Welcoming India's first newspaper ombudsman
The Hindu editor N Ram ysterday announced that his paper will soon have a Readers' Editor, also known as inhouse ombudsman, on the lines of Readers' Editor at the Guardian. He made he annoucement after a talk by Ian Meyes, Readers' Editor at the Guardian. It is really refreshing for an Indian newspaper to have taken such a bold step. The work of the ombudsman (external) that the Times of India had appointed some years ago, remains shrouded in mystery though the person was very eminent - retired chief justice of India. As Meyes said, there is no point in having an ombudsman if he or she is not visible. Meyes' weekly column on readers' feedback as well as daily dose of corrections appear on the edit page. (Gurdian had 1600 of them last year) And the feedback mechanism has reduced the burden of legal department of the paper, he said.The respect the Hindu commands among its readers was very much visible at the elite gathering at the Teen Murti auditorium. Seated in the front row was K Natwar Singh, who had to resign from the govefrnemnt recently following publication of the Volcker committee report - first reported by the Hindu.
Link to Meyes' speech:
http://www.hindu.com/2006/01/11/stories/2006011107101200.htm
posted by Dinesh C Sharma @ 10:47 AM
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