News Ombudsmen in North America Assessing an Experiment in Social Responsibility

Subjects:

• Communications » Journalism
• Communications » Communications (General)

Reviews:

• A former reporter, Nemeth covers a neglected topic with this timely book. He uses case studies, surveys, and interviews to explore how and why ombudsmen work to provide accountability in news organizations.... Discussing specific incidents and how ombudsmen handled them, the book covers important concepts--including newspapers' historical resistance to hiring ombudsmen, a situation even more problematic in today's corporate environment. Virtually the only work of its type, this book should be in every academic library and required reading for editors and publishers. Those interested in the topic should also visit Organization of News Ombudsmen (http://www.newsombudsmen.org). Essential. All academic and professional collections.
  —Choice June 2004
• Nemeth's book delivers exactly what its title promises--a careful empirical assessment of the social responsibility functions played by news ombudsmen.
  —Journalism & Mass Communication Educator Summer 2005
• News Ombudsmen describes the theoretical foundation of newspapers' decisions to establish ombudsmen, and it explains organizational accountability and social responsibility of the press. It delves into the history of both as well as the arguments made by scholars who have challenged their validity. In an attempt to reconcile the two concepts, Nemeth suggests that the notion of social responsibility of the press as a cornerstone of democracy is outmoded in a corporate context.
  
  —Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly Summer 2004

Table of Contents:

• Acknowledgments and Methods
• The Case for News Ombudsmen as Agents of Accountability
• A Short History of Ombudsmen
• A Snapshot of News Ombudsmen and Their Work
• The News Ombudsman as Internal and External Critic at the Washington Post
• The News Ombudsman as Compliant Manager/Weekly Columnist in Sacramento
• Two Approaches to News Ombudsmanship in the Twin Cities
• The Evolution of the First Modern News Ombudsman Orogram in Louisville
• The Evolution of the Reader's Advocate at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
• The Use of News Ombudsmen by Small and Mid-sized Newspapers
• The Use of News Ombudsmen in Electronic Media
• The Future of News Ombudsmen and Media Accountability
• Selected Bibliography