Departing 'Wash Post' Ombudsman Howell Will Be Newhouse Consultant

By: Joe Strupp Deborah Howell, who will leave her three-year job as The Washington Post ombudsman next month, plans to return to Newhouse Newspapers as a consultant.

Howell, who spent 15 years as Newhouse Washington bureau chief before taking the Post job in 2005, says she plans to handle "several projects," as well as work with the chain's Religion News Service.

"There will be some other projects for me," said Howell, 67. "We are still talking about it. I am very happy about returning to the Newhouses, I loved working for them."

Meanwhile, Howell's replacement at the Post, Andy Alexander, expects the ombudsman job to take on more of a Web presence under him, including possible regular reader chats.

"Washingtonpost.com is becoming a more important part of the Washington Post operation," said Alexander, who is leaving his job as Cox Newspapers' D.C. bureau chief to take the position. "We will have to discuss exactly how, but there is a growing audience of online readers."

Howell said more of an online element will be necessary for the next ombudsman: "When I started, the Post was not nearly as strong on the Web as it is now. It will be much more important for him than for me; he will have to deal with the convergence of the Web and print staffs."

Alexander's new position was announced Wednesday, a day after Cox revealed plans to close the D.C. bureau, a move that also eliminates his job.

Howell said she had recommended Alexander for the position as far back as October, when the paper was searching for someone to replace her as her contract expires. The Post's practice, like most newspapers, is to have ombudsmen serve a contracted term, then be replaced.

"I threw his name in the hat," Howell recalls, noting she suggested Alexander to Editorial Page Editor Fred Hiatt. "I think I called [Alexander] and asked him if it would be all right to mention his name, and he said it would."

Hiatt said he "talked to a lot of people" and that "a number of candidates" were in the running. He added that he approached Alexander about the job, with the final choice ultimately decided by Publisher Katharine Weymouth.

Alexander, who will start his two-year stint on Feb. 2, confirmed he was approached by Hiatt. He added that Howell "has done an extraordinary job as ombudsman; you don?t make many friends in that job."

So why do it? "It is an important and impressive newspaper, there is an appeal to being part of that and it is an exciting and important time in our business," said Alexander, who began at the Cox bureau in 1976 and has served as bureau chief since 1997. "Most important, if you have spent your life in journalism, why wouldn't you want to be part of it?"