http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/ombudsman/ en Copyright 2012 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:24:34 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.36 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/ombudsman/images/pbslogo-rss.gif http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/ombudsman/ I usually do not get involved in the Friday night segment of the PBS NewsHour in which columnists Mark Shields and David Brooks provide their analysis and opinions about the week's news events. I don't do opinion, and I'm not... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2012/02/the_mailbag_blowing_off_steam_reactive_and_ra_1.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2012/02/the_mailbag_blowing_off_steam_reactive_and_ra_1.html Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:24:34 -0500 http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2012/01/the_mailbag_factchecking_and_checking_the_fac.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2012/01/the_mailbag_factchecking_and_checking_the_fac.html Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:00:43 -0500 This brief column doesn't have much to do with editorial matters, but the subject is breaking news that is just too good not to share. The British press, not so good at some things but very good at other stuff,... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2012/01/the_daily_downton.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2012/01/the_daily_downton.html Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:38:55 -0500 Last week's ombudsman's column and a mailbag the week before contained a representative dose of commentary from viewers who were complaining about what they saw as an overdose of coverage recently about the Republican presidential campaigns. And I stuck my... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2012/01/the_mailbag_the_newshour_responds.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2012/01/the_mailbag_the_newshour_responds.html Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:50:18 -0500 It is not surprising that a heavy flow of mail these past few weeks is from viewers who, for the most part, are fed up with the extent that coverage of the Republican presidential campaign is dominating television news. They... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2012/01/is_it_republicans_247_or_does_it_just_feel_th_1.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2012/01/is_it_republicans_247_or_does_it_just_feel_th_1.html Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:51:29 -0500 Ombudsmen sometimes are the recipients of email campaigns driven by various interest or self-styled media-watch groups. So it was this week when some 2,000 emails landed in my inbox within a 24-hour period. As far as I can tell, they... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2012/01/a_fair_catch_but_unfair_conclusion_1.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2012/01/a_fair_catch_but_unfair_conclusion_1.html Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:56:43 -0500 The quote above is from the opening line of an episode of NOVA, the popular and long-running science series on PBS. The complete quote asks about the diversity of life and leads in to a NOVA program called "What Darwin... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2012/01/the_mailbag_why_is_there_such_a_stunning_dive.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2012/01/the_mailbag_why_is_there_such_a_stunning_dive.html Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:10:38 -0500 Here's a brief, final ombudsman's mailbag for 2011. Most of the mail is about various NewsHour segments, which has been the case now for quite a while since not much else on PBS seems to be stirring up controversy. But,... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2011/12/the_mailbag_yearend_odds_and_ends.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2011/12/the_mailbag_yearend_odds_and_ends.html Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:53:34 -0500 The following is definitely not a proper, pre-Christmas offering. But, as is frequently the case, a single viewer raises an interesting, critical observation that is worth addressing even if seasonally untimely. At issue here is an episode of the popular,... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2011/12/a_headsup_to_producers_from_a_viewer_1.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2011/12/a_headsup_to_producers_from_a_viewer_1.html Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:53:58 -0500 A brief but strong gust of criticism blew into the ombudsman's inbox Wednesday evening. It was over almost as quickly as it began, but it sticks in my head as one more case of serious news organizations that occasionally shoot... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2011/12/the_mailbag_selfinflicted_wounds.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2011/12/the_mailbag_selfinflicted_wounds.html Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:39:37 -0500 I was away last week and the mail and phone traffic was fairly light. But what messages did arrive seemed to reinforce a couple of observations made in earlier columns. The headline above, for example, refers to a caller's critical... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2011/12/the_mailbag_making_sene_of_cleancut_and_scruf_1.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2011/12/the_mailbag_making_sene_of_cleancut_and_scruf_1.html Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:47:29 -0500 Here's a quick, pre-holiday catch-up on the mail landing in the ombudsman's inbox recently. Getting the most mail, and thereby earning the headline on this posting, was additional viewer reaction to an appearance earlier this month on the Nightly Business... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2011/11/the_mailbag_in_rematch_its_nbr_and_skousen_6_1.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2011/11/the_mailbag_in_rematch_its_nbr_and_skousen_6_1.html Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:23:14 -0500 On Sunday evening, Nov. 6, many PBS member stations around the country aired a new feature-length espionage drama titled "Page Eight." It is part of what is called the "Masterpiece Contemporary" series and, not surprisingly, it is very, very British.... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2011/11/for_some_a_mystery_about_masterpiece.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2011/11/for_some_a_mystery_about_masterpiece.html Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:02:33 -0500 The PBS NewsHour actually made some news in its Friday, Oct. 31, broadcast when, during an interview with correspondent Judy Woodruff, Republican presidential contender Herman Cain committed a foreign policy blunder. "Do you view China as a potential military threat... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2011/11/when_a_guest_puts_you_on_the_spot_1.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2011/11/when_a_guest_puts_you_on_the_spot_1.html Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:31:55 -0500 Paul Solman, the guy in the hat, is the PBS NewsHour's economics correspondent. He is one of the more memorable and identifiable correspondents on television. Solman is smart, provocative at times, interviews interesting people, asks challenging questions and the trademarked... http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2011/11/is_there_a_good_side_to_us_economic_inequalit.html http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/rss/redir/http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2011/11/is_there_a_good_side_to_us_economic_inequalit.html Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:08:37 -0500