Because they are apparently unclear on the definition of ombudsman:
Summary: Washington Post ombudsman Deborah Howell has reportedly posted on the Post’s internal message board — specifically mentioning a reply she made to a Media Matters item, which she claimed “just brought another attack” — “From now on, I don’t reply.”
Critics, apparently, hurt her little feelings.
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Reminds me of the line, “Just ’cause your paranoid, it doesn’t mean somebody’s not out to get you.”
If the cited report is true, it’s just bizarre. But hey, there’s lots of that going around D.C. these days.
From what I’ve seen, a really good ombudsperson can be a tremendous asset to a publication. But a poor one is a terrible liability — much worse than having none at all. That Howell is so prickly doesn’t auger well for the Post.