Distinguish fact from opinion

I agree with your closing statement that "facts matter,"

I believe that some of the complaints that you have received about your frequent use of The Washington Post are because several of the Post articles are presented in your paper as if they are "news" instead of identifying them as "opinion."

A friend (who subscribes to The Washington Post) helped me understand this when I read to her from today's article on "Americans dying younger among rich nations." In my opinion, the statement "While care itself is generally quite good (it ought to be, for the price we're paying)" is not worthy of being in a "news" article - it belongs on the opinion/blog page - which in fact - is exactly where it was in the Post.

In that same article, I believe that the following statement is also an opinion and not a statement of fact: "Because the American tax code is more generous to the wealthy than tax systems in other rich countries, U.S. income inequality is among the highest in the OECD." I believe that there are many reasons outside of the tax code for income inequality in this country.

There have been several other Washington Post articles in your paper that do not appear to present a balanced presentation of the news, but appear to present a slanted political agenda. I don't have a problem with my newspaper having a different opinion about things than I do, but I do expect opinions and blogs to be identified and separated from "news" reporting.

Tom Barmore

Arlington Heights