ROGER ROSENBLATT, Columbia Journalism Review; Faith and Perfidy at the Washington Post
"Graham was a monumental figure in journalism, not principally because she was a woman, and not because she was rich, but because she was principled and understood that a newspaper represents a tacit agreement between journalists and readers that the common good requires thought, honesty, and fair play.
So scrupulous was Kay, as most everyone called her, that whenever she sat in on our board’s daily meetings, she never said a word, or gave a nod, or tossed a glance that would indicate her opinion. She knew that her opinion was likely to be taken as law, and she was not about to abuse her authority. No one could have been more “in” the Washington Post than Kay, yet she stayed out of the ed board’s business because she understood the moral requirements of power.
To say such a thing these days is so antique as to sound ludicrous. The moral requirements of power? Tell that to Elon Musk, who has returned from outer space to attempt to buy a presidential election. Tell that to Donald Trump himself, who speaks of using the military against his opponents. And tell that to Jeff Bezos, who owns the Washington Post now and who has ordered the current editorial board not to support one candidate or the other."
