December 6, 2021

The death of Washington Post editorial page editor Fred Hiatt, at 66, is terribly sad. Hiatt was terrific writer, and his editorial judgment was steady and consistent, always reflecting the long-held positions of the Post: “…support for civil rights, fiscal responsibility, equality of opportunity and a muscular presence on the international stage, particularly in protecting human rights,” according to Washington Post writer Matt Schudel.

I found myself in agreement with Hiatt on the vast majority of Post editorials — all of which he wrote or edited: about 1,000 a year. Half the time I disagreed with Hiatt, I had to concede, if only in my own mind, that he possessed far greater knowledge, insight, and experience, and was probably correct in his assessment.

Solid, measured editorial writing is in short supply these days. Fred Hiatt’s death is a loss for journalism, intellectual rigor, fairness and decency.