Washington Post - Introduction

In some contrast to the Tehran Times is the Washington Post. Both are daily city papers located in their respective country's capital. The similarities largely end there.
The Washington Post is a traditional American-style newspaper, with an emphasis on objectivity and international, national, and local scope. Perhaps the definitive Post story was the investigation into the Watergate burglary in 1972 by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. This story, which attacked American conceptions about President Nixon's character and ultimately contributed to his resignation, is an example of media "freedom" - the Post's ability to print a story that confronted the President and institutions of this country.
The Post's commitment to objective journalism begins in 1935, when then-owner Eugene Meyer printed his principles of journalism on the front page:

• The newspaper shall tell ALL the truth so far as it can learn it, concerning the important affairs of America and the world.
• As a disseminator of news, the paper shall observe the decencies that are obligatory upon a private gentleman.
• What it prints shall be fit reading for the young as well as the old.
• The newspaper's duty is to its readers and to the public at large, and not to the private interests of its owners.
• In the pursuit of truth, the newspaper shall be prepared to make sacrifices of its material fortunes, if such a course be necessary for the public good.
• The newspaper shall not be the ally of any special interest, but shall be fair and free and wholesome in its outlook on public affairs and public men.

So, a western, liberal newspaper that claims to abide by journalistic standards, contrasted with a newspaper that is at best a rumor-monger and at worst part of a governmental propaganda machine. From now on I'll be putting the two head to head. Should be fun.

Today's Headline: White House Tape Recycling May Have Erased E-Mails