Media Views

a very different—even respectful—tone infused a front-page story on right-wing rumor-mongering about Barack Obama’s alleged adherence to the Muslim faith. That November 29 article is constructed almost as a justification for spreading these rumors, including the one about Obama’s supposed childhood attendance at a religious madrassah, a slur that was debunked earlier this year.... The Post, however, treats these slurs seriously, avoiding any direct criticism of their lack of supporting evidence and relying on Obama and his backers to provide the only counter-balance. The Post, in effect, has given its blessing to the legitimacy of the smears.