Once a year, there is a gathering of news ombudsmen. We meet to encourage each other, share notes and compare scars we have earned over the previous year in helping readers, viewers and listeners get their opinions through to the journalists and managers inside our organizations. Some of our scars come from the other direction as well…from telling the audience that they were wrong and that the journalists were correct.

In 2004, we met at the Poynter Institute, a journalistic think tank in St. Petersburg, Fla. Our group is formally known as the Organization of News Ombudsmen and our acronym -- "ONO!" -- seems to be apt for this line of work.

ONO is an international organization with more than 80 members in 15 countries. The majority comes from American media, but our numbers are growing internationally – even faster than in the United States.

 

Accountability and Transparency

How to Survive as Ombudsmen

What does an Ombudsment Do?

How Independent Is the Ombudsmen?

What Is the Process for Filing a Complaint?

How Accountable Is an Ombudsmen?

"Stockholm Syndrome"?

Confronting the Next Issues

 

Accountability and Transparency

Whether in radio, television or print, the job is the same -- to bring the concerns of the readers, listeners and viewers to the editorial and managerial attention of our news organizations, to create and foster journalistic accountability and transparency on behalf of the public inside our news organizations.

“Ombudsman” is a Swedish word that dates back to the 19th Century. It means someone who acts as an agent of the public. Originally, this meant intervening on behalf of the citizens with the Swedish government.

The title may differ from one organization to another but the job is the same. A news ombudsman is also called a reader representative, reader advocate, reader editor or public editor. But ombudsman seems to be the universal generic. News ombudsmanship is not a new idea. The first ombudsman was appointed in Japan in 1922 by the Tokyo daily, Yomiuri Shimbun. Today, that newspaper has an impressive array of ombudsmen assigned to every editorial aspect at the paper -- a total of 22 ombudsmen at one paper!

In 1967, two Kentucky dailies, the Louisville Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times, were the first American newspapers to appoint ombudsmen. Now about 60 U.S. newspapers -- plus NPR and a local television station -- have this position.

For this year's ONO gathering, more than 55 ombudsmen came to South Florida. It was the largest meeting ever in the history of ONO since our group was founded in 1980. And ONO keeps growing steadily, receiving another application from a new member every three to six weeks.

Many of our newer members are often surprised at the range and intensity of listener/viewer/reader opinions. Others encounter considerable initial resistance from inside their news organizations as well.

As a result, burnout can be a risk after a few years on the front lines.

One of our most experienced colleagues is Mike Clark. He is the reader advocate at The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville. He has come up with an FAQ sheet for new ombudsmen.

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How To Survive as Ombudsman

While some of Clark's suggestions apply mostly to the needs of a local newspaper, this is still good advice for ombudsmen everywhere:

Angry Callers?
Stress
Other Duties as Assigned
An Answer for Everyone?
Handling Complaints
Finding Information
"Managment Lackey?"
"Newspaper Scold?"
Getting the Message Out

 

Angry Callers?

Q. How do you deal with angry callers?

A. Let them vent for a reasonable amount of time, then let them know you have listened, you understand the complaint, you will share it with the staff and indicate what action might be taken. Try to avoid getting into a rapid-fire exchange. When the heat starts rising, hold the phone away from your ear, lean back and let the caller have the floor. You may have to politely, but firmly, end the call. You will have to judge whether you want to get into a disagreement with a caller; it may not be worth the time. If the caller is profane or racist, warn that you will not put up with that language or you will hang up. Callers typically make broad statements. Ask for specifics that you can deal with. Or invite the reader to call back the next time an example is found.

Remember that a kind voice turns away wrath. Don't respond in kind to a sarcastic or angry reader, even if you are tempted to. First, you don't want to give the reader ammunition against you. And you will often find that the reader's tone changes if you maintain a polite, professional disposition. When responding to an e-mail, remember that an e-mail can be forwarded anywhere, so be careful. Ignore the anger and the sarcasm and deal with the facts.

Stress

Q. How do you deal with stress?

A. It helps to have a support system. You will be isolated from the newsroom. You need to find healthy outlets, whether exercise, meditation or volunteer activities. Be sure to take some days off, especially after a trying period of complaints. Find some time to laugh. Our family tapes comedy shows and watches them together.

Other Duties As Assigned

Q. I have a complaint that seems to fall outside the usual job description. How do I handle it?

A. You can handle it quietly, internally. Don't worry about doing everything at once. If it's symptomatic, you will hear about it again. Let's say there are complaints about the editorial page, which is not normally in your jurisdiction. Then refer the reader to the editorial page editor. If the editor is non-responsive, direct the reader to write a letter to the publisher. You also will hear of advertising and circulation concerns. Generally, you can simply direct the reader to the most responsive staff member in those departments. If there is a serious complaint, such as an ad from a scam artist, you can make sure that an advertising department executive hears about it.

An Answer for Everyone?

Q. Do you answer everything?

A. Ideally, you would try to acknowledge every communication promptly. Some readers don't appear to want an answer and just want to vent.

Handling Complaints

Q. What are some of the options to offer readers when faced with a complaint?

1. Letter to the editor. (The letter writer can put comments in his own words without a rebuttal)

2. Inclusion of the complaint in an internal report to the staff. (For the writer who doesn't want to go public, but wants management to be aware of the complaint)

3. Mention of the complaint in your column. (That means the staffer will be offered a chance to respond, but offers the possibility that you will support the complaint).

4. Speak privately to the staffer.

Finding Information

Q. What if the reader wants information from you?

A. If a request is newspaper-related and you can reasonably expect other calls, then a search is worth your time. Or tell readers how to find information themselves at the library or on the newspaper's Web site. There is only so much a one-person department can do. You can't be the library. For regular questions, keep standard answers in a computer file that you can cut and paste.

'Management Lackey?'

Q. How do you avoid the impression that you are a lackey of the newspaper?

A. You can't force it. Over time, you will build a reputation. Presumably, there will be complaints made against the paper that deserve public response. The typical format for a column is to present a complaint by a reader, offer a response by the staff and conclude with your comments, providing context and background. Some would like you to be a "critic," but intellectual honesty requires you to call 'em like you see 'em.

'Newspaper Scold?'

Q. How do you avoid the impression that you are a scold of the newspaper?

A. Even if you support the paper, it may be seen as airing dirty laundry by some in the newsroom. In my weekly internal report, I have a separate category for compliments. On occasion, you should recognize extraordinary work by the staff, especially when it draws comments from the readers. When the staff makes changes suggested by readers or with the readers in mind, you should applaud them. Let the staff know that you can be an effective advocate for dispelling myths and misinformation about the paper. Your independence carries weight.

Getting the Message Out

Q. How do you communicate?

1.You may write a daily note or a weekly report, shared on the staff's computer message board or distributed in print to other newspaper management.

2. You may attend news meetings and report reader reaction.

3. A weekly column

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At National Public Radio based in Washington, DC, my job is similar to that of my print colleagues. But it has some differences as well.

First, NPR is not government owned or supported, unlike other public broadcasters.

Second, NPR does not own or operate any stations. NPR provides programs to more than 800 US-based radio stations. Most of the stations take NPR News but a few also take some NPR cultural programs – jazz, classical music and some “spoken word” (drama, poetry, etc.) programming.

Third, my job is to act as the independent agent of the listener inside NPR.

As NPR becomes a predominant provider of broadcast news in the United States, the number of people who listen to NPR on a weekly basis has doubled in the last five years.

Public radio – local and national – now has a weekly audience of more than 30 million listeners. Almost 25 million listen to NPR.

The listeners are deeply engaged in public issues. They are passionate about the issues that concern them as citizens of their communities, of the United States and the world. They argue constantly with NPR over the right and wrong ways to report on the stories of the day.

In the weekly column that I write on the NPR website www.npr.org/yourturn/ombudsman I expressed doubts about whether some listeners’ criticisms of NPR were justified. I received this rebuke from Dr. James McGregor:

I would like to ask for a clarification of the balance of your responsibilities to the public versus National Public Radio (NPR) in your role as Ombudsman.

It is my observation of late that your column is becoming something of a public relations space for National Public Radio rather than a forum to address the concerns of listeners. Comments by listeners are largely dealt with in two ways: presented without response or comment or, more frequently of late, presented then refuted by your defense of NPR's decision, or your assertion that NPR was in the right and [that] the listener misunderstands the situation...

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What Does an Ombudsman Do?

I was not surprised by the question. The role of ombudsman is not well established in American journalism. There are, at last count, only 60 of us in the United States. I am still the only network broadcast ombudsman in the country. Even though I have been doing this job for almost five years, listeners (even longtime listeners) still express astonishment that NPR has such a position. So do some journalists.

My official role is described on the NPR Web site.

The description states, in part:

1. The Ombudsman is the public's representative to National Public Radio, empowered to respond to significant queries, comments and criticisms regarding NPR programming.

2. The Ombudsman will serve as an independent source of information, explanation, amplification and analysis for the public regarding NPR's programming and NPR's adherence to its programming standards and practices.

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How Independent Is the Ombudsman?

I think the most critical aspect of ombudsmanship is found in that single word "independent." That attribute is the sine qua non of the job. NPR has protected that concept from the beginning and has allowed me complete independence.

I am paid by NPR, but I am not listed as an officer of the company. I am not in management, but I also am not officially part of the journalists' union.

I cannot vote in union elections, but I do hold a union card in order to appear on the radio; I do so from time to time, mostly on phone-in programs on member stations.

The ombudsman answers directly to the NPR board and to the president of NPR, Kevin Klose. I file a quarterly report for each board meeting. These reports are available on the NPR Web site (see links below). They give a summary of the main issues addressed by listeners and describe the volume of correspondence received on each topic.

Through the mandate of the office I have the freedom, and the responsibility, to determine which complaints require an answer.

The job entails handling thousands of e-mails, letters and phone calls every month. The volume of complaints about NPR, public radio in general and the overall state of the media increases every year. My assistant and I look at every e-mail that comes in. Not all e-mails, letters and phone calls can be answered. But as our e-mail auto-reply states, every e-mail is read. I estimate that I am personally able to answer about 20 percent of the e-mails. At last count, they were running about 80,000 a year.

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What Is the Process for Filing a Complaint?

If I determine that a listener has a valid complaint, I forward it to the appropriate person in the news department (or, occasionally, to someone in the cultural programming department).

That person is required to respond to the listener in a timely manner. If an answer is not forthcoming from the NPR staff member, I am able to go to that person's supervisor -- or to the vice president for news -- to help get a response for the listener. I have, in almost five years, rarely had to resort to that force majeure.

I look into a complaint only if a listener has received a response from NPR but remains unsatisfied. The results of my inquiry go directly to the president of NPR. Since I have no managerial authority, the acceptance of my reports and any consequences inside the program areas are entirely up to NPR management. Management can act, or not act, on my reports as it sees fit. My sense is that, for the most part, anything I bring to the attention of management is eventually reflected on-air.

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How Accountable Is NPR and Its Ombudsman?

I see the role in two ways: first, it is to make NPR both accountable and transparent to the listeners. News organizations are by their nature defensive institutions that guard their prerogatives jealously. This is a good thing, since the notion of freedom of the press is deeply held and often assailed, especially these days.

But that freedom works best when the information can move two ways: both out to the listeners and back in again in the form of constructive criticism and argument. This is an essential aspect of our democracy.

Second, the ombudsman, as the listeners' agent inside NPR, has an obligation to defog the more obscure processes of journalism. Why was one story reported and another not? Why do certain experts get interviewed and not others? Does NPR have an agenda on certain issues? Is there bias or self-censorship inside NPR? Why does the public have expectations of journalists and journalism that is at such variance with how journalists see their role? If journalists try to serve the interests of their listeners, is that a form of pandering to the public?

All this is hugely complicated, because these tough questions touch on the economics of journalism, power relationships and media control.

As I mentioned, I write a weekly column for the NPR Web site. It is not seen by anyone inside NPR until it is posted on the site. I have engaged an outside editor to copy edit and to make sure my prose doesn't get away from me.

The column tends to be the part of my job where I can also be accountable to listeners.

But going back to Dr. McGregor's letter, am I starting to go soft on NPR?

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'Stockholm Syndrome?'

In order not to assume the journalist's usual defensive crouch, I will say that I hope not, and that I take his criticism very seriously.

I will confess that I like, admire and respect NPR for what it represents. Not everything it does is a paragon of journalistic rectitude, but overall I think NPR provides an essential service in American journalism for one simple reason: It treats its listeners as citizens first and as listeners second. And like NPR itself, not every criticism from the public may be right or fair.

Dear Dr. McGregor, there is still much to criticize, and I assure you that I will. Your e-mail was a booster shot to ensure that I not succumb to any NPR-induced 'Stockholm Syndrome."

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Confronting the Next Issues

Here are some of the issues I plan to address, aside from individual complaints that come my way:

NPR can be parochial in its story selection. It doesn't consider the concerns of its listeners as seriously or as often as it should. It needs to find ways to embrace a more culturally and politically diverse America without alienating its longtime listeners.

As I have said, I take my role seriously. But I don't take it personally.

In the end, the role of the ombudsman at any news organization is to make sure that the public is served. As part of the mission statement says:

NPR is committed to providing diverse and balanced viewpoints through the entirety of its programming. NPR recognizes that its credibility in the minds of the general population is its most precious asset and must be protected.

Clearly, there is much left to be done.

 

This article originally appeared in El Mercurio de Santiago (Chile).

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