"An ombudsman is there to act as a counterweight or antidote to the natural assumptions of any organization that everything that happens is usually for a good reason or is done for the best of motives. An ombudsman is there to ask simple questions: “Are you sure?” “How do you know?” S/he is there to connect the public with the media organization to assure that the content produced is of the highest standards. And if not, why not? The readers, listeners and viewers deserve no less. Those of us who have done the job all have stories about what works and what doesn’t. This handbook is to help new and still active ombudsmen navigate through the cross currents of 21st century media. It is also a guide for students of journalism, as well as interested members of the public. When it comes to high-quality journalism, we are all in this together." (Introduction)