Washington Post blogger David Weigel is out after someone exposed some emails he sent to a private group in DC criticizing Matt Drudge, the Washington Examiner, etc. Weigel reportedly offered to resign last night and the Post accepted today.
I don’t always agree with Weigel, but he is one of the hardest working journalists I have seen in DC. He has done a lot of good work and uncovered facts missed by other reporters of any and every ideology. He has provided far more insightful coverage of libertarian and conservative politics and groups than the Post previously had.
Perhaps the Post will go back to the paradigm the media has periodically used since the 1964 Goldwater campaign – assuming that non-liberals are mentally ill.
Salon has a good summary of the hubbub.
Karma’s a bitch.
http://daveweigel.com/?p=739
Dave Weigel did no more or no less than any other Washington Post reporter or any reporter on any given days. He said some things in private no worse than anyone else. The only thing different is that his emails became public– against his will– something that could happen to anyone.
Weigel was young. He was a blogger. He had a non-traditional background. No matter that he is a great reporter. That is the kind of guy published at the Post.
Who keeps their job at the Post and other places?
Those who espoused the WMD lies of the Bush administration.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58127-2004Aug11.html
Those who have plagiarized.
http://www.cjr.org/regret_the_error/to_catch_a_plagiarist.php
And those who have engaged in unethical or sloppy journalism.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/16/AR2006041601027.html
Since we’re talking about the Post record, I can’t resist citing an article detailing how the Post caved to DARE America in 1994 and added false accusations that parents victimized by the drug war were actually drug traffickers. This was for an article I wrote on how some DARE programs encouraged kids to turn in their parents.
The Post did not dispute the allegations that Stephen Glass made in this New Republic article. Unfortunately, Glass included fabricated material elsehwere in the article – as well as in many other New Republic articles.
http://www.druglibrary.net/schaffer/media/txtglass030397.html
The Washington Post was never upfront of why it caved to a drug war lobby.