Former 'Wash Post' Columnist Expressed Concerns About Editorial Page In Farewell Memo

[babylonsister]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003574080

Former 'Wash Post' Columnist Expressed Concerns About Editorial Page In Farewell Memo

By Joe Strupp

Published: April 19, 2007 2:40 PM ET

NEW YORK Former Washington Post columnist Colbert King, a Pulitzer Prize winner who also served on the paper's editorial board, apparently left his job at the end of 2006 with some critical words for his old colleagues.

In a farewell memo, posted on the Web site of Washington City Paper, King warns the editorial page to re-examine its approach to issues such as Iraq and race and "avoid resorting to sophomoric language when addressing serious matters." He also stated that "editorials simply must not be used to advance one individual's causes or views."

snip//

"I offer this thought because Fred has assembled a first rate staff-good minds that produce great work when they all contribute to an editorial, even though there may be one writer. Editorials simply must not be used to advance one individual's causes or views. That's what columns are for."

He also adds that "members of the board must have the courage of their convictions--that the place to put views on the table is not in the corridor, rest room or across the dinner table at home-- or in whispered conversations with friends and newsroom colleagues-- but in the conference room where what is discussed there, stays there."

The Post has been a hawkish defender of the Iraq war from the beginning. The King memo includes the following: "The board, in my final view, needs to think through its position on Iraq, encouraging a full expression of views. Likewise, there must be a serious examination of race--how we editorialize about Prince Georges leaders vs. Northern Virginians--the language, the selection of words we use when talking about black vs. white leaders in the region.

"The page must also take care to avoid resorting to sophomoric language when addressing serious matters. There is a tone that a Post editorial must maintain to preserve its unique standing in journalism."

[MountainLaurel]

1. Thanks for posting this

In the 10+ years I spent in DC, King became one of my favorite columnists at the Post, and I've posted his work on DU many times. It was unfortunate that the paper saw fit to publish him on Saturdays, when circulation was slowest.