A regional daily has appointed an ‘ombudsman’ in order to help bridge the gap between readers and journalists.

Aberdeen daily the Press & Journal has made the move in a bid to reassure those who are “sceptical” about the newspaper, its methods and its motives.

Assistant editor Joe Churcher, pictured, has been unveiled as the P&J’s readers’ ombudsman and will write regular comment pieces explaining the practices and ethics the paper, as well as answering questions via direct correspondence.

In his first blog since taking up the post, Joe discussed the reasoning behind the paper’s online paywall.

He wrote: “As an industry, we created a deeply-ingrained expectation that the news cost nothing to read. With some notable exceptions, titles gave content away online with abandon, safe in the apparent knowledge that limitless space for advertising on our websites would generate more than enough revenue to cover the costs of producing it.

“By the time the delusion of that strategy became clear, the damage had been done.

“Not only had millions become used to accessing journalism for nothing, they had been disillusioned about its quality too.

“The increasingly desperate quest to maximise commercial income had spawned “clickbait” – a rightly hated trend that ought to be ashamed to call itself journalism. It had, too, thrust into the spotlight the influence of what dependence on commercial income could allow people to buy.

“The Press and Journal, in part by happy accident, avoided being part of this. With centuries of loyalty built up behind us as a trusted and reliable source of local news, and an unrivalled distribution network, our focus remained very firmly on print, on the tens of thousands who have read the paper every day for all their lives.

“If that made us the tortoise in the race to make digital journalism work, then three cheers for being slow off the mark because over recent times we have begun to overtake many, many hares.

“We have learned from others’ mistakes – and successes, posed ourselves some very hard questions and taken time to better understand our audience.

“The conclusion? Provide everything that anyone could want from their local media and they will gladly subscribe to it, much as they have done for generations.”

Joe explained his new role in a separate editorial, saying: “When things do go wrong, we never shy away from admitting it and making amends. But it is not enough that we simply tell you this is the case.

“We know there are all too many people who remain sceptical about such assurances, who understandably distrust the methods and motives of ‘the media’ in the wake of dreadful episodes like the tabloid phone-hacking scandal.

“That kind of behaviour is not and has never been part of our culture – but we know that we have to do better at demonstrating that in order to move out of its long shadow.

“So as part of redoubling our efforts to do that, I am delighted to have been asked to become the P&J’s first readers’ ombudsman.

“My role will be to listen carefully to what it is you want to know about how we work, why we make the choices we do – and then to pull back the curtain and show you the answers.”

“I will reply to as many queries as I can in person or through the blog. It is a conversation I am very much looking forward to having with you all.

“We push hard on your behalf for openness, honesty and full transparency from everyone we write about, not least those in positions of power.

“It is only right that we should expect the same of ourselves – and, what’s more, we know our journalism will end up all the better for it.”