Former Wash. Post ombuds(wo)man Deborah Howell passes away

"Deborah Howell, the hard-charging editor who helped the St. Paul Pioneer Press win two Pulitzer Prizes and went on to a high-profile career as the ombudsman for the Washington Post, has died.

Howell was killed in a road accident while vacationing in New Zealand, according to family members in Minnesota. She was 68."

Deborah came to my Capstone class to speak a month ago. What a personality she had. She was upbeat, realistic and I can tell she's pissed off more than a handful of people in her days.

One of the most memorable speakers I had while at the J-School. RIP.

 

In her office at the Post, Deborah Howell kept photographs of her hiking adventures. The last time we talked, she told me, with a teenager's excitement, about her upcoming trip to New Zealand. She was an invaluable source and guide for my book on the Post, always shrewd, hard-edged, skeptical, funny, fair, and dedicated to the idea that journalism mattered.

Here's a good obit/eulogy:

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/01/02/deborah-howell-trail-blazing-newspaperwoman-dies-in-new-zealan/?icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl1|link6|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.politicsdaily.com%2F2010%2F01%2F02%2Fdeborah-howell-trail-blazing-newspaperwoman-dies-in-new-zealan%2F#comments

 

I see by Amazon that the pub date is July 20.

 

I heard the Pioneer Press did a piss-poor job with the story.

 

http://www.twincities.com/ci_14112457?nclick_check=1

 

I guess the reporter I know in the Twin Cities was quick with his reaction.

 

Are you reading Bob Collins' moronic Twitter posts?

 

Outed. I wish my job description included getting into Twitter arguments. Of course I never see MPR criticized.

 

John Camp - you know him as John Sandford, best-selling authors of the Prey books - writes about his former editor. Camp won a Pulitzer under Howell.

http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2010/01/02/14613/deborah_howell_and_her_brilliant_ability_to_squeeze_the_most_out_of_her_journalists