Where a story is placed is as important as what’s covered. I’ve argued before that important stories that should be on the front page (the Bush campaign’s inaccuracies and distortions, for example) are far less effective when they are buried in the paper
I’ve also argued before that The Washington Post is particularly culpable in their placement of stories about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the single most contentious issue between the Muslim world and the U.S., in my opinion.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone then that today’s story about the Israeli attack that killed 13 Palestinians and injured 25 other people is on page A17, whereas the bombing a week ago by Palestinian militants that killed 16 people got front page coverage and a photo.
You can argue, as The Post often does through its ombudsman, that front page stories are determined in large part by what stories are breaking that day. The killing of seven Marines in Iraq, Florida’s cleanup after Frances and the aftermath of the Russian tragedy are among the stories making front page news today.
But The Post’s placement of stories of the killing of Palestinians and Israelis has followed a pattern for too long, especially for an issue that should play a greater role in the election this November.