The sad fact is that the public editors at the Times either do their jobs well, and have to be eased out, or they do their jobs poorly, and become an embarrassment. It is a classic situation that is no-win for whomever holds it.
John / Billybob
John, thanks for your present-day explanation of “ombudsman” especially as it applies to the NYT. You’ve taught me something I couldn’t find anywhere else, and it makes the article more understandable.