Media need internal oversight more than ever

The number of U.S. news outlets employing ombudsmen has never been very large, and about 14 of the positions have been eliminated since the onset of the recession in 2008. As embattled newspapers have shrunk their staffs, the ombudsman has been a tempting target. After all, you have to cover City Hall and the cops.

So what do news organizations do that bothers, irritates and upsets people? False balance is one issue. Other issues include accuracy -- "they want to hold the paper's feet to the fire," fairness and using anonymous sources unfairly. Readers also are apt to ask both why the paper didn't cover something and why it's covering something so much.