Letters to the Editor

This letter is associated with the following article:
Read other letters about this article
Journalism's last line of defense
A nervous news industry is killing off its ombudsmen. But after facing enraged NPR listeners when I had that role, I know the public has the most to lose.
By Jeffrey Dvorkin [2008-02-12]

  • Ombudsmen are an indication of news accuracy

    If a media organization doesn't want an ombudsman then I think that's a fair indication the paper is likely to be biased in its reporting.

    There are plenty of news organizations that adopt openly partisan positions and don't really pretend otherwise, and that's why many people watch/read them - to get views that reflect their own. You wouldn't expect these organizations to employ an ombudsman.

    But if a newspaper or TV company purports to be fair and balanced then it must be prepared to justify its reporting and take on board criticism of it. And that's where an ombudsman comes in.

    So if you genuinely want a reasonably accurate and unbiased take on what's going on in the world, then I think you're more likely look find it in a news organization that is prepared to back its own reporting by employing an ombudsman.

    -- David W
    [Read David W's other letters]
    Tuesday, February 12, 2008 01:14 AM
Read other letters about this article

Letters Help