Ernie Gates

Ombudsman @Stars and Stripes

Williamsburg, VA, US

Stars and Stripes is a First Amendment news organization serving U.S. service members, especially those deployed overseas, plus dependents, veterans and the military community generally. It\'s partly subsidized by the Defense Department, but its mandate is to be an independent general American print and digital news operation, not a “house organ” for the Pentagon. Congress established the ombudsman position to help keep Stripes fair and independent. First, like a conventional newspaper ombudsman, the Stripes ombudsman represents the readers and the subjects of coverage. Independent of the editor and publisher, the ombudsman holds the newsrom accountable for fairness, accuracy, impartiality and so on – and writes about it in the paper, on the website and on social media. Second, recognizing that Stripes suffers from the incorrect but natural presumption that what it publishes is subject to command approval, the ombudsman helps maintain the newsroom\'s independence by defending reporters and editors from pressure, interference or obstruction within DOD, either civilian or uniform.

William & Mary

English, Philosophy