I got a letter back from the Washington Post!

[BigBearJohn]

I wrote to them regarding a fair article they wrote in their op/ed column about the hypocracy of * administration regarding the Quran and Newsweek:

Dear Washington Post:

Can this really be the Washington Post I am reading?
You finally found your backbone. This article about the
Quran and Newsweek is the first piece of honest
journalism I have seen from you in a long while.

Welcome back. You were sorely missed.

Gratefully,

John

To which they responded:

Dear John:

Many thanks for your recent comments on my column. I'm grateful when people are kind enough to take time out to offer generous thoughts, though I also appreciate the passion and concern of those who disagree. Opinion pages are supposed to spur debate, and my readers keep me on my toes. That's why I read my e-mail and have on occasion written columns replying to readers. I hope you will understand that it is often difficult to reply in detail to every note and letter I get. But please know that I am paying attention.
Many thanks and best wishes,

E.J. Dionne

It may not mean much to some of you -- but at least I got
a respectful response. It's a start.

[fooj]

1. Right on!!!

Truth is our most powerful weapon!

peace.

[Mizmoon]

2. a journalist with a brain

why some of them just kick and scream about how they hate hearing from the public, I don't know. It's a chance to build a real audience and rapport with the public.

[Kolesar]

3. I always thought well of E.J.Dionne

I recall that he discusses politics weekly on public radio's Diane Rehm show. (I think I have that right).

[MasonJar]

4. E,J. is one of us.

[lynne]

5. No offense -

- but it looks like an automated response reply to me. Very generic - is written to suit any situation - with no reference as to the content of your note or what column you were writing about.

Wait a few days and send another email and see if you get the same note again.

[welshTerrier2]

17. the response was a "cookie cutter" response

i agree ...

there was absolutely ZERO in the response to indicate that it acknowledged anything in the original letter ...

if you write him that "Santa Claus is coming to town" you'll probably get the same response ...

[BigBearJohn]

6. We need to ACKNOWLEDGE those who stand up to power.

It sure takes backbone.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

7. No, it's an automated form letter

That's all.

Relax.

Nothing has changed.

[BigBearJohn]

8. I did NOT address the letter to EJ. I addressed it to only to the W-Post.

So, even if it is Elliot's boilerplate response, the letter
was routed to Eliot to respond to. And respond he did and
addressed the salutation to me personally. He even explains
that he doesn't have the time to get into details, but wants
it known our emails are read.

So go ahead and poo-poo it if you like. It means something to me.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

13. I'm not poo-pooing

But, it's a form letter. I've gotten them from Dionne myself. That's how I recognize it for what it is.

(Who is "Elliot"? or "Eliot"?)

Routing a letter within the Post is as simple as forwarding an email. I once worked for the Post.

Note that it did not state that Mr. Dionne had read your email. It's all in the details.

Did you know that the Washington Post is the only corporation that has its very own Zip Code?

[BigBearJohn]

14. Since you know the Post so well, maybe you should write them.

He said he reads these emails.. so I take him at his word.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

15. Tsk, tsk.

Read it carefully. You're seeing what you want to see, and, in the process, not reading carefully or critically.

I do write to the Post when something moves me, and I've gotten personal responses from feature writers. The syndicated columnists, like Dionne, don't have time to read their email, which is why automated responses are necessary.

Write him again, another email, about another column, and see what you get.

And, again, who is "Elliott"? Or "Eliot"?

[BigBearJohn]

16. I dont where I got Eliot from; must have been a senior moment.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

18. I have them all the time

I can't believe I remembered that bit of trivia about the Post's Zip Code, but, there it was ..................

[lonestarnot]

9. Ok Cooooooool! You go Big Bear John!

[Nothing Without Hope]

10. Thanks for sharing this! LTTEs really do make a difference. If a paper

publishes a progressive article and gets 1000 venomous, threatening freeper emails and only two positive ones, it's likely editorial policy will tilt. Squeaky wheel and all that, plus they're a business and they have to please as many customers as they can.

It's one reason why people who can afford it should consider paying for a subscription. It gives them some power - they can threaten to cancel and actually cancel if it gets bad enough.

[faithnotgreed]

11. youre right john - a respectful response is great. and ej dionne is a

good guy from what ive seen of him on obscure tv shows

thanks for sharing this and for writing to the post

[theboss]

12. Dionne is a good columnist

In general, I love the Post's editorial page. It's got really great writers; even the conservatives - Will and Krauthammer - are worth reading.

The best writer, unfortunately, is buried on Saturday. Colby King is fantastic.