King Karl XII and his ‘high Ombudsman

King Karl XII and his ‘high Ombudsman’

By Par-Arne Jigenius
Former Swedish national press ombudsman

ONO Conference opening remarks by Par-Arne Jigenius, delivered by Lilian Ohrstrom, ombudsman for Dagens Nyheter, Stockholm, May 28:

Dear Friends:

Welcome to the native country of the ombudsman institution.

Everybody recognizes ombudsman as a Swedish word and the concept “ombudsman” is in a royal decree signed by King Karl (Charles) XII in the year 1713. This great warrior king spent many years in Central and Eastern Europe, moving from battlefield to battlefield.

He was an absolute ruler – king by the grace of God. It …

Opening Remarks

President’s opening remarks

ONO Conference opening remarks made by Pam Platt, president of ONO and public editor at The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky.:

By Pam Platt
ONO president

I don’t know how many of you have gone kayaking in Florida with wild alligators all around you. I did that about two months ago. And I have to tell you … out on this beautiful river … away from most people … no e-mail arriving and no cell-phone signals … well, I thought about our jobs. And, no, it wasn’t because I saw some buzzards circling overhead … although I did …