Ombudsman: Somebody responsible for investigating and resolving complaints from consumers or other members of the public against a company, institution or other organization.

Wow, that’s a heady title straight out of the dictionary. The word is Swedish in origin, being the first to implement an ombudsman for oversight of their government.

I prefer to think of myself as more of a mediator between readers and The State Hornet. And those of you paying attention might wonder why a middleman is necessary when communicating with the editorial staff.

The reason is simple; readers need an advocate. Someone they can turn to when they are upset or just don’t understand something.

Journalists can be a defensive bunch; it goes with the territory when your work is published and the bulk of the feedback is criticism. An ombudsman is someone who knows and understands how a newsroom works but doesn’t answer to the editorial board.

In 1982 the Organization of Newspaper Ombudsmen set its straightforward policy of duties: to represent readers with complaints, compliments, questions and suggestions; to investigate those complaints and recommend action if necessary; to serve as an in-house critic; to write publicly concerning the newspaper’s policies and operations; and to defend the newspaper when warranted.

The qualitative reasoning for an ombudsman was evident. The New York Times in mid-July 2003 when its eyes were blackened by the Jayson Blair fiasco. Blair admitted to falsifying interviews and datelines, and repeatedly plagiarizing other journalists’ stories. Two editors resigned as the Times scrambled to save face, eventually hiring a “public editor” in an attempt to regain its readers’ trust.

It would be presumptuous to assume that an ombudsman could have saved the Times from Blair, but the position could have saved the paper from itself. An internal watchdog with the necessary access may have spotted the warning signs in a newsroom that many considered something of a pressure cooker.

You may be wondering who I am and why I’m qualified for this position of watchdog. As a journalist, I have held nearly every position at a newspaper from the rookie in the reporter pool to editor in chief. I spent the past year working for The State Hornet as an editor in the news department.

As with any newspaper, human resources are a premium asset, and reporters are seldom available to report on their own organization, regardless of the nature of the reporting. I hope to begin treating that wound, but I’ll need your help.

I need to know what you think about the paper, what it’s doing right, what it’s doing wrong and what you don’t understand. Without your input, I can’t help The State Hornet become a better publication. And there it is: the real reason that a newspaper needs an ombudsman. To become a better publication, The Hornet needs to know what needs fixing, in your eyes, as well as its own.

So I want to hear from you — good, bad or indifferent.

Contact Andy Jensen at [email protected]