By: jackie.sauter

I may be breaking some ancient newsroom commandment by praising another newspaper, but among the six Pulitzer Prizes won by the Washington Post was one for public service for its series of stories exposing the mistreatment of veterans at Walter Reed hospital.

As the son of a veteran, and someone who has witnessed the shoddy treatment that this nation’s vets can be prone to receiving at the VA, I can’t help but be extremely happy for the Post.

In an age where many Americans will somehow find time to hear the latest news about Paris or Britney (we’re on a first-name basis at this point), yet be too busy to pay attention to boring things like war and choosing the next leader of the “free world,” it’s nice to see a newspaper get rewarded for fulfilling its natural — and vital — role as society’s watchdog.

FRANCIS SMITH, Special Publications Assistant Editor