Keeping the Readers’ Trust

Featuring Ohio’s Last and First Newspaper Ombudsmen

• Ted Diadiun, The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Reader Representative since 2005 – and
the last newspaper ombudsman in Ohio

• John C. Long, Ombudsman from 1967-68 at

the Ohio Wesleyan Transcript and from 1995-96
at The Courier-Journal in Louisville, and director
of The Main Street Free Press Museum

First Baptist Church, Fredericktown, Ohio
22 E. Sandusky St., one block east of the Public Square
47 years ago, The Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times appointed the first U.S. newspaper ombudsman, and the Ohio Wesleyan Transcript appointed the second – Ohio’s first. Over the next 40 years, dozens of U.S. newspapers and many more worldwide appointed ombudsmen to be more responsive to readers and to strengthen their trust. But in the past 10 years, as 18,000 U.S. newsroom jobs disappeared, many ombudsman positions were lost. What did and do the ombudsmen accomplish, and how are others continuing the mission?

The Main Street Free Press Museum one block north of the Square at Main and Second streets, is open for tours and letterpress printing demonstrations at 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and following the program. Refreshments available at the Fredericktown Tomato Show booths along Main Street throughout the evening