Three Diversity Birds, One Stone

Deborah Howell, Washington Post Ombudsman
ombudsman@washpost.com

Dear Ms. Howell,

In yesterday’s Washington Post, you bemoaned the excess of white male opinion writers and columnists and the paucity of blacks and females.

You wrote that the Washington area is “a remarkably diverse region, and that should be better reflected in columnist jobs” and proceeded to list the paper’s columnists according to section, sex, and race. Especially notable was the number of white men in the opinion pages. Out of 20 op-ed writers, 17 are men, three are women, one man was born in India, and two men are black.

With all due respect, the title of your column is somewhat misleading. “Diversity of Opinion” is what the paper should be concerned about, but its chief concern seems to be diversity of skin hues, not of opinion.

This is where I come in.

You wrote:

So how could The Post increase diversity as the staff and space for stories got smaller? It wouldn’t be easy, but here are some thoughts. On the op-ed pages, don’t run all the columnists all the time. Create some space for new voices. In Close to Home, make a point of seeking out more women and minorities. Outlook can also bring in more such voices.

More women and minorities… that’s noble but very predictable. Might I add a third category? Why not add more conservative writers to the roster? If you want diversity of opinion, as your column title indicates, it will require the paper to publish pieces written from a non-liberal worldview, one that differs from the view of the current editorial board and stable of writers.

And the Post can begin with my voice. First, I’m black. BAM! Second, I’m a woman. BOOM! Best of all, I’m a conservative. ZING! By hiring me as an op-ed writer, the good liberal folks at the Post would kill three diversity birds with one proverbial stone. How cool is that?

Ms. Howell, the Washington Post needs diversity of thought, ideology and worldview, not just of race or sex. Skin deep-only differences aren’t very interesting to anyone but liberals. The real test of tolerance is how well you tolerate differences of viewpoint.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I care more about reading articles written by someone whose opinions and values — not race or sex — are similar to my own.

But that’s just me.

I look forward to your reply and hope your week is enjoyable.

Yours most sincerely,

La Shawn Barber

Update: Commenter Mike writes:

When I first saw the Post article, I immediately thought of you as a candidate. Not only do you fit their categories, you also live right there in D.C. making you local AND “urban”! How could they possibly turn you down?

Oh, that’s right, you’re a pariah – a black conservative.

By the way, I sent Deborah Howell a link to this “tongue-in-cheek” post and a short note asking her to pass along my name, and she replied, “Sure, I’ll pass along to the op-ed editor.”

In a million years the Washington Post wouldn’t hire me.

Read about the infamous Washington Post Telephone Rejection.