After listening to the concerns and complaints of thousands and thousands of committed and caring Star readers since becoming public editor in 2007, I well know that journalists and their audiences don’t always see eye to eye.

I know also that the Star’s journalists, for the most part, think carefully about what they publish and make journalistic judgments in line with Torstar’s ethical standards and editorial style guidelines. Of course, they don’t always get it right- no newsroom does or can.

And, I know that everyday readers bring questions to us about the Star’s ethical judgments and journalistic standards, asking why those particular articles, headlines, images, columns and editorial cartoons that they find “offensive, “ “tasteless” or not in line with this news organization’s stated standards were published.

With more than 8,500 readers having communicated with the public editor’s in 2019, the following scenarios are just a few of the actual reader concerns Public Editor Associate Maithily Panchalingam and I fielded in the past year.

Once again, this is your opportunity to play editor and weigh in with your own judgments. Remember, you may have your own reasons to publish, or not publish. This is an exercise in trying to put yourself in the journalist’s seat to determine what you might decide if you had to make these judgments.

I will report on results early in the new year. If you have any comments on any of these please let me know at publiced@thestar.ca.

Click below to begin the quiz. (App readers, click HERE to launch the quiz)