Page 110 - Historical Dictionary of Political Communication in the United States

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OMBUDSMEN are internal critics working for U.S. newspapers, primarily from
the late 1960s on. Their job is to solicit, investigate, and respond to reader
complaints as well as to examine their publications for bias and fairness in
reporting. The ombudsmen are generally former reporters, editors, or managers
with more than 20 years' experience in journalism. They were selected for the
job because of their journalistic experience, concern for press responsibility, and
respect from peers. One of the first, if not the first, was John Herchenroeder,
assistant to the executive editor at the Louisville Courier Journal and the Times.
He was appointed in June 1967 by Norman Isaacs, then executive editor of the
two Louisville newspapers. By the early 1980s there were 22 ombudsmen-type
programs in 20 different cities across the United States. The average circulation
of papers with ombudsmen was 204,272. By the mid-1980s, there were 29 U.S.
dailies with ombudsmen, or about 2 percent of all daily newspapers. Many
ombudsmen write regular columns for their newspapers outlining problems, so-
lutions, and suggestions for improved behavior of their own publications as well
as for the entire field of journalism. They spend time talking with readers, meet-
ing with community groups, and responding to internal and external complaints
about their newspapers. They are part press critic and part public relations per-
son.
SOURCES: William L* Barnett, "Survey Shows Few Papers Are Using Ombudsmen,"
Journalism Quarterly, Spring 1973; James S. Ettema and Theodore L. Glasser, "Public
Accountability or Public Relations: Newspaper Ombudsmen Define Their Role," Jour-
nalism Quarterly, Spring 1987; Suraj Kapoor and Ralph Smith, "The Newspaper Om-
budsman: A Progress Report," Journalism Quarterly, Autumn 1979; Donald T.
Mogavero, "The American Press Ombudsman," Journalism Quarterly, Autumn 1982.
Ardyth B. Sohn