Asleep at 10 p.m.: The Washington Post

Letter sent to the Post's Ombudsman, Deborah Howell, September 18, 2008

Dear Ms. Howell,

Did the Post close early last night which may offer explanation for the reasoning behind placing a feature today on the deaths of two 90-year-olds on the front page and leaving the helicopter crash which killed seven of our soldiers for page 15?

With its placement, lack of coverage and six paragraphs, the Post says to its readers that four nonagenarians out on a date and featured in 33 paragraphs with three pictures are more important than the deaths of seven of our soldiers in Iraq. Astonishing.

Would not this feature of celebration of the couples out having dinner have been more appropriate as the weekly obituary story?

Why are paragraphs devoted to ketchup and chicken more important than a small story in "Around the World" about our soldiers who died giving up their lives for us? I fail to understand.

Yahoo had a lengthy story about the helicopter crash before midnight last night.

Is the Post so immune to the Iraqi conflict and deaths of our troops that it fails to understand the significance and meaning of it all?

Had the editor left post before 10:30 p.m.? The page was already made up? There was no one on hand with the desire or energy to change makeup for another helicopter crash?

I hope you are able to provide me with a reasonable explanation, none of which are listed here.

Sincerely,

On Vacation: The Washington Post and 99 Words: Continuing Failure of Iraq War Coverage

Letter sent to the Washington Post's Ombudsman, Deborah Howell, August 21, 2008


Dear Ms. Howell,

On a day when the New York Times carries four major stories on Iraq in its front section, when the Wall Street Journal carries a story about Iraq on p. 1 above the fold, when Yahoo News lists Iraq among its Top Five stories at midnight this morning, the Washington Post has three paragraphs about Iraq. Why is that?

Once again, I hope I am wrong and that I overlooked your Iraq story, but flipping the pages twice, I am unable to locate anything more than 99 words in two of your editions today.

Sincerely,

PatriciaDC

Letter to the Washington Post's Ombudsman Re: Iraq Coverage

Dear Ms. Howell,

Congratulations to the POST! Three stories above the fold today and another one, inside.

Thank you for keeping this world tragedy in the faces of your readers. Sadly, we need to keep abreast of the war, its repercussions, its aftermath, and our participation. It's a "forgotten war," or many would like for it to be for Americans are tired of it. If it's "forgotten," what public will cry for it to end?

Sincerely,

Patriciadc

Letter to Washington Post's Ombudsman about Failure to Cover the Iraq War

(Written May 13, 2008. Check it out: No Iraq War coverage. And NO REPLY.)

Dear Ms. (Deborah) Howell,

Am I missing the Post's Iraq War story today? Why can't I find anything with a dateline from Iraq?

Aren't we still engaged in a war there?

You don't carry one mention of it today: Not on any of your pages, not one story by any of the columnists. Why?

When Americans identify the Iraq War as the second issue of concern to them, the POST fails to carry a word about it! It is no wonder the was has continued for five+ years when the media abandons it, and yet, how many of our troops are stationed there? How much money are we pouring there by the minute?

Dick Cheney and the Defense Department must be jumping up and down and drinking champagne over the Post's lack of coverage. Did you see his quote yesterday? "Good news is no news." So that means it is all good coming out of Iraq?

Perhaps I have missed the story, perhaps there is a paragraph about it somewhere, but I fail to find it anywhere, even in the one paragraph stories in "Around the World".

I believe the POST strives to be an "international" paper, but perhaps I am wrong, too, about that.

I hope you are able to tell me the page number of the story I missed in today's Washington Post about the Iraq War.

Sincerely,
Patriciadc