This new job reimagines the once common public editor position, otherwise known as the newsroom ombudsman. Instead of examining the work of a single newsroom, Compton will answer audience questions about all the newsrooms in Indianapolis. Through her columns, she'll explore the strengths and weaknesses of the local news organizations, looking at their community service and their journalistic values. Her goal is to strengthen overall news literacy of the people living in Indianapolis.
The old model imagined journalism as a set of headlights that froze wrongdoing in the glare of publicity. But today, the information environment is constantly illuminated with infinite content. When everything is bright, nothing stops. Nothing changes. The spotlight has become ambient light. For years, journalism relied on a simple chain of accountability: expose wrongdoing and someone would apply pressure. Public institutions, regulators, voters, shareholders, civic groups, or even social norms were expected to take the next step once the facts were visible.
O'Donnell accused journalists of becoming accessories to Trump's administration, failing to hold him accountable for dodging critical questions regarding issues like Ukraine military aid.
