Today it became official: I have accepted the role as Ombudsman of the CBC.
It means I am leaving the newsroom and my colleagues as The Vancouver Sun after seven years as Managing Editor. I have been managing 25 years this month.
I want to thank Editor-in-Chief Patricia Graham for bringing me to Vancouver and investing trust and generous boundaries in my work. I have worked closely with an excellent team of managers, reporters, editors and contributors who care about high-quality journalism and the community we serve. The newsroom comprises a committed local conscience.
My new role starts November 1. I'll be based in Vancouver but travel to Toronto and elsewhere to help CBC's news and information team and the general public understand each other and resolve differences.  I am grateful to CBC President Hubert T. Lacroix for his faith in my ability to extend the excellence of the Ombudsman's office. I am excited and privileged by the challenge.
This is a dynamic time for journalists. Techniques and technology are changing ways of eliciting, sharing and distributing. Change has brought about challenges to protect credibility, ensure transparency and provide accountability to uphold public trust. I hope to help meet those challenges.
There is some housekeeping to do in the days ahead as I leave the Sun and my colleagues at Postmedia. I have been Canadian chair of international committee within the U.S.-based Online News Association and have been nominated for the board this year. I will withdraw from the ONA and the election, just as I will withdraw from my involvement in the ethics committee of the Canadian Association of Journalists.
A direct association with a journalism organization complicates my position's need to represent the public interest. I want to avoid any appearance of a conflict in my new duties and provide the best possible service to the CBC by providing the best possible service to the public.