Tribune’s reader’s representative [Free the Jackson Five, June] when he concludes that “complaining to the Star Tribune is OK—if it is the right complaint, on the right issue … ” The irony here is that the Star Tribune did have a reader’s representative who was responsive to readers’ comments and concerns. His name was Lou Gelfand and I had a long-standing and cordial relationship with him. When I called him, he was always accessible and attentive. He was never too busy to listen or to return my calls.
It’s been disappointing to me that I’ve been unsuccessful in replicating this relationship with Kate Parry. I enjoy Kate’s thoughtful articles and it is obvious that she enjoys writing them; it’s also obvious to me that she’s not a one-on-one reader’s representative. It seems that the emails and phone calls that really capture her interest are the ones that create subject matter for her articles. She’s a talented journalist, but she has not filled the vacuum created by Lou’s departure. I am still waiting for an answer to the email that I sent to her on December 15, 2005.
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