WashingtonPost.com From
Leonard Downie Jr.'s chat:
Arlington, Va.: You are known for being so objective that you don't vote. Now that you are retiring, will register and vote?
Leonard Downie Jr.: I'll have to think about that since I didn't just stop voting, I stopped having even private opinions about politicians or issues so that I would have a completely open mind in supervising our coverage. It may be hard to change ALSO:
Alexandria, Va.: A question I usually ask in an exit interview is: "What are you most proud of in your career and what do you think was your biggest disappointment?" How would you answer that for yourself?
Leonard Downie Jr.: I am most proud of the journalism I helped produce as a reporter and editor that held the powerful accountable to others in our society, the kind of journalism that has won us many prizes and, most importantly, brought about the righting of wrongs and constructive change. My biggest disappointment is those times, such as in the run-up to the Iraqi war, when we were not succeeding as much as I would have liked in featuring such accountability journalism.
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"He had as much enthusiasm for the news as anyone I've ever met" (AJR)
