Job description overview:
As the agency's PR Ombudsman you will be responsible for monitoring all agency communications between agency staff and the media. You will also address any issues that arise from these relationships. The Ombudsman is completely independent of agency staff and management.
Responsibilities:
- Quality assurance - Create an agency standard for all press releases and pitches
- Develop the agency's first Code of Conduct for interacting with the media
- Write a public blog that grades the agency on its interaction with journalists and bloggers
- Write the quarterly report on successes and failures of agency media relations activities
- Maintain a menacing appearance
Please send resume and cover letter to...
OK, this job post is fake, so don't apply (unless you really want to). Newspapers have had them for years (since 1967) and according to the Organization of News Ombudsmen (ONO) were set up to "monitor news and feature columns, photography and other graphic materials for fairness, accuracy and balance. They bring substandard items to the attention of the appropriate members of the news staff."
NPR has a great mandate and mission for their ombudsman that could easily apply to PR as well (just substitute "NPR" with "agency"):
"The Ombudsman will serve as an independent source of information, explanation, amplification and analysis for the public regarding NPR's programming and NPR's adherence to its programming standards and practices.
"Should a complainant deem a response from NPR management unsatisfactory, the Ombudsman is empowered to investigate NPR's standards and practices with regard to the matter raised, respond to the complainant, inform the management of findings and conclusion, and make public any conclusion(s) if the issue is relevant to people other than the complainant. The Ombudsman may also intervene if NPR management fails to provide a timely response to a complaint.
So what's my point here? PR agencies need ombudsmen-type positions now more than ever. A person whose sole job is to independently monitor the quality of communications between agency staff and the media and is empowered to take real action when things go bad.
In a sense, that's what Newsvetter aims to do: provide objective advice and analysis to help companies stay true to their original goals. The key advantage to an outside consultancy in this role? Freedom from office politics.