The Post needed two writers to replace Metro columnist Marc Fisher. In tapping Robert McCartney and Petula Dvorak, the paper went for experience and comfort, not youth and passion.
McCartney is almost a Post lifer—he went there in 1982. He has covered Central American wars, Wall Street, and Europe and has edited foreign and local news. But what might have best prepared him for a local column is that his son went all the way through Montgomery County public schools.
“I’m looking forward to expressing my point of view,” McCartney says. The styles of the columnists he admires—Steve Pearlstein of the Post, Tom Friedman of the New York Times—suggest that his pieces will be more wonky than gritty.
Dvorak’s route to the column passed through writing jobs at the Prague Post and the Orange County Register. She’s been covering local news for a decade. Sources say her sample columns had the perspective of a working mom.
In other newsroom shifts, pop-music critic J. Freedom du Lac is giving up his gig to join a newly created team of reporters searching out hot news in the region—with Fisher as editor.
This article first appeared in the July 2009 issue of The Washingtonian. For more articles from that issue, click here.
Post Watch: More Musical Chairs in Newsroom
The Post needed two writers to replace Metro columnist Marc Fisher. In tapping Robert McCartney and Petula Dvorak, the paper went for experience and comfort, not youth and passion.
McCartney is almost a Post lifer—he went there in 1982. He has covered Central American wars, Wall Street, and Europe and has edited foreign and local news. But what might have best prepared him for a local column is that his son went all the way through Montgomery County public schools.
“I’m looking forward to expressing my point of view,” McCartney says. The styles of the columnists he admires—Steve Pearlstein of the Post, Tom Friedman of the New York Times—suggest that his pieces will be more wonky than gritty.
Dvorak’s route to the column passed through writing jobs at the Prague Post and the Orange County Register. She’s been covering local news for a decade. Sources say her sample columns had the perspective of a working mom.
In other newsroom shifts, pop-music critic J. Freedom du Lac is giving up his gig to join a newly created team of reporters searching out hot news in the region—with Fisher as editor.
This article first appeared in the July 2009 issue of The Washingtonian. For more articles from that issue, click here.
More>> Capital Comment Blog | News & Politics | Society Photos
Most Popular in News & Politics
March for Our Lives Is Planning a Huge DC Protest Against Gun Violence in June
Dognapping Is Becoming a Problem in DC. Here’s How Pet Owners Can Protect Themselves and Their Pets.
Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People
5 Facts About Dumfries, Virginia, the Possible New Home of the Washington Commanders
Should We Care About What’s Left of the Trucker Convoy?
Washingtonian Magazine
June 2022: 101 Reasons to Love Summer in DC
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
A Johnny Cash Statue Is Coming to the Capitol
LGBTQ Pioneer Barney Frank’s Story Is Now a Graphic Novel
Inside the Effort to Revamp the DC Archives
This DC Poet Was Once the USSR’s Biggest Kid Actor
More from News & Politics
DC Spring Animal Sightings, Ranked From Worst to Wildest
March for Our Lives Is Planning a Huge DC Protest Against Gun Violence in June
Dognapping Is Becoming a Problem in DC. Here’s How Pet Owners Can Protect Themselves and Their Pets.
Should We Care About What’s Left of the Trucker Convoy?
5 Facts About Dumfries, Virginia, the Possible New Home of the Washington Commanders
Trucker Convoy Stragglers Get Kicked Out of Racetrack, Form New Movement, Visit the National Mall, Don’t Go Home
The Trucker Convoy Has Given Up on DC Yet Again. We Tried One Last Time to Find Out What They Wanted.
Number of Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs Hits Record Low