Fiscal Times Scandal

(Editor's Note: On Sunday, The Washington Post ombudsman Andrew Alexander responded to the call for his paper to sever all ties to austerity activist and Social Security/Medicare opponent Pete Peterson, and end its relationship with The Fiscal Times. While he conceded The Fiscal Times' initial work lacked balance, he did not call for The Washington Post to stop publishing news content written by ideological advocates. Below is an email Roger Hickey sent to our supporters today, announcing a new tool so you can help step up the pressure on The Post.)

We're in the midst of a colossal battle: do we want recovery or austerity? Do we boldly invest in America's people and infrastructure to ensure a robust economic recovery, or do we severely cut back and gut Social Security and Medicare to end budget deficits at all costs?

It's fine for citizens and politicians to take sides. It's not fine for the media to take sides. But that's exactly what The Washington Post has done, publishing "news" articles written by The Fiscal Times: an organization funded by billionaire austerity activist Pete Peterson.

Click here now to tell the Post ombudsman to sever all ties to austerity activist Pete Peterson and The Fiscal Times.

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The Washington Post ombudsman finally responded to the complaints about the paper's inappropriate relationship with Pete Peterson and his new "news" operation the Fiscal Times. more »

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At the end of the year the Washington Post published as "news" a story, "Support grows for tackling nation's debt" that pushed the idea of "a special commission to make the tough decisions that will be required to dig the nation out of debt" and "rein in skyrocketing spending on Medicare, Me more »

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The New York Times reported today on The Fiscal Times scandal that has the Washington Post on the defensive. And the NYT framed the controversy in the exact right way (emphasis added): more »

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Today (Jan. 4) 21 policy experts sent a letter (below) to Washington Post Board Chairman Donald Graham, requesting a meeting. Why? Because we've gotten no response to our protest letter to The Washington Post's ombudsman. more »

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On the last day of 2009, The Washington Post published an article, presented as a news story, which could be a signal of the death of the Post as an independent and objective news source.

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