To remind you of the position, technically, I'm no longer the intermediary between the newsroom and the readers. I am no longer the paper's chief internal critic.
This summer, if you have a question or comment about the paper, you have no ombudsman to call. You can call me, but this is easy enough only because it is the summer.
During the school year, the DTH is a whole different animal. Writers come and go depending on their class schedules; editors are so busy they're even harder to reach.
Fortunately, we have enlisted a second-year M.A. student from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication to serve as ombudsman next year. Josh Myerov will be an excellent ombudsman.
Here is my concern: When I started as ombudsman last fall, I had very little understanding of the position, thanks to the lack of literature on the subject. The position is rare among newspapers, even rarer at college newspapers. I am aware of only five ombudsmen that worked at college newspapers this past year.
Professional ombudsmen have the Organization of News Ombudsmen to turn to for peer support and discussion.
There is no Organization of College News Ombudsmen.
Josh will have to rely on the examples set by the DTH's previous ombudsmen and the various ombudsmen at professional dailies.
I would like to help him by providing a better understanding of the position.
