Desperately Seeking a New Ombudsman
1-liner, ESPN, Media Gossip/Musings January 19th. 2009, 11:00amESPN: Le Anne Schreiber’s contract expires in a couple months. She has been absolutely terrific in her ombudsman role; nothing like the pathetic job displayed by former Washington Post sports editor George Solomon. So who’s getting the job? Chances are good the selection will come from the non-sports arena so they don’t enter the job with any bias. This is actually a pivotal selection for ESPN because Schreiber has raised the bar so high that many ESPN readers/viewers will expect a critical voice. But just how critical does ESPN want this person to be? (USA Today)
14 Responses to “Desperately Seeking a New Ombudsman”
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January 19th, 2009 at 11:02 am
DAULERIO
January 19th, 2009 at 11:02 am
is there any chance that she could return?
January 19th, 2009 at 11:08 am
i am voting for Muriel.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Love her articles, but what’s the point? There are no repercussions for those that she criticizes. ESPN doesn’t really care. No one has to apologize, or get punished. They’re just pretending to care about our opinions while at the same time doing nothing about it.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:12 am
If ESPN doesn’t pay attention to what the Ombudsman is saying, what’s the point in having someone do the job?
The blogs carry easier to find links to her writing than ESPN does…that should tell you something.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:13 am
If she doesn’t sign an extension (which I’m pretty confident they will offer her), you should throw an application their way TBL.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Usually, the ombudsman is a temporary role, with a finite time commitment. You want the person to maintain their independence and to not become too familial.
I think she did a fantastic job. She’s not supposed to implement widespread changes. She’s supposed to embody the voice of the readers and discuss issues we get concerned about in an independent fashion. She did so poignantly and eloquently.
If ESPN wants my resume, I can write and come cheap.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:34 am
I just dont think monthly is enough. By the time she addresses an issue, it is long past and any chance for immediate action is gone. I would rather have an Omsbudsperson who writes when something worth writing about happens.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Umm… Whitlock?
January 19th, 2009 at 11:44 am
How about George Will or somebody intellectual like him that does have some sports background but is not in the sports reporting business?
January 19th, 2009 at 11:46 am
While I like her columns, I think her impact is minimal.
Every time she calls out ESPN’s actions Doria just says, “it shouldn’t have happened” or “we should have done this instead…” The network apologizes after the fact but I don’t believe for one second that they would have done anything differently.
She’s all bark no bite. I enjoy her calling out the stupid moves of ESPN but without any authority her job is pointless.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Whitlock was a joke, but that position is not. That ESPN even recognizes the need for an Ombudsman is reason to still have some faith in that company as a consumer.
January 19th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Le Anne Schreiber is awesome. Maybe she can move over to the New York Times. I would enjoy her take on Thayer Evans’ pieces.
As to her replacement, I would nominate Daniel Okurent.
January 19th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
two words. who cares?