WaPo Ombudsman: 'Too Much Officialdom' in Reporting on Storm

iMediaEthics publishes international media ethics news stories and investigations into journalism ethics lapses.

Menu

Home » Ombudsmen/Press Councils»

(Credit: Washington Post, screenshot)

The Washington Post‘s coverage of the late June storm that knocked out electricity in the D.C. area, “didn’t pass the test,” ombudsman Patrick Pexton wrote.

Pexton criticized the Post‘s reporting as “not aggressive enough, and it had too little depth, breadth and creativity.”

Plus, Pexton wrote that the reporting had “too much officialdom, too little humanity” and that the Post should have had more reporters on the ground,

Pexton also noted the Post distributed much of the information about the storm and its effects online only, which meant “many older subscribers — who are key to this publication’s financial stability…couldn’t access it.”

Also, Pexton reminded that because of the power-loss, “only smartphone users had a way to access the Internet,” further limiting the Post’s ability to reach readers.

Submit a tip / Report a problem

WaPo Ombudsman: ‘Too Much Officialdom’ in Reporting on Storm

Share this article:

Comments Terms and Conditions

  • We reserve the right to edit/delete comments which harass, libel, use coarse language and profanity.
  • We moderate comments especially when there is conflict or negativity among commenters.
  • Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *