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Unleash The Ombudsing. And The Not-Just-An-Ombudsing.

By Hillary Profita

June 15, 2006 / 1:20 PM EDT / CBS News

(CBS/PHOTODISC)

It's apparently a banner day for insights about the role of the ombudsman (or nonbudsman, as the case may be.) "We're beginning to see — if not quite a golden age — at least a flowering of the ombudsmanship movement," writes Mark Jurkowitz in the Boston Phoenix today. He's the former ombudsman for Boston Globe, and his piece is a unique look at what it's like to have "what has often been considered one of journalism's most thankless jobs." How so? Writes Jurkowitz:

The truth is that ombudsmen tend to leave everyone unsatisfied. Colleagues and bosses are often taken aback by any level of criticism, and the public is usually deprived of the full-throated assault it wants.

In an interview for today's Boston Herald PBS NewsHour anchor Jim Lehrer told the paper that he didn't want a full assault, but maybe more of a closer look behind the curtain for the audience. On the disconnect between reporters and the audience they serve:

"There's always been (one), and it's always been our fault," Lehrer said. "They think we're doing it for ourselves. We need to say, 'We go to the White House because you're too busy to.' We just haven't explained the basics."
He suggested newspapers include reports on the reporting process - "not just an ombudsman" - for any enterprise or investigative story.

Well, we're not a newspaper, but we're here for you Jim Lehrer.