Abstract

This chapter explains the role and function of the ombudsman as it is practiced in a variety of media and countries. It will provide a history of the position and its role in promoting journalistic accountability and building public trust. Based on the experience of working practitioners, it will explore the dual functions of representative of news consumers and the upholder of journalistic standards and ethics in news organizations. It will look at how the role has changed in the context of the world of social media and Twitter campaigns and how it might evolve to be more effective in this context. It will argue in a time when public trust in news media is so eroded, the function of a news ombudsman is an important and critical way to gain back that trust and reinforce the highest standards of journalism.