PBS updates editorial standards, plans to hire its first ombudsman

In the wake of a number of recent high-profile journalism scandals at various news organizations, PBS announced yesterday that it has tightened its editorial standards for its on-air and online content.

The new policies include a requirement that all commentary be clearly identified, that the use of anonymous sources be limited, and that producers work with PBS to respond to and interact with the public.

PBS also confirmed what has been previously reported: For the first time in its history, it plans to create an ombudsman position on its staff. That person, who has not yet been named, will report directly to Pat Mitchell, PBS's chief executive and president.

Jacoba Atlas, PBS's senior vice president of programming, said the review was triggered because network executives realized that they hadn't updated any content policies in 18 years, which predates widespread use of the Internet, where a lot of PBS material is now available. ''Technology had made the language in our standards document totally obsolete," she said.

PBS's policy changes come in the aftermath of controversy over programming content at the network. In January, US Education Secretary Margaret Spellings denounced PBS for spending public funds to tape an episode of the children's show ''Postcards From Buster" that featured a lesbian couple. PBS promptly dropped the episode from its schedule, although a number of stations aired the program anyway. PBS has also been seen as attempting to appease conservative critics in Congress by balancing its liberal programming with new conservative voices such as Tucker Carlson (he left for MSNBC this month).

In April, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the nonprofit group that distributes federal funds to PBS stations nationwide, announced that it was hiring two ombudsmen to critique PBS programming and report on its balance and accuracy.

Atlas insisted yesterday that the PBS review was initiated seven months ago, before the controversies flared. ''There was no connection in our starting to do this," she said, adding that the confluence of events was a ''coincidence."

Still, yesterday it appeared that PBS was responding to the CPB's ombudsmen appointments. In its new standards document, PBS stated that the CPB is required by law to engage in activities only in ways that will ensure the ''maximum freedom" of public television.

A spokesman for CPB couldn't be reached late yesterday.

Henry Becton Jr., president of the local PBS affiliate WGBH-TV (Channel 2), downplayed the news, saying the new standards are consistent with the station's own policies. What's more, an ombudsman could help WGBH communicate better with its audience, he said.

''Not very many broadcasters have ombudsmen," he said. ''That's mostly found in the newspaper industry. . . . If we make a mistake, we want to correct it as quickly as we can. And sooner or later, you do make mistakes."

Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for a Digital Democracy, painted a different picture.

Of the new standards, Chester said, ''I think what PBS is doing is giving CPB a journalism education 101, hoping it will call off the attack dogs. . . . We're about to see the battle of the ombudsmen, where CPB's will differ from PBS's."

Suzanne Ryan can be reached at sryan@globe.com.