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On last Tuesday, the day of the District's special election, The Washington Post sent Mr. Tim Craig to report from Chevy Chase, Mr. Mike DeBonis to report from Sousa, and Ms. Jo-Ann Armao was not anywhere to be seen. Did the newspaper's editorial and reporting management team view reporting from precincts of comfort overrides reporting with balance? The news coverage during the special election campaign and the results demonstrated clearly out of touch The Washington Post is with the people of the District.
Judges in court rooms often admonish attorneys for arguing facts not in evidence; however, The Washington Post has reportedly published allegations which have not been independently verified. Did The Washington Post report Mr. Patrick Mara conceded to Mr. Vincent Orange before the call was made? Did The Washington Post accurately report on Council Chairman Kwame Brown's efforts to reach out to Mr. Orange following his victory?
When The Washington Post writes about the old guard of Washington's leadership as ancient, it must have forgotten the date of its birth. How can TWP write cryptically and critically about District's political leadership as old guard deserving to be put out to pasture, while bringing back with praise Mr. Vernon Loeb to graze in its newspaper grass as the new local news editor?
The return of Mr. Loeb as a local editor is a clear recognition and silent admission by TWP that quality news reporting was faltering in its news rooms. Without a doubt, Mr. Loeb was ushered back to oversee the newspaper's local news coverage because of his "experience" as a journalist, rather than his enthusiasm to run marathons.
District readers realized TWP local District new and energized news coverage lacked leadership, direction, was eroding trust, and needed reform. High quality news reporting is as important as is high quality teaching in the classrooms of DC public schools.
TWP, through its editorials and reporting on the District's special election on the open Council-at-Large seat, demonstrated again its biases and intellectual aloofness. Similar to its news coverage of the Fenty v Gray, et al; mayoral campaign, TWP feigns surprise the people of the District see and feel District politics through their own life experiences, rather than through the cynicism, poke fun attitude, and arrogance exhibited by TWP.
As a business, TWP finds it appropriate to promote its own business interests. However, District voters, particularly African-American voters are negatively labeled for voting in their best political interests. There is a hypocrisy and double standard in how TWP covers District politics and District government officials.
Moreover, there appears to be a game among reporters to see who can write the most profanities and insults against certain District elected officials in 140 characters or less. How many characters did TWP use to invite Mr. Donald Trump to be one of its honored table guests at the White House Correspondents Association dinner?
Did the reporters of TWP feel it would be considered a stunt to protest this racially insensitive collaboration? Is there an ethical obligation of reporters question the ethics, to take a stand against an impression of racism and bigotry on the part of their old guard corporate benefactors?
This is an example of the new and improved corporate culture of TWP. It also illustrates the reckless and insensitive management decisions coming out of the news room and from the editorial board.
TWP views itself as king of the journalism hill and uniquely positioned to expose ills of District life and politics with the flair to hurt and to humiliate. While TWP covets its stories and "investigative reports" with pride, it runs and hides from criticism from others.
Those who are critical of TWP will never be viewed by the media elite as heroes, pathfinders, or champions of the people.
The Washington Post chooses to connect to the people of the District through the distance and speed of the internet and Twitter, over the personal and direct human contact.
For many years The Washington Post has held court as the power-broker in District affairs and it is not relinquishing its perch without a fight.
The cartoon image of a "failed state" reflects what The Washington Post sees looking into the mirror after four years of reckless and misreporting on District politics, rather than what residents of the District see from the first four months of a new District government. There is a continuing failure of The Washington Post to be intellectually honest not only to the people of the District, but also to itself.
If The Washington Post wants to be back on top, it needs to think about rebuilding trust with the residents of the District.
E-mail contact information: rbrannum@robertbrannum.com
Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/robert158
http://www.examiner.com/ward-5-in-washington-dc/lonely-at-the-top
http://www.examiner.com/ward-5-in-washington-dc/robert-vinson-brannum
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