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ONO Ombudsmen Survey 2012

ONO Ombudsmen Survey 2012. Copenhagen, May 21, 2012 Tarmu Tammerk, Omb ud sman at Estonian Public Broadcasting Company. What is ONO Survey 2012. 10 questions about ombudsmen activity over the past year 3rd time typical cases, challenges, burning issues special feature: social media

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ONO Ombudsmen Survey 2012

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  1. ONO Ombudsmen Survey 2012 Copenhagen, May 21, 2012 Tarmu Tammerk, Ombudsman at Estonian Public Broadcasting Company

  2. What is ONO Survey 2012 • 10 questions about ombudsmen activity over the past year • 3rd time • typical cases, challenges, burning issues • special feature: social media • 24 replies • Print 14, broadcasters 8, all platforms 2, no online-only

  3. General info about us • title: more than half - ombudsman, but also: readers’ editor, viewers’ editor, readers’ advocate, community advocate • 13 have fixed-term contracts (but some can be renewed), 10 have no fixed term • additional staff: fewer have it than last year (8 have, 15 don’t) • most have regular columns or media appearances (4 said no)

  4. In office since • 2011: 6 • 2010: 5 • 2008: 4 • 2007: 3 • 2005: 2 • 2004, 2009, 2012: 1 per year

  5. Typical cases we deal with • accuracy, balance, bias, fairness • sensationalism, commercial pressure • privacy • crime coverage (protecting identities, presumption of innocence)

  6. Not so typical, but still... • Election-time pressures • Politicians who don’t understand free media • Coverage of certain topics (gay marriage, abortion, science and superstition) • Use of anonymous sources • Aggressive hosts

  7. Main challenges • defending independence • balancing between readers and journalists (dealing with grumpy editors and with grumpy public) • “newsroom diplomacy” • dealing with the social media

  8. Main challenges II • Making sure that dealing with minor errors doesn’t distract the ombudsman from overseeing more substantial matters of ethics • Complaints about non-information output • Dealing with undue influence from media owners

  9. Changes in work • the social media: drafting rules or encouraging editors to do it; figuring out whether and how to use it as ombudsman • overcoming cultural differences between regions • own show for ombudsman • but also: nothing special has changed • “got a better office”

  10. Interacting with readers/viewers/listeners • by e-mail an average of 76% of all communication • by phone 13% (0-50%) • by regular mail 5% (up to 60%) • on news organization’s website – 4% (mostly 0% but some 10-30%) • they use social media 2% • other: visiting the office; focus groups

  11. Audience feedback cont’d “Do you pick up comments for discussion about your news organization from online environments other than your own?” • 13 respondents do, incl from journalist union webiste, advocacy blogs, media ethics forums etc

  12. Social media Have guidelines for the use of the social media? • yes - 11 replies • no - 13 Do you use the social media yourself? • Yes - 9 ombudsmen • No - 13 (the No’s are in the majority this year). And 2 have tried but gave it up.

  13. Corrections Do you get involved in handling corrections? The same proportion as last year. • yes 12 replies (and “oh, yes!”) • no 8 • occasionally, exceptionally 4

  14. Policy of corrections • policy varies • some have guidelines, others react ad hoc • several ombudsmen are working towards creating rules for running corrections • some ombudsmen claim it their achievement that corrections are being taken more seriously by journalists than before

  15. Internationally covered ethics scandals How have big internationally covered media ethical scandals affected your work as ombudsman? *no influence as a rule (14 replies) *UK phone-hacking scandal has added to public debate on media ethics (5), incl parliamentary hearings *and also: ”it made my job easier, raising the status of ombudsman”

  16. Unpublishing (deleting archives) • so-and-so • 6 replies: no problem • but others: legal pressure growing; ombudsmen opposing removal but lawyers or state agencies for privacy demand deletions • some ombudsmen say guidelines are being drafted as it’s hard to operate without them • some agree to delete from archives only in severe cases

  17. Priorities for ONO • promote more exchange of opinion and best practice throughout the year on ONO website or by e-mail • desire for closer cooperation with other media ethics groups (AIPCE etc) • address the needs of specific countries and regions (eg developing countries) • repeat wishes: expand ombudsmanship: Africa, Central/ Eastern/Southeastern Europe etc

  18. Priorities for ONO II • promoting ombudsmanship regionally and internationally (send speakers, involve more public media) • student outreach programmes on ethics • set up ONO grants for ombudsmen • oppose the criticism levelled at the media because of the phone-hacking scandal • find a great place for the next conference 

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