A man who had been a journalist in Washington, D.C., for 30 years wrote to me after he heard I had taken the job at The Post. He said that he had been offered the Post ombudsman job a fear years back, and told them no. The editors hate the ombudsman. The staff hates the ombudsman. News sources hate the ombudsman.
Readers hate the ombudsman.
I couldn't take it. But The Post had had an ombudsman for 22 years by the time I showed up. The staff had come to understand the role, and to expect their work to be evaluated by someone they do not answer to. Editors are more likely to welcome, or see the value in, an ombudsman's critique. But just about everyone at The Post is cordial and everybody cooperates in giving me information.