How to make the world job in journalism the best job in journalism
: Dan Okrent has just been appointed to the worst job in journalism: public editor (that’s the pronouncable, spellable, PC synonym for ombudsman) at the NY Times.
But I think I know how to turn it into the best job.
I know Dan from my days at Time Inc. and afterwards, when he headed up new media content. He’s smart and opinionated; I like and respect him. But I’ll just bet he’ll rub the Timesies the wrong way, for he can be gruff and he has no newspaper experience (which would help if you’re trying to figure out how a story gets messed up in such an organization). That will only make watching this more entertaining.
I thought this was the worst job in journalism: dealing on the one hand with too many Times-bashing natterers to count and on the other hand with Timesies, and being at the center of the gigantic circle-jerk that is journalism self-awareness.
But I see a new model for how to run the job in a memo — not, unfortunately, a column — that Washington Post ombudsman Michael Getler wrote slashing Tina Brown’s debut in the Post:
Post ombudsman Michael Getler
