Update (March 31, 18:42 EDT): This blog post was mentioned on the "Grapevine" segment on FNC's "Special Report with Bret Baier." Video added at 13:00 EDT on April 1, 2009.[audio available here]
A contributing editor of a major weekly news magazine pens a newspaper op-ed defending a controversial decision by a prominent Catholic university. Said editor's son is a marketing executive for said Catholic institution, but neither the editor nor the newspaper disclose the fact to readers.
If the popular FAIL blog dealt with journalistic missteps, this would surely make the cut.
Enter Kenneth L. Woodward of Newsweek magazine, whose op-ed "Why Notre Dame Should Honor Obama" graces page A17 of the March 30 Washington Post.
Writes National Review Online's Kathryn J. Lopez:
I have no doubt that Kenneth Woodward's views on Notre Dame, Obama, and the Catholic Church are his — he has a long and accomplished career and history with the school, Church, and politics. But still: That Washington Post oped probably should have mentioned that Woodward's successful son (who is evidently responsible for "Got Milk?") is associate vice president for marketing at the University of Notre Dame.
Woodward, who "served as religion editor for 38 years" at Newsweek, touted his credentials as "adamantly pro-life" and "independent as a voter"in his 10-paragraph defense of his alma mater inviting the president to speak at the Class of 2009's commencement ceremony.
