For the last few months, I have taken a few turns leading the #ASNEchat on Twitter for the American Society of News Editors. Starting today, we are going to alternate live-chat formats. We’ll still do a Twitter chat every other week. But on the alternating weeks, including today, we’ll do the live chat using CoverItLive at ASNE.org.
Today’s chat will discuss the role of newsroom ombudsmen with four panelists with interesting perspectives on the topic:
- Arthur S. Brisbane, public editor of the New York Times. Brisbane (a former colleague from the Kansas City Star) stirred a lot of discussion recently when he asked whether Times reporters should be “truth vigilantes.” Among those responding to Brisbane were Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson, Jack Shafer and Mathew Ingram.
- Patrick Pexton, Washington Post ombudsman, who also drew notice recently when he asked whether the Post innovating too fast. Here’s a Q&A with Pexton by Jay Rosen.
- Geneva Overholser, former Post ombudsman and Des Moines Register editor (we were colleagues at the Register before she was editor) and now director of the USC Annenberg School of Journalism.
- Craig Silverman, RegretTheError blogger for Poynter, who wrote some suggestions for updating the role of ombudsman, blogged about the response to Pexton by Raju Narisetti, outgoing managing editor in charge of the Post’s online operation, and about the response to Brisbane’s “truth vigilantes” piece. (Silverman and I have worked together on accuracy workshops for American and Georgetown universities.)
I hope you will join us for the chat and come back in weeks to come, both on Twitter and in the live chats on ASNE’s site.
The Buttry Diary 
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