Santa, help us avoid mistakes…

I know you’re busy, Santa, and I don’t presume to ask anything for myself — as you know, an ombudsman is about as popular as a pebble in a watch — but a number of readers have asked me to submit a Christmas list of suggestions they think would make the Globe a better newspaper.

What we need most, Santa, is a big, fat dictionary, because readers like Cynthia Iris of Wellesley hate it when we mix up nauseous and nauseated, and principle and principal. When we referred to politican science, Bob Trott of Weymouth wondered if…

An ombudsman works on two levels: Outwards and inwards

By Avraham Tirosh
MAARIV

Outwards

The ombudsman handles readers’ complaints and comments, some of which are addressed directly to him and some of which arrive from editors to who these were addressed.

Complaints come from readers who feel hurt by something published in the paper, or who believe that the paper is wrong about something. The common complaints claim a prejudice to their reputation; an invasion of privacy; ethical offenses (for instance, failure to seek the reaction of the subject of a story, or publishing an abridged reaction); factual or interpretation errors; inaccuracies and improper balance in coverage, or what readers usually term lack…

Birth of a reader representative in L.A.

By Narda Zacchino
American Society of Newspaper Editors © 1999

The concept of a newsroom liaison with the public was batted around for years at the Los Angeles Times, to no avail. Top editors weren’t fond of the idea; they were hesitant to publicly acknowledge mistakes and misjudgments or to incur negative reaction from the newsroom.

But Editor Michael Parks believed the newspaper was too distant from its readers. He asked me last fall to see what other newspapers were doing to connect to their readers. I contacted virtually all ASNE editors, and scores responded (thank you!). We learned what worked and what…

The Organization of News Ombudsmen

By Gina Lubrano
American Society of Newspaper Editors © 1999

Officially, the Organization of News Ombudsmen is a professional organization. In reality, it’s a lifeline and a resource for journalists who deal with readers, viewers or listeners on a daily basis.

Say you are the editor of the Daily Bugle and you decide the time is right for your newspaper to have an ombudsman. No one else on the newspaper has ever held the position. In fact, no one at your newspaper knows how to pronounce ombudsman.

That’s where the ONO can be of most help. We can supply you with a sample job …

Ten commandments of ombudsmen

By Sanders LaMont
American Society of Newspaper Editors © 1999

1. Shut up and listen. The reason this reader called was because he or she had something to say about your newspaper, and they want it to be better.

2. Take even irritating callers seriously. He or she may have a valid point obscured by an obstreperous personality.

3. Respond, somehow, to every call or letter. An acknowledgment may be all that is required, but avoid lectures or sarcasm.

4. Assure each caller that the message they bring will be delivered to a person in the newspaper management who has the authority to do something about it.

5. Deliver all the…

Lending an ear

Whether called … public editor, reader advocate, reader representative or ombudsman … more and more papers are listening to readers. Should yours?

By Sanders LaMont
American Society of Newspaper Editors © 1999

Some newspapers call them reader advocates. Others ombudsmen, reader representatives or public editors. The titles vary.

The concept, though, remains constant and the numbers are growing.

In Atlanta, Akron, Jackson, Los Angeles, Riverside, Miami, St. Louis and Mobile, daily newspapers have appointed journalists whose primary assignment is to listen to readers, make sure editors hear what was said, and use that information to help improve the newspaper. At least two more newspapers are…

The controversy over the origins and functions of ombudsmanship

By Takeshi Maezawa
Tokyo Keizai University

The purpose of this study-note is not to demonstrate an academic theory but to document the controversy over ombudsmanship. In particular, I would like to focus attention on the origins and functions of newspaper ombudsmen and also present my own view regarding this controversy. The first question discussed in the controversy is: Where did ombudsmanship originate in, North America or Japan? American ombudsmen have recognized recently that it originated, or at least invented, in Japan but I want to argue against it.

The second question derived from the first one is: Does the Japanese system of ombudsmanship…

We were wrong

By Linda Raymond
The Courier Journal © 1999

For 32 years, The Courier-Journal has taken pride in the belief that it appointed the first newspaper ombudsman and launched the international newspaper ombudsman movement.

We were wrong.

We didn’t know that the concept had already been operating for many years in Japan when, in 1967, C-J editor and publisher Barry Bingham Sr. established the post here and John Herchenroeder became the first to fill it.

Over the years since, Herch and his successors (I’m among them) have listened to and acted on thousands of calls from readers with concerns about the newspaper. We’ve also supported an…

The newspaper ombudsman: A personal memoir of the early days

By Alfred JaCoby

The first question for the new ombudsman back in the early days (the 1960s and 1970s) seemed to be universal:

Just what did the word mean and what was the job about?

The dictionary wasn’t much help. The general definition in a number or dictionaries big and small referred to a public official “assigned to investigate complaints against government.” That concept had originated in Sweden, whose socialism was called, in a celebrated book by journalist Marquis Childs, “the middle way.”

The enlightened Swedes, knowing that government and its bureaucracy was no respecter of freedom, had established this concept of a “watchdog”…

Minority columnists — Rising above race…

“I`m a black columnist.”

The words, spoken with passion, came unmistakenly from the heart. Came in reply to my question: “How do you see yourself?”

A black columnist, huh? “Well, what do you see as your mission?” I wanted to know.

“To write about race.”

“Don’t you think that gets a little tiresome after awhile?” I asked.

I forget what the exact response was. Something along the lines of blacks finally getting their say, something about keeping the twin subjects of discrimination and inequality “on the front burner” and “in their face.”

“Well, couldn’t you just be a columnist who’s black?” I finally…