Why newspapers are essential

Last July, the Washington Post published an exhaustive 12 part series detailing the facts surrounding the murder of D.C. intern Chandra Levy and the subsequent investigation.

At the time, the series drew criticism from some.

The Post reports today:

In an interview this week, former D.C. police chief Charles H. Ramsey, who had been in charge of the original Levy investigation, said he was surprised last summer by some of the findings of The Post's series. "There were a couple of things, when I read the series, I said, 'Oh man,' " Ramsey said.

For example, Ramsey said, he had not known that his two original detectives on the Levy case never interviewed the two women whom Guandique had attacked at knifepoint.

There are people who say they'd like to see every newspaper in America go out of business. There' a guy right here in Miami who'd like to see the Herald fold tomorrow.

But those people never explain what they'd like to see take the place of a vigilant newspaper. Just imagine Miami without a newspaper to look over the shoulders of elected officials and others with power such as the police.

The Herald won't be going out of business next week or next month. But things are looking increasingly grim at One Herald Plaza.

Locally, some of the canaries in the coal mine have stopped singing. It looks like Miami Beach has lost an independent voice.